What drives users’ participation in online social Q&A communities? An empirical study based on social cognitive theory
Aslib Journal of Information Management
ISSN: 2050-3806
Article publication date: 27 August 2019
Issue publication date: 18 September 2019
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine some drivers of users’ participation in online social question-and-answer (Q&A) communities based on social cognitive theory and then identify the underlying mechanism of this process.
Design/methodology/approach
This study developed a research model to test the proposed hypotheses, and an online survey was employed to collected data. Totally, 313 valid responses were collected, and partial least squares structural equation modeling was adopted to analyze these data.
Findings
This study empirically finds that the outcome expectations (personal outcome expectations and knowledge self-management outcome expectations) are positively related to participation in online social Q&A communities. At the same time, users’ self-efficacy positively influences their participation behaviors. It can not only directly motivate users’ participation, but also indirectly promote participation behaviors through the two dimensions of outcome expectations. Besides, perceived expertise and perceived similarity are two positive and significant environmental elements affecting users’ participation.
Originality/value
This study extends the understanding about how participation behaviors will be motivated in the context of online social Q&A communities. Drawing on the social cognitive theory, constructs were established based on the features of these communities. Meanwhile, some mediating effects in the motivating process were also discussed.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work is supported by the National Social Science Foundation of China (19CGL067), the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Foundation of Education Department of Anhui Province (SK2017A0849) and the General Project of Teaching Research of Quality Engineering in Anhui Province (2016jyxm0026).
Citation
Bao, Z. and Han, Z. (2019), "What drives users’ participation in online social Q&A communities? An empirical study based on social cognitive theory", Aslib Journal of Information Management, Vol. 71 No. 5, pp. 637-656. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJIM-01-2019-0002
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited