Looking at both sides of relationship dynamics in virtual communities: A social exchange theoretical lens

Abstract This study draws on social exchange theory to investigate the relationship dynamics of the member–community dyad in virtual community settings. Using a longitudinal design and multiple measurement sources, the findings indicate that social and task communication styles have unique effects on members’ community commitment velocity, which in turn influences member gratitude and entitlement behaviors. A moderated path analysis demonstrates that the effects of social and task communication styles on community commitment velocity are both positively moderated by attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. It also reveals that members’ level of popularity augments the influence of community commitment velocity on member entitlement behavior.

[1]  Yanqing Duan,et al.  Factors affecting active participation in B2B online communities: An empirical investigation , 2017, Inf. Manag..

[2]  F. Dwyer,et al.  Developing Buyer-Seller Relationships: , 1987 .

[3]  DuanYanqing,et al.  Factors affecting active participation in B2B online communities , 2017 .

[4]  Hsien-Tung Tsai,et al.  Contribution Behavior in Virtual Communities: Cogntiive, Emotional, and Social Influences , 2014, MIS Q..

[5]  Xi Zhang,et al.  Attracted to or Locked In? Predicting Continuance Intention in Social Virtual World Services , 2012, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[6]  J. Simpson.  Influence of Attachment Styles on Romantic Relationships , 1990 .

[7]  Tibert Verhagen,et al.  Virtual Customer Service Agents: Using Social Presence and Personalization to Shape Online Service Encounters , 2014, J. Comput. Mediat. Commun..

[8]  Soumya Ray,et al.  The Central Role of Engagement in Online Communities , 2014, Inf. Syst. Res..

[9]  Shiu-Wan Hung,et al.  To give or to receive? Factors influencing members' knowledge sharing and community promotion in professional virtual communities , 2010, Inf. Manag..

[10]  Hauke A. Wetzel,et al.  Gratitude versus Entitlement: A Dual Process Model of the Profitability Implications of Customer Prioritization , 2014 .

[11]  Katja Hutter,et al.  User Roles and Contributions in Innovation-Contest Communities , 2014, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[12]  X. Zhang,et al.  Impact of Online Consumer Reviews on Sales: The Moderating Role of Product and Consumer Characteristics , 2010 .

[13]  Samer Faraj,et al.  Why Should I Share? Examining Social Capital and Knowledge Contribution in Electronic Networks of Practice , 2005, MIS Q..

[14]  Willemijn van Dolen,et al.  Creative participation: Collective sentiment in online co-creation communities , 2015, Inf. Manag..

[15]  Jennifer Preece,et al.  Empathic communities: balancing emotional and factual communication , 1999, Interact. Comput..

[16]  W. Gardner,et al.  Leader and follower attachment styles: Implications for authentic leader–follower relationships , 2014 .

[17]  Robert W. Palmatier,et al.  Understanding Relationship Marketing and Loyalty Program Effectiveness in Global Markets , 2015 .

[18]  Constance Elise Porter,et al.  A Test of Two Models of Value Creation in Virtual Communities , 2013, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[19]  Craig M. Froehle,et al.  Service Personnel, Technology, and Their Interaction in Influencing Customer Satisfaction , 2006, Decis. Sci..

[20]  S. Nambisan,et al.  Interactions in virtual customer environments: Implications for product support and customer relationship management , 2007 .

[21]  Miriam Liss,et al.  Extraversion, neuroticism, attachment style and fear of missing out as predictors of social media use and addiction , 2017 .

[22]  G. Tellis,et al.  Losers, Winners and Biased Trades , 2005 .

[23]  George Y. Bizer,et al.  Attachment theory as a framework for explaining engagement with Facebook , 2015 .

[24]  Chen Zhang,et al.  Research Note - Continued Participation in Online Innovation Communities: Does Community Response Matter Equally for Everyone? , 2013, Inf. Syst. Res..

[25]  J. Weller,et al.  Organization and Predictive Power of General and Relationship-Specific Attachment Models: One for All, and All for One? , 2005, Personality & social psychology bulletin.

[26]  Glenn B. Voss,et al.  Enough Is Enough! The Fine Line in Executing Multichannel Relational Communication , 2011 .

[27]  M. Perugini,et al.  Individual differences and social norms: the distinction between reciprocators and prosocials , 2001 .

[28]  Han Zhang,et al.  Knowledge sharing in online health communities: A social exchange theory perspective , 2016, Inf. Manag..

[29]  Hui-Chun Liao,et al.  Virtual Community Loyalty: An Interpersonal-Interaction Perspective , 2010, Int. J. Electron. Commer..

[30]  X Basagaña,et al.  Power and sample size calculations for longitudinal studies comparing rates of change with a time‐varying exposure , 2010, Statistics in medicine.

[31]  TsaiHsien-Tung,et al.  Reciprocity norms and information-sharing behavior in online consumption communities , 2016 .

[32]  Param Vir Singh,et al.  The Emergence of Opinion Leaders in a Networked Online Community: A Dyadic Model with Time Dynamics and a Heuristic for Fast Estimation , 2013 .

[33]  Ko de Ruyter,et al.  Beyond the Call of Duty: Why Customers Contribute to Firm-hosted Commercial Online Communities , 2007 .

[34]  Hsin Hsin Chang,et al.  Social capital and individual motivations on knowledge sharing: Participant involvement as a moderator , 2011, Inf. Manag..

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

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

[37]  W. Kunz,et al.  From virtual travelers to real friends: relationship-building insights from an online travel community. , 2015 .

[38]  Rosann L. Spiro,et al.  Communication Style in the Salesperson-Customer Dyad , 1985 .

[39]  Lei Wang,et al.  How Attachment Affects the Strength of Peer Influence on Adolescent Consumer Behavior , 2012 .

[40]  R. Bagozzi,et al.  On the evaluation of structural equation models , 1988 .

[41]  Adám Miklósi,et al.  Humans' attachment to their mobile phones and its relationship with interpersonal attachment style , 2016, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[42]  Bo Xu,et al.  Knowledge Sharing in Virtual Communities: A Study of Citizenship Behavior and Its Social-Relational Antecedents , 2012, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Interact..

[43]  Yulin Fang,et al.  Exploring the role of psychological safety in promoting the intention to continue sharing knowledge in virtual communities , 2010, Int. J. Inf. Manag..

[44]  Robert W. Palmatier,et al.  Online Relationship Formation , 2017 .

[45]  Richard P. Bagozzi,et al.  Measurement and Meaning in Information Systems and Organizational Research: Methodological and Philosophical Foundations , 2011, MIS Q..

[46]  Hsiu-Fen Lin,et al.  Determinants of successful virtual communities: Contributions from system characteristics and social factors , 2008, Inf. Manag..

[47]  K. Cook,et al.  Social Exchange Theory , 1989, Theoretical Sociology.

[48]  Robert W. Palmatier,et al.  Dynamic Relationship Marketing , 2016 .

[49]  Morgan P. Miles,et al.  Adaptive Communication: The Adaptation of the Seller's Interpersonal Style to the Stage of the Dyad's Relationship and the Buyer's Communication Style , 2013 .

[50]  G. Zaltman,et al.  Relationships between Providers and Users of Market Research: The Dynamics of Trust within and between Organizations , 1992 .

[51]  D. Griffin,et al.  Models of the self and other: Fundamental dimensions underlying measures of adult attachment. , 1994 .

[52]  Oded Nov,et al.  A social capital perspective on meta-knowledge contribution and social computing , 2012, Decis. Support Syst..

[53]  Atreyi Kankanhalli,et al.  Contributing Knowledge to Electronic Knowledge Repositories: An Empirical Investigation , 2005, MIS Q..

[54]  James C. Anderson,et al.  STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING IN PRACTICE: A REVIEW AND RECOMMENDED TWO-STEP APPROACH , 1988 .

[55]  P. Pavlou,et al.  Marketing in Computer-Mediated Environments: Research Synthesis and New Directions , 2014 .

[56]  Dwayne D. Gremler,et al.  Understanding Relationship Marketing Outcomes , 2002 .

[57]  Randolph B. Cooper,et al.  The Effect of Computer-Mediated Communication on Agreement and Acceptance , 1999, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[58]  Rajiv Sabherwal,et al.  Usability and Sociability in Online Communities: A Comparative Study of Knowledge Seeking and Contribution , 2009, J. Assoc. Inf. Syst..

[59]  Eric T. G. Wang,et al.  Understanding knowledge sharing in virtual communities: An integration of social capital and social cognitive theories , 2006, Decis. Support Syst..

[60]  Thiagarajan Ravichandran,et al.  Exploring the Determinants of Knowledge Exchange in Virtual Communities , 2015, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management.

[61]  Robert E. Kleine,et al.  Disclosure and Its Reciprocity as Predictors of Key Outcomes of an Initial Sales Encounter , 2001 .

[62]  C. Fornell,et al.  Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. , 1981 .

[63]  Sandy D. Jap,et al.  Control Mechanisms and the Relationship Life Cycle: Implications for Safeguarding Specific Investments and Developing Commitment , 2000 .

[64]  Ruth N. Bolton,et al.  Why Attachment Security Matters , 2011 .

[65]  A. Herrmann,et al.  The Social Influence of Brand Community: Evidence from European Car Clubs , 2005 .

[66]  Brian S. Butler,et al.  Research Note - The Impact of Community Commitment on Participation in Online Communities , 2011, Inf. Syst. Res..

[67]  Kwok Kee Wei,et al.  What drives continued knowledge sharing? An investigation of knowledge-contribution and -seeking beliefs , 2009, Decis. Support Syst..

[68]  Mary Jo Bitner,et al.  Decoding Customer–Firm Relationships: How Attachment Styles Help Explain Customers' Preferences for Closeness, Repurchase Intentions, and Changes in Relationship Breadth , 2013 .

[69]  Xue Yang,et al.  Perceived online community support, member relations, and commitment: Differences between posters and lurkers , 2017, Inf. Manag..

[70]  Erin Anderson,et al.  The Dark Side of Close Relationships , 2005 .

[71]  Kai H. Lim,et al.  Understanding sustained participation in transactional virtual communities , 2012, Decis. Support Syst..

[72]  Shankar Ganesan,et al.  Buffering and Amplifying Effects of Relationship Commitment in Business-to-Business Relationships , 2010 .

[73]  Cheng-Chieh Hsiao,et al.  The impact of online community position on online game continuance intention: Do game knowledge and community size matter? , 2012, Inf. Manag..

[74]  A. Tversky,et al.  Subjective Probability: A Judgment of Representativeness , 1972 .

[75]  R. Bagozzi.  Reflections on relationship marketing in consumer markets , 1995 .

[76]  Hsien-Tung Tsai,et al.  Reciprocity norms and information-sharing behavior in online consumption communities: An empirical investigation of antecedents and moderators , 2016, Inf. Manag..

[77]  K. Ruyter,et al.  A dual-sequence framework for B2C relationship formation: Moderating effects of employee communication style in online group chat. , 2009 .

[78]  R. Eisenberger,et al.  Perceived organizational support: a review of the literature. , 2002, The Journal of applied psychology.

[79]  Robert W. Palmatier,et al.  The Role of Customer Gratitude in Relationship Marketing , 2009 .

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

[81]  Rachel Kowert,et al.  Attachment style, social skills, and Facebook use amongst adults , 2013, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[82]  A. Tiwana.  Do bridging ties complement strong ties? An empirical examination of alliance ambidexterity , 2008 .

[83]  C. Bhattacharya,et al.  Consumer–Company Identification: A Framework for Understanding Consumers’ Relationships with Companies , 2003 .

[84]  Robert W. Palmatier,et al.  Transformational Relationship Events , 2015 .

[85]  C. Moorman,et al.  Cross-Sectional versus Longitudinal Survey Research: Concepts, Findings, and Guidelines , 2008 .

[86]  Beverley Sparks,et al.  The impact of staff empowerment and communication style on customer evaluations: The special case of service failure , 1997 .

[87]  S. Hunt,et al.  The Commitment-Trust Theory of Relationship Marketing , 1994 .

[88]  P. Blau.  Exchange and Power in Social Life , 1964 .

[89]  Matthew Thomson,et al.  Marketplace and personal space: Investigating the differential effects of attachment style across relationship contexts , 2006 .

[90]  P. Ring,et al.  Developmental Processes of Cooperative Interorganizational Relationships , 1994 .

[91]  FeldbergFrans,et al.  Benefitting from virtual customer environments , 2015 .

[92]  Rajiv P. Dant,et al.  Relationship Velocity: Toward a Theory of Relationship Dynamics , 2013 .

[93]  Alicia A. Grandey,et al.  The relationship of organizational politics and support to work behaviors, attitudes, and stress , 1997 .

[94]  Sandy D. Jap,et al.  Testing a Life-Cycle Theory of Cooperative Interorganizational Relationships: Movement Across Stages and Performance , 2007, Manag. Sci..

[95]  Robert W. Palmatier,et al.  Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of Relationship Marketing: A Meta-Analysis , 2006 .

[96]  P. Lynch,et al.  Reciprocation of perceived organizational support. , 2001, The Journal of applied psychology.

[97]  B. Meeker.  Decisions and Exchange , 1971 .

[98]  John Bowlby,et al.  A Secure Base , 1988 .

[99]  Hani Safadi,et al.  The Emergence of Online Community Leadership , 2015, Inf. Syst. Res..

[100]  Mary Uhl-Bien,et al.  Reciprocity in Manager-Subordinate Relationships: Components, Configurations, and Outcomes , 2003 .

[101]  Ching-man Au Yeung,et al.  "Popularity Effect" in User-Generated Content: Evidence from Online Product Reviews , 2014, Inf. Syst. Res..

[102]  Sara Kiesler,et al.  Social psychological aspects of computer-mediated communication , 1984 .

[103]  Robert E. Kraut,et al.  Building Member Attachment in Online Communities: Applying Theories of Group Identity and Interpersonal Bonds , 2012, MIS Q..

[104]  Adam D. Galinsky,et al.  8 Social Hierarchy: The Self‐Reinforcing Nature of Power and Status , 2008 .

[105]  R. Cropanzano,et al.  Social Exchange Theory: An Interdisciplinary Review , 2005 .

[106]  Tibert Verhagen,et al.  Benefitting from virtual customer environments: An empirical study of customer engagement , 2015, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[107]  Johann Füller,et al.  Consumer Empowerment Through Internet-Based Co-creation , 2009, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[108]  Yong Lu,et al.  Information exchange in virtual communities under extreme disaster conditions , 2011, Decis. Support Syst..