Social exchange approach in knowledge sharing of online communities – A Case of online health communities at Ho Chi Minh City

Abstract

The demand to look for information and share information in nowaday society are a huge needed, especially in the internet revolution are developing more and more. The studies proposed the model that includes the benefit factors (sense of self-worth, face concern, reputation and social support) and cost factors (executional costs, cognitive costs) with the points of view of Social Exchange Theory that influences to knowledge donating behavior, knowledge collecting behavior and community promotion among members. The studies will be verified in health care member of the online health communities in Ho Chi Minh City. Quantitative research also was conducted 336 samples were used to evaluate and test the research. The results of the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) show that the theoretical models are suited the market data and hypotheses of the research model are supported. In particular, factors of the benifit group (sense of self-worth, face concern, reputation and social support) have a positive impact on the knowledge donating behavior and knowledge collecting behavior. In addition, factors of the cost group (executional costs, cognitive costs) have a negative impact the knowledge donating behavior and knowledge collecting behavior. Knowledge donating behavior and knowledge collecting behavior have a positive impact on community promotion to the online health community. In addition, the results of multi-group analysis that there is no difference between knowledge sharing’s writing group and no knowledge sharing’s writing group. The results may be usefull for online health community, hospitals, doctors, individuals and businesses.