Modeling and simulation for the impact of EGC strategies on the negative UGC diffusion

Abstract

The impact of user-generated content (UGC) on enterprises, particularly negative UGC, is well recognized. From the perspective of enterprises, different strategies of enterprise-generated content (EGC) have also been adapted as a response to unexpected UGC; however, few studies have investigated the influence of such strategies on the UGC propagation. This research examines which strategy on the negative UGC propagation is optimal by proposing an EGC-UGC interaction model. It aims to understand the interaction between UGC and EGC in the context of the social network. Using a simulation analysis method to measure the effect of such EGC factors as the first time of issuing EGC, the EGC quantity and the interactive frequency on UGC propagation, this study finds that interactive frequency is the key factor in defending against negative UGC propagation. This research further explores the effect of different strategy combinations referring to the aforementioned three factors on the two types of negative UGC propagation based on deviation distance. The results present two optimal strategies for the two types of negative UGC propagation. Overall, these findings offer some unique implications for UGC management and the information diffusion model of competitive, coexisting information.