The effect of online fan community attributes on the loyalty and cooperation of fan community members: The moderating role of connect hours

Global fans spontaneously look up their favorite celebrity-related news coverage via the online community and/or by subscribing to fan pages on social media. Unlike social media, which is an open space for everyone including fans and anti-fans, the online fan community is a closed space only for avid fans who are willing to pay an annual membership fee. Since online community users tend to have a common identity and purpose, they feel a bond with the other members. In the meantime, the members may have different motivations for feeling attachment. For the study, the sample was collected from the “Girls' Generation” (GG) online fan community. The empirical results showed that social interaction significantly influenced fan community identification (FCI) and fan community trust (FCT). Information quality had positive effects on FCI, FCT, and celebrity trust (CT). Contents significantly affected CT and FCT. FCI had positive effects on CT, FCT, loyalty, and cooperation. CT and FCT significantly influenced loyalty and cooperation, respectively. Further, connect hours moderated the paths between FCI to CT; FCI to FCT; FCI to loyalty; and FCT to cooperation. This study provides added value for online fan community members and improves marketing strategies for entertainment management agencies.

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