Knowledge sharing in interest online communities: A comparison of posters and lurkers

Abstract Online communities have become increasingly popular in recent years. However, despite a significant growth in the number of online communities, few have been successful in retaining members and motivating members to contribute knowledge. Few researchers have investigated the differences between posters and lurkers in terms of knowledge-sharing behavior. We propose that the driving factors of posters and lurkers are contextually different, and as such, a distinction between them is needed. By incorporating extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, as well as intra-community factors, we modeled and examined the differences in the driving factors of the two types of community members – posters and lurkers – and provide comparisons and discussions, thus advancing our understanding of knowledge-sharing behavior in interest communities. A multi-group analysis revealed that the poster group and the lurker group differ somewhat in the factors that motivate the knowledge-sharing intentions of the two groups. The most influential factors affecting the knowledge-sharing intentions of posters are intrinsic motivational factors (i.e., enjoyment in helping others and knowledge self-efficacy). On the other hand, the knowledge-sharing intentions of lurkers are affected by extrinsic motivational factors (i.e., reciprocity). Intra-community factors, such as perceived moderator’s enthusiasm, offline activities, and enjoyability, also affect the knowledge-sharing intentions of posters and lurkers. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.