Active Online Community Research Articles

Impact of the quality and diversity of reference products on creative activities in online communities

In creativity research, an important unresolved issue relates to identifying the kind of information an individual should be exposed to in order to be highly creative. We aimed to gain insights into this issue; we collected and statistically analyzed three datasets related to three large online communities (namely Cities: Skylines, SCP-wiki, and Archive of Our Own) engaged in mod development and novel writing to examine whether the quality and diversity of other people’s products referred to have a positive effect on product generation. Our analysis revealed the following three findings: (1) the quality diversity of reference products generated by others has the most positive impact on the quality of generated products when it is neither high nor low, (2) the content diversity of reference products generated by others has a negative impact on the quality of generated products, and (3) the quality of reference products generated by others has a negative impact on the quality of generated products when it is extremely high. We conclude by discussing the implications of the findings for creativity research.

Jewish Spaces in Present Vienna: A Relational, Hybrid Approach

In October 2017, Vienna’s Leopoldstadt community succeeded in reinstalling a Hebrew street sign in a public space of the second district. This achievement became possible in large part due to the efforts of an active online community that encouraged many people to share their wish to have visible signs of the former historic Jewish quarter in the present urban space. Through vigorous Facebook and other social media activities, the interest that the group generated put pressure on the city, leading to the support of an art project. The placement of the Hebrew street sign marked a hybrid way of constructing Jewish urban spaces. The dialogue between virtual and physical spaces added new layers to the historic Jewish quarter of Vienna; this way of relational space making is, I wish to argue, paradigmatic for today’s Europe as it witnesses the heyday of Holocaust tourism and klezmer revivals. In this article, I investigate this space-making process in Jewish public history in present Vienna and examine how the virtual community frames the way urban Jewish spaces are constructed.

Who Makes Popular Content? Information Cues from Content Creators for Users’ game Choice: Focusing on User-Created Content Platform “Roblox”

User-generated game platforms have emerged as a channel fostering creative activities in online communities. Therefore, this study reveals users’ decision making at UGG platform such as Roblox, where millions of users contribute to game creation and play the game. In particular, teenagers, who are digital natives and known as Generation Z, select a game from various UGGs on Roblox. Thus, this study focuses on how game creator information in personal profile plays a significant role in determining digital natives’ choice of UGG. Drawing the signaling theory, this research focus on creators’ abilities and popularities as indicators for UGG choices. We collect a total of 1,301 fighting games from Roblox and game creator information. To address endogeneity, a two-stage least squares(2SLS) analysis was conducted using instrumental variables. The results show that the number of limited items and followers achieved by the creator positively affect game popularity.

Online communities as a risk factor for gambling and gaming problems: A five-wave longitudinal study

Online communities are becoming increasingly important in everyday life, providing opportunities for leisure habits and social organization. Some online communities are also considered risky for participants, but longitudinal studies on the potential negative consequences are needed. This social psychological study was grounded in theories of group behavior and social identification. We examined the longitudinal associations between participation in gambling and gaming online communities and excessive gambling and gaming. The role of social media identity bubbles was also considered. We used linear hybrid models and longitudinal data comprising five time points (T1–T5) to analyze within- and between-person associations. Nationally representative data were collected from Finnish respondents aged 18–75 (N = 1530) between 2021 and 2023. The Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) was used to measure gambling problems, and the Internet Gaming Disorder Test (IGDT) was used to measure gaming problems. The Identity Bubble Reinforcement Scale (IBRS) measured involvement in social media identity bubbles. The results indicated that participating in online communities was associated with both gambling and gaming problems at the within- and between-person levels. Interaction analyses showed that these problems were increased among active online community users who were also involved in online identity bubbles. Online identity bubbles play a significant role in the process by which non-problematic leisure activities can become addictive behaviors.

Mass media and social networks in the modern politics of Kazakhstan

Relevance. Kazakhstan has recently joined the group of countries affected by the concept of "networked social movements". Since 2013, many blogs have started to appear on YouTube and Facebook. Using social networks blogs, political activists have begun to voice their discontent and question the legitimacy of the political regime that has emerged since independence in 1990. While social movements and controversial politics are integral to political systems, autocratic regimes are inherently opposed to controversial collective action because they contribute to the destruction of such regimes. Purpose. The goal of such regimes is to retain power as long as possible. The Internet provides new channels for citizens' voices, minority perspectives and political mobilisation. Methodology. Blogs, online forums, Facebook, and Twitter are already providing citizens with a new form of the public sphere and an alternative source of news and information, which is seen as a new platform for exchanging news. Data from blogs and print media were taken, which reported on the worst civil conflict in the post-Soviet history of Kazakhstan. Consequently, many information sources supported the government's claims. Results. This example demonstrates both the importance of an active online community in Kazakhstan and the government's understanding of the importance of online interaction with its citizens. What can be learned from the Zhanaozen case about the role of social networks on the Internet in political transformation in Kazakhstan? What role does the government of Kazakhstan play in combating political dissent through cyberspace? Conclusions. This study will contribute to a better understanding of current political processes in Kazakhstan and demonstrate the link between the increased use of social networks on the Internet and political activism in Kazakhstan.

Staying competitive in the era of digital technology: The importance of using social media

Using social media via electronic devices and Internet connection has become a part of life in the current day. This is altering how individuals look for information to satisfy their requirements. These modifications affect marketing activities and styles. The marketing strategy becomes simpler, and product options adjust to client wants. Social media platforms provide network connectivity that allows organizations and consumers to participate in marketing and sales activities in online communities. Using social media leads to broad social bonds and builds an environment that can influence consumer engagement. Through social media networks, online stores increase product sales and have an impact on improving small and medium enterprises (SMEs) performance. However, some studies found that social media did not cause customers to return to shop at the same online store. Therefore, this study proposes using social media mediated by the value of social commerce services. We tested this research on 215 SMEs in Indonesia who conduct online promotions and sales using social media. The goal is to analyse the benefits of using social media and the intention to buy back at the same online store to improve the performance of SMEs. Statistical analysis is based on data collected through survey questionnaires using the partial least square (PLS) method to test hypotheses.

온라인 커뮤니티 행동의 결정요인에 관한 연구

Purpose - As we live in a flood of online connections which affect many aspects of human activities, including consumption and social communications, it has become more and more important to understand how the online community works, and the major factors affecting online community activities. For this purpose, this study aims to verify the determinants of online community activities by validating the effects of social capital, information ownership, and self-disclosure. It also proposed that subjective well-being and online community trust will mediate the proposed relationship.
 Design/Methodology/Approach - The study used online survey method to collect data for hypothesis verification. The study took a dyadic approach in that it employed two predictors composed of individual level variable (information ownership) and group-oriented variable (social capital). We used structural equation model and hierarchical moderated regression to verify the research hypotheses.
 Findings - The study found that social capital positively affects subjective well-being, while information ownership partially influenced online community trust. Subjective well-being and online community trust had a positive impact on online community activities.
 Research Implications - The findings of the study provide significant theoretical and practical implications. Particularly, the study provides empirical evidence for attachment not significantly affecting online community trust. Furthermore, the study provides practical implications regarding the employment of differentiated strategy in appealing to two different customer groups (bonding based vs. bridging-based network). The study results are expected to extend the current understanding of the social as well as psychological mechanisms that affects consumer motivations for engaging in online community activities.

Innovating With the Customer: Co-Creation Motives in Online Communities

ABSTRACT This study identifies and classifies the motivations and benefits consumers gain from participating in co-creation activities in online communities by conducting a systematic literature review and developing a taxonomy. The taxonomy provides an overview of customer motivations to co-create in online communities by categorizing the motivations according to their nature (entirely extrinsic, internalized extrinsic, and intrinsic), and their connection to the individual, innovative community, and firm. Based on the uses and gratifications (U&G) framework of benefits (cognitive/learning, hedonic, personal integrative, and social integrative benefits), the taxonomy also identifies the relationships between extrinsic and intrinsic motivations within each benefit category, thus gaining a better understanding of the psychological needs behind the co-creators’ motivations. For instance, an example of a community-related intrinsic motivation that provides a social integrative benefit is altruism. Community members who are motivated by altruism show care, attention, and help toward the co-creation project and the community. Companies can create encouragement in supporting others’ contributions that will help to stimulate new submissions. Another case is that an example of an internalized self-extrinsic motivation which is related to instrumental benefit is user need. Community members who are motivated by the satisfaction that arises from improving current product- and service-related issues propose solutions and new ideas to those issues as they seek a practical benefit for their personal needs. Companies can invite these community members for a brainstorm with their representatives such as product owners or program managers to provide inspiration for improvements.

Unpacking the Mediating Role of Brand Community Character on the Relationship Between Social Media Marketing Activities and Intention to Purchase Online

Whether it's the latest news or details on a specific product, social media is being used as the go-to source for information in today's digital age. Companies utilize social media marketing to spread the word about their products and spark online discussions. Brands with active online communities are more likely to see a rise in consumer interest and spending when consumers get familiar with such brands. Nowadays, people are more inclined towards doing business online than before. This study focuses on the impact of Pakistan's automobile sector marketing efforts on social media and intention to purchase online. The use of customer-based brand equity and perceived brand community character as mediators. Furthermore, due to increase in online sales E-commerce quality is utilized as a moderator to comprehend the impact on the association between the company's marketing efforts on the digital platforms and intention to purchase online. The Google form questionnaire yielded 398 replies by using a convenience sampling strategy. SPSS and Hayes Process Macro are utilized for data analysis. All hypothesis was accepted. The findings will aid automobile brand managers in understanding what to showcase in their online communities to achieve a positive brand outcome.

온라인 커뮤니티 활동에서 지식공유 회피에 영향을 미치는 요인에 관한 연구

온라인 커뮤니티 활동에서 지식공유 회피에 영향을 미치는 요인에 관한 연구

재미한인의 다원화와 디지털 디아스포라: 다인종 한인 자녀를 둔 부모의 온라인 커뮤니티 활동

최근 족외혼과 다인종 한인의 증가로 인해 재미한인의 다원화는 더욱 가속화되고 있으며, 온라인 기반 네트워크와 커뮤니티가 한인디아스포라 사이에서도 중요한 사회적 관계 형성의 장이 되고 있다. 이러한 배경 하에 본 연구에서는 ‘다인종 한인 자녀를 둔 부모’ 페이스북 그룹과 같은 온라인 커뮤니티의 형성과 유지 요인을 파악한다. 또한 미국소재 다인종 한인가족에 대한 전반적인 이해를 제고하고 이들과 재미한인사회뿐 아니라 모국인 한국과의 교류와 네트워크 활성화 방안에 대해서도 제언한다. 주요 연구방법으로 19명의 다인종 한인 자녀를 둔 재미한인을 대상으로 온라인 설문조사를 실시하였다. 본 연구 결과에 따르면 재미한인 부모들은 온라인 커뮤니티를 통해 다인종 한인 자녀의 한국어, 한국문화 교육, 그리고 한국인으로서의 문화정체성 유지에 관한 정보를 교류하고 있었다. 또한 사이버 공간을 통해서 연구참여자들은 자신과 자녀가 경험한 인종적 편견과 차별에 대해서 토로하고 대처법을 강구하고 있다. 본 연구 결과를 바탕으로 다인종 한인 가족들에 대한 연구를 미국 지역뿐 아니라 타지역으로 확대하고 ‘디지털 디아스포라’에 관한 연구가 더욱 활성화 될 수 있기를 기대한다.

Influence of Consumer Interaction and Community Relationships on Value Co-Creation Willingness: A Mediation Model of Chinese Sports Brands

Existing research reveals the significance of understanding consumer interactions as an increasingly important determinant of sports consumption behaviors; yet, few studies have focused on the virtual communities of sporting goods brands, particularly for the Chinese marketplace that is becoming the largest globally. This study aimed to examine the relationships among consumer interaction, brand-community relationship, and consumer value co-creation willingness in the sports virtual brand communities of China. Research participants (n = 445) were consumers participating in online community activities of two leading sporting goods brands in China, Li-NING and Anta Sports. A questionnaire survey study was conducted. Regression analyses revealed that three out of four consumer interaction factors—cultural identity behavior, experiential communication behavior, and community maintenance behavior—exert a significant and positive impact on consumer value co-creation willingness. The strength of community relationship played a mediating role in these relationships. The other one, member screening interaction, did not find support. This study extends knowledge of sports brand marketing and management of virtual brand communities and recognizes the effectiveness of consumer value co-creation aspirations by highlighting the importance and reliance of customer-to-customer interaction and the strength of brand-community relationships.

Punctuating the other: Graphic cues, voice, and positioning in digital discourse

This article investigates the nested relationship between graphic cues, voice, and positioning in digital discourse. The focus is on the ‘indignation mark’, or <!!1!>, an allographic sign used in German-language discussion boards on Reddit. The study's theoretical backdrop brings research on graphic practices in digitally-mediated communication into dialogue with sociolinguistic approaches to the enactment of group relations in discourse, in particular double-voicing, stylization, and positioning, thereby aiming to foster theory-building on both sides. Data is extracted from a large German-language forum (‘subreddit’) on Reddit and subjected to computational, sequential, and microlinguistic analysis. The findings show how participants in public online discussions use punctuation signs and other graphic cues to animate voices, i.e. ways of speaking that index recognizable social positions and ideologies; how these stylized voices provide a resource for positioning; and how participants display recognition of and alignment to this feature's indexical meaning. The findings also suggest that the ‘indignation mark’ is part of a wider ecology of graphic cues, which evolve constantly to enable multi-voicedness in public digital discourse. Overall, this paper aims to advance our understanding about how graphic elements of digital discourse are indexically and ideologically connected with positioning activities in online communities of practice.

교사 전문성 함양을 위한 학습공동체 운영 방향에 관한 질적 연구 : 수산·해운 계열 고등학교를 중심으로

This study intends to suggest the direction of operation of the Fisheries and Maritime Teacher Learning Community(FMTLC) through the teachers" experiences. In order to overcome the geopolitical aspect, FMTLC is required to operate a blended teacher community that crosses online and offline, such as exchanging information with distant teachers on a daily basis through online community activities, and planning teacher Sports Day and Conference offline. In addition, by meeting with experienced senior teachers through FMTLC activities, teachers become more professional and motivated, which in turn will help them become more capable of interacting and teaching students. Ultimately, FMTLC will increase the friendship between teachers and establish a desirable identity as a teacher who practices quality education.

‘Nu plecăm până nu plecați!’- A Case Study on the Rise of the Digital Civic Activism in Romania (2015-2018)

In this study we focused our attention on the involvement of the oldest and the most active online community, Corupția ucide, in organising or rallying protests in 2015, 2017 and 2018. We wanted to show to what extent the representatives of this community managed to increase the number of (involved) fans supporting the cause of anti-corruption protests and how they used Facebook as an interactive tool for communicating with users in the case of the three analysed protests. The Corupția ucide community has provided internet users with information about protests and anti-corruption legislation, has succeeded in connecting and engaging citizens to participate also in the street, not only in social media, and has paved the way for the digital civic activism institutionalisation in Romania.

Communicating and Disseminating Rock Art Research on Facebook: The ERC Artsoundscapes Project Goes Public

ABSTRACT This article explores the potential of social media in disseminating and communicating archaeological knowledge and the ways in which their impact on the public can be enhanced through marketing plans. It examines the implementation of such a plan in the context of the Facebook page of the ERC Advanced Grant project “The sound of special places: exploring rock art soundscapes and the sacred” (acronym: Artsoundscapes). Using quantitative and qualitative data provided by the Facebook Insights altmetrics tool, the article evaluates the general performance of the Artsoundscapes page and measures the effectiveness of the marketing plan. It discusses the components of marketing plans with emphasis on a carefully designed content strategy that, in the case of the Artsoundscapes Facebook page, in only 19 months of existence has resulted in the organic development of an active online community of 757 fans and 787 followers from 45 countries. The marketing plan has contributed to raising awareness of the Artsoundscapes project and an emerging, highly specialized and little-known branch of archaeology – the archaeoacoustics of rock art sites. It rapidly and engagingly disseminates the project’s activities and outcomes among both specialist and non-specialist audiences, and informs the non-specialist public about relevant advances in the multiple fields – rock art studies, acoustics, music archaeology and ethnomusicology – that intersect in it. The article concludes that social media are effective means for archaeologists and archaeological organizations and projects to reach various audiences, and that marketing plans significantly augment this process.

Access to and use of health and social care services for people with learning disabilities during COVID-19: a longitudinal study

PurposeThis paper aims to present data about access to and use of health and social care services by adults with learning disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.Design/methodology/approachData were collected in three waves between December 2020 and September 2021 and concerned the use of health and social care services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected at one or more time-points directly from 694 adults with learning disabilities and through separate proxy reports by family carers and paid support staff of another 447 adults with learning disabilities.FindingsMany people with learning disabilities who reported regularly accessing services/supports pre-pandemic were not receiving them during the timeframe of this study. There were indications of increasing access to some services and supports between Wave 2 and 3, but this was not universal.Practical implicationsPeople in Cohort 2, who were likely to have severe/profound learning disabilities, were less frequently reported to access online community activities than people in Cohort 1, which is likely to exacerbate existing social isolation for this cohort and their family carers. Service providers should seek to ensure equitable access to services and activities for all people with learning disabilities in the event of future lockdowns or pandemics.Originality/valueThis is the largest longitudinal study about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health and social care services for adults with learning disabilities in the UK. We primarily collected data directly from adults with learning disabilities and worked with partner organisations of people with learning disabilities and family members throughout the study.

Ritualization of Online Brand Community Behaviors and Tribal Bond

The online communities are activating recently as using by over half of online users. But the previous online community studies were limited to figure out the influence factors of participation of community and its social affect mainly. So, this study tried to figure out ritual to understand more about individual aspect of online community activities and conducted empirical study of tribal bond that is consequences of ritual to suggest managerial implications. The significant online external ritual antecedent was shared norm and internal ritual antecedents were interdependence, need for approval. Also, the internal ritual had influence on external ritual and tribal bond. The external ritual was not significant influence factor of tribal bond. We suggested managerial implication the efficient management of quantitatively expanded community based on these results and academic implications that extend ritual concept to online, scale development and verification of each concept.

Online value co‐creation activities in three management domains: The role of climate and personal needs

AbstractCustomers' online value co‐creation activities can occur the whole management domain (i.e., product design, marketing, and customer relationship management) of a product. Previous studies have researched value co‐creation from different angles, customers' online value co‐creation activities are more complex and its formation mechanism still worth exploring. Online communities need to create different environments according to different management fields to stimulate customers to participate in Online Value Co‐creation activities. Existing research confuses different value co‐creation activities in the entire management field without considering the different antecedents of Online Value Co‐creation activities in different situations and different management domains. The purpose of this paper is to explore the formation mechanism behind customers' online value co‐creation activities during the whole management domain. Drawing on social learning theory, this study examines the influential role of environmental factors (i.e., innovation climate and social climate) of online communities and personal need factors (i.e., brand passion, satisfaction, dissatisfaction, and desire for control) on customers' value co‐creation activities in the three fields of the management domain. Empirical analyses in this study reveal that these factors play different roles in shaping value co‐creation activities in the three fields. The findings enrich our understanding of customers' value co‐creation activities in online communities and offer a broadened view of the value co‐creation framework and climate theory. Understanding the factors that motivate consumers to engage in co‐creation activities in different management domain enables firms to strategically manage their co‐creation relationships and innovation processes.

From Cathartic ‘Brain Tingles’ to Scratching Chalkboard Sensations

ASMR is a sensory-perceptual experience in which specific audio-visual or haptic stimuli reliably trigger electro-static-like ‘brain tingles’ extending peripherally from the back of the scalp. While generally an under-studied phenomenon, research is beginning to identify potential therapeutic benefits of immersing in ASMR-content, supported by anecdotal accounts from active online communities. The present mixed-methods online study aimed to explore the phenomenological aspects of ASMR and its potential therapeutic effects. A total of 224 participants watched ASMR-videos and completed scales measuring ASMR response and affect. Participants then completed four open-ended questions about their ASMR experience and use. In line with our hypotheses, quantitative results suggested that participants who experienced ASMR demonstrated significantly higher positive affect and significantly lower negative affect compared to those who did not (or were unsure about whether they did) experience ASMR. The pleasurability and intensity of ASMR also positively correlated with measures of positive affect, and negatively with measures of negative affect. Thematic analysis identified great phenomenological variability in perceived pleasurability and intensity of ASMR experience among individuals as a super-theme present across themes (Psychological, Physical and Social dimensions). Based on these findings, a multi-dimensional model for characterising ASMR is proposed, providing clear opportunities for future research.