Sound information seeking in Web 2.0 virtual communities: the moderating effect of mindfulness

Abstract

Virtual communities are a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0. Information seeking has been demonstrated to be a main motivator driving web use. Given the challenge brought by quality in the early stage, the healthy development of virtual communities relies on sound information seekers. Mindfulness, which is regarded as a psychological state of consciousness, is an important factor for individuals to make a sound decision. This study develops a research model by extending the updated information systems success model with the consideration of the moderating effect of mindfulness. Data collected from users of virtual communities were used to test the model. The findings suggest that mindfulness negatively moderates the effects of information quality, system quality and service quality on perceived usefulness, which further impacts information seeking in virtual communities. The findings and the implications for theory and practice are discussed.