Exploring payment behavior for live courses in social Q&A communities: An information foraging perspective

Abstract People are increasingly searching for information in social Q&A communities, especially through a new form of paid knowledge product, namely, live course. Such course provides a way for users to interact synchronously with content creators online. However, how this knowledge product is accepted and why users pay for it deserve attention from researchers. In this study, a research model was developed based on information foraging theory (IFT) and social information foraging (SIF) theory to analyze users’ information processing and evaluation when making payment decisions. Our research model was validated by collecting subjective and objective data from a Chinese social Q&A community that has been successful in offering live course services. We found that perceived quality of free content, perceived credibility of content creators, and perceived quantity of participants positively influence users’ willingness to pay, and thus, positively affects users’ payment behavior. Unexpectedly, social endorsement negatively moderates the relationship between willingness to pay and payment behavior. This study enhances the theoretical understanding of the drivers of users’ payment for live courses in social Q&A communities. For IS practice, our findings provide unique insights for community managers and content creators on how to operate paid knowledge products appropriately and effectively.

[1]  Kai H. Lim,et al.  Contributing high quantity and quality knowledge to online Q&A communities , 2013, J. Assoc. Inf. Sci. Technol..

[2]  Soo Young Rieh.  Judgement of information quality and cognitive authority in the Web , 2002 .

[3]  John Dawes,et al.  Has brand loyalty declined? A longitudinal analysis of repeat purchase behavior in the UK and the USA , 2015 .

[4]  Gen Li,et al.  Exploring Users' Motivation to Contribute in Online Platforms , 2018, PACIS.

[5]  Trudy Ann Cameron,et al.  Estimating Willingness to Pay from Survey Data: An Alternative Pre-Test-Market Evaluation Procedure , 1987 .

[6]  Stephanie Watts,et al.  Informational Influence in Organizations: An Integrated Approach to Knowledge Adoption , 2003, Inf. Syst. Res..

[7]  Matthew K. O. Lee,et al.  Examining the influence of online reviews on consumers' decision-making: A heuristic-systematic model , 2014, Decis. Support Syst..

[8]  P. Pirolli.  Information Foraging Theory: Adaptive Interaction with Information , 2007 .

[9]  Li Zhao,et al.  Sharing Knowledge in Social Q&A Sites: The Unintended Consequences of Extrinsic Motivation , 2016, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[10]  J. Edwards.  Multidimensional Constructs in Organizational Behavior Research: An Integrative Analytical Framework , 2001 .

[11]  Sue Abdinnour-Helm,et al.  Examining the effects of information system characteristics and perceived usefulness on post adoption usage of information systems , 2008, Inf. Manag..

[12]  Yung-Ming Li,et al.  Diffusing mobile coupons with social endorsing mechanism , 2019, Decis. Support Syst..

[13]  Sook Lim,et al.  College students' credibility judgments and heuristics concerning Wikipedia , 2013, Inf. Process. Manag..

[14]  S. Chaiken,et al.  The psychology of attitudes. , 1993 .

[15]  H. Harman.  Modern factor analysis , 1961 .

[16]  Stuart K. Card,et al.  Information foraging in information access environments , 1995, CHI '95.

[17]  Dongsong Zhang,et al.  The Effects of Tree-View Based Presentation Adaptation on Model Web Browsing , 2011, MIS Q..

[18]  Ann Majchrzak,et al.  Safe Contexts for Interorganizational Collaborations Among Homeland Security Professionals , 2010, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[19]  Dennis F. Galletta,et al.  Lost in Cyberspace: The Impact of Information Scent and Time Constraints on Stress, Performance, and Attitudes Online , 2015, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[20]  J. Scott Armstrong,et al.  Estimating nonresponse bias in mail surveys. , 1977 .

[21]  S. Chaiken.  Heuristic versus systematic information processing and the use of source versus message cues in persuasion. , 1980 .

[22]  Paul A. Pavlou,et al.  Swift Guanxi in Online Marketplaces: The Role of Computer-Mediated Communication Technologies , 2014, MIS Q..

[23]  Shelly Chaiken,et al.  The Heuristic-Systematic Model of Social Information Processing , 2002 .

[24]  Bin Gu,et al.  Informational Cascades and Software Adoption on the Internet: An Empirical Investigation , 2008, MIS Q..

[25]  Xiaojun Zhang,et al.  "Doctors Do Too Little Technology": A Longitudinal Field Study of an Electronic Healthcare System Implementation , 2011, Inf. Syst. Res..

[26]  Chuan-Hoo Tan,et al.  Helpfulness of Online Product Reviews as Seen by Consumers: Source and Content Features , 2013, Int. J. Electron. Commer..

[27]  Marylène Gagné,et al.  The Role of Autonomy Support and Autonomy Orientation in Prosocial Behavior Engagement , 2003 .

[28]  Alexandra Durcikova,et al.  How Knowledge Validation Processes Affect Knowledge Contribution , 2009, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[29]  M. Seraj.  We Create, We Connect, We Respect, Therefore We Are: Intellectual, Social, and Cultural Value in Online Communities , 2012 .

[30]  Sanghee Oh,et al.  The characteristics and motivations of health answerers for sharing information, knowledge, and experiences in online environments , 2012, J. Assoc. Inf. Sci. Technol..

[31]  M. Lindell,et al.  Accounting for common method variance in cross-sectional research designs. , 2001, The Journal of applied psychology.

[32]  S. Sénécal,et al.  The influence of online product recommendations on consumers' online choices , 2004 .

[33]  P. Bentler,et al.  Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis : Conventional criteria versus new alternatives , 1999 .

[34]  Stephanie Watts,et al.  Capitalizing on Content: Information Adoption in Two Online communities , 2008, J. Assoc. Inf. Syst..

[35]  Bernard J. Jansen,et al.  Questioner or question: Predicting the response rate in social question and answering on Sina Weibo , 2018, Inf. Process. Manag..

[36]  Jin Zhang,et al.  From free to paid: Customer expertise and customer satisfaction on knowledge payment platforms , 2019, Decis. Support Syst..

[37]  Jiabao Lin,et al.  Understanding the interplay of social commerce affordances and swift guanxi: An empirical study , 2019, Inf. Manag..

[38]  Huaping Chen,et al.  Credibility of Electronic Word-of-Mouth: Informational and Normative Determinants of On-line Consumer Recommendations , 2009, Int. J. Electron. Commer..

[39]  Izak Benbasat,et al.  Designing for Diagnosticity and Serendipity: An Investigation of Social Product-Search Mechanisms , 2017, Inf. Syst. Res..

[40]  Sung-joon Yoon,et al.  The antecedents and consequences of trust in online-purchase decisions , 2002 .

[41]  Atreyi Kankanhalli,et al.  Examining Gifting Through Social Network Services: A Social Exchange Theory Perspective , 2018, Inf. Syst. Res..

[42]  P. Earley.  Social Loafing and Collectivism: A Comparison of the United States and the People's Republic of China. , 1989 .

[43]  Viswanath Venkatesh,et al.  Leveraging Digital Technologies: How Information Quality Leads to Localized Capabilities and Customer Service Performance , 2013, MIS Q..

[44]  Chirag Shah,et al.  The use of information sources by internet users in answering questions , 2008, ASIST.

[45]  Ying Hua,et al.  Monetary Rewards, Intrinsic Motivators, and Work Engagement in the IT-Enabled Sharing Economy: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of Internet Taxi Drivers , 2020, Decis. Sci..

[46]  H. Simon,et al.  A Behavioral Model of Rational Choice , 1955 .

[47]  Ingoo Han,et al.  The Effect of On-Line Consumer Reviews on Consumer Purchasing Intention: The Moderating Role of Involvement , 2007, Int. J. Electron. Commer..

[48]  Scott B. MacKenzie,et al.  Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. , 2003, The Journal of applied psychology.

[49]  H. Raghav Rao,et al.  Factors influencing online health information search: An empirical analysis of a national cancer-related survey , 2014, Decis. Support Syst..

[50]  Li Zhai,et al.  Why users contribute knowledge to online communities: An empirical study of an online social Q&A community , 2015, Inf. Manag..

[51]  Chuan-Hoo Tan,et al.  Sequentiality of Product Review Information Provision: An Information Foraging Perspective , 2017, MIS Q..

[52]  Peter Pirolli,et al.  An elementary social information foraging model , 2009, CHI.

[53]  T. Caraco,et al.  Social Foraging Theory , 2018 .

[54]  Gert-Jan de Vreede,et al.  Understanding trust influencing factors in social media communication: A qualitative study , 2017, Int. J. Inf. Manag..

[55]  Xi Zhang,et al.  Bias effects, synergistic effects, and information contingency effects: Developing and testing an extended information adoption model in social Q&A , 2019, J. Assoc. Inf. Sci. Technol..

[56]  Gordon B. Davis,et al.  User Acceptance of Information Technology: Toward a Unified View , 2003, MIS Q..

[57]  Paul A. Pavlou,et al.  Consumer Acceptance of Electronic Commerce: Integrating Trust and Risk with the Technology Acceptance Model , 2003, Int. J. Electron. Commer..

[58]  Sanghee Oh,et al.  Quality assessment of answers with user-identified criteria and data-driven features in social Q&A , 2019, Inf. Process. Manag..

[59]  Traci Carte,et al.  In Pursuit of Moderation: Nine Common Errors and Their Solutions , 2003, MIS Q..

[60]  Wynne W. Chin,et al.  A Partial Least Squares Latent Variable Modeling Approach for Measuring Interaction Effects: Results from a Monte Carlo Simulation Study and an Electronic - Mail Emotion/Adoption Study , 2003, Inf. Syst. Res..

[61]  William B. Dodds,et al.  Effects of Price, Brand, and Store Information on Buyers’ Product Evaluations: , 1991 .

[62]  Gal Oestreicher-Singer,et al.  Content or Community? A Digital Business Strategy for Content Providers in the Social Age , 2013, MIS Q..

[63]  Preben Hansen,et al.  Factors that affect asker's pay intention in trilateral payment‐based social Q&A platforms: From a benefit and cost perspective , 2020, J. Assoc. Inf. Sci. Technol..

[64]  Sung-Byung Yang,et al.  An Odyssey into Virtual Worlds: Exploring the Impacts of Technological and Spatial Environments , 2011, MIS Q..

[65]  Detmar W. Straub,et al.  Validation Guidelines for IS Positivist Research , 2004, Commun. Assoc. Inf. Syst..

[66]  M. Nelson.  Recall of Brand Placements in Computer/Video Games , 2002, Journal of Advertising Research.

[67]  Christian Homburg,et al.  How price complexity takes its toll: The neglected role of a simplicity bias and fairness in price evaluations , 2014 .

[68]  Atreyi Kankanhalli,et al.  What Motivates People to Purchase Digital Items on Virtual Community Websites? The Desire for Online Self-Presentation , 2012, Inf. Syst. Res..

[69]  Zhong Yao,et al.  Moral obligation in online social interaction: Clicking the "like" button , 2020, Inf. Manag..

[70]  B. Padmanabhan,et al.  Goal attainment on long tail web sites: An information foraging approach , 2013, Decis. Support Syst..

[71]  Barbara H Wixom,et al.  A Theoretical Integration of User Satisfaction and Technology Acceptance , 2005, Inf. Syst. Res..

[72]  Grant Mccracken.  Who Is the Celebrity Endorser? Cultural Foundations of the Endorsement Process , 1989 .

[73]  Geng Cui,et al.  Terms of Use , 2003 .

[74]  Izak Benbasat,et al.  Research Report: Empirical Test of an EDI Adoption Model , 2001, Inf. Syst. Res..

[75]  I. Ajzen.  The theory of planned behavior , 1991 .

[76]  K. Giffin.  The contribution of studies of source credibility to a theory of interpersonal trust in the communication process. , 1967, Psychological bulletin.

[77]  Gayle S. Stever.  Fan Behavior and Lifespan Development Theory: Explaining Para-social and Social Attachment to Celebrities , 2011 .

[78]  Lei Chi,et al.  Understanding Postadoptive Behaviors in Information Systems Use: A Longitudinal Analysis of System Use Problems in the Business Intelligence Context , 2012, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[79]  Aradhna Krishna,et al.  Effect of Dealing Patterns on Consumer Perceptions of Deal Frequency and Willingness to Pay , 1991 .

[80]  Lei Li,et al.  Information exchange on an academic social networking site: A multidiscipline comparison on researchgate Q&A , 2015, J. Assoc. Inf. Sci. Technol..

[81]  Naresh K. Malhotra,et al.  Common Method Variance in IS Research: A Comparison of Alternative Approaches and a Reanalysis of Past Research , 2006, Manag. Sci..

[82]  Alice H. Eagly,et al.  Heuristic and systematic information processing within and beyond the persuasion context. , 1989 .

[83]  K. Williams,et al.  Many Hands Make Light the Work: The Causes and Consequences of Social Loafing , 1979 .

[84]  J. Oh,et al.  Research agenda for social Q&A , 2009 .

[85]  D. Straub,et al.  Editor's comments: a critical look at the use of PLS-SEM in MIS quarterly , 2012 .

[86]  Mohammad Salehan,et al.  A Unified Model for the Adoption of Electronic Word of Mouth on Social Network Sites: Facebook as the Exemplar , 2018, Int. J. Electron. Commer..

[87]  Patrick De Pelsmacker,et al.  The Impact of Relational Characteristics on Consumer Responses to Word of Mouth on Social Networking Sites , 2019, Int. J. Electron. Commer..

[88]  Ed H. Chi,et al.  Information Seeking Can Be Social , 2009, Computer.

[89]  Mahmood Neshati,et al.  On early detection of high voted Q&A on Stack Overflow , 2017, Inf. Process. Manag..

[90]  Straub,et al.  Editor's Comments: An Update and Extension to SEM Guidelines for Administrative and Social Science Research , 2011 .

[91]  Miriam J. Metzger,et al.  Social and Heuristic Approaches to Credibility Evaluation Online , 2010 .

[92]  Detmar W. Straub,et al.  Specifying Formative Constructs in Information Systems Research , 2007, MIS Q..

[93]  Stephanie Watts,et al.  Videoconferencing in the Field: A Heuristic Processing Model , 2008, Manag. Sci..

[94]  Jasmina Ilicic,et al.  Effects of Multiple Endorsements and Consumer–Celebrity Attachment on Attitude and Purchase Intention , 2011 .

[95]  Christian Matt,et al.  Reducing the Service Deficit in M-Commerce: How Service-Technology Fit Can Support Digital Sales of Complex Products , 2018, Int. J. Electron. Commer..

[96]  Sung-Byung Yang,et al.  Effects of tourism information quality in social media on destination image formation: The case of Sina Weibo , 2017, Inf. Manag..

[97]  Craig W. Trumbo,et al.  Information Processing and Risk Perception: An Adaptation of the Heuristic-Systematic Model , 2002 .

[98]  Do-Hyung Park,et al.  eWOM overload and its effect on consumer behavioral intention depending on consumer involvement , 2008, Electron. Commer. Res. Appl..

[99]  Xin Fu,et al.  Paying for Knowledge: Why People Paying for Live Broadcasts in Online Knowledge Sharing Community? , 2018, PACIS.

[100]  Shelly Chaiken,et al.  The heuristic-systematic model in its broader context. , 1999 .

[101]  A. Eagly,et al.  What is beautiful is good, but…: A meta-analytic review of research on the physical attractiveness stereotype. , 1991 .

[102]  Mario Gerla,et al.  Analyzing crowd workers in mobile pay-for-answer q&a , 2013, CHI.

[103]  Bin Gu,et al.  Competition Among Virtual Communities and User Valuation: The Case of Investing-Related Communities , 2007, Inf. Syst. Res..