Consumption Value and Social Capital on Sense of Virtual Community Toward Value of Co-Created Information

Abstract

The proliferation of virtual community (VC) has considerably and positively influenced the dissemination of information, however, in what sense that VC members will contribute and co-create value to a VC information needs further discussion. Based on the consumption value (social value, emotional value, and epistemic value) and social capital (structural capital, relational capital, and cognitive capital) perspective, this study attempts to discuss the evaluation of related factors that affect generating of members' sense of virtual community (SOVC), in turn, enhance co-created value to the information. Moreover, extrovert/introvert type and virtual community origin are taken to measure the moderating effect of relationships among consumption values, social values, SOVC, and the value of co-created information. A total of 403 valid respondents were collected from Taiwan VC members and analyzed by using SEM technique. The statistical results demonstrated that social value, emotional value, structural capital and cognitive capital positively affect SOVC, and SOVC is positively related to the value of co-created information. Moreover, offline/ online originated VC significantly moderated the relationship between cognitive capital and members' SOVC. The study suggested that webmaster should use suitable incentive to motivate members' contribution and conduct more activities including discussion, leading out some good ideal from members, which to increase information co-created value in practice.