IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/fobric/v11y2017i1d10.1186_s11782-017-0021-7.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Individual knowledge sharing behavior in dynamic virtual communities: the perspectives of network effects and status competition

Author

Listed:
  • Shenglei Pi

    (School of Management, Guagnzhou University)

  • Weining Cai

    (Great Wall Strategy Consultants)

Abstract

Purpose While most literature concerning knowledge sharing examines it as an organizational method for innovation and value creation, this paper considers online knowledge sharing as an individual behavior decision embedded in a virtual community. We attempt to explore which sharing behavior can help individual participants gain a better position in an online community, improving social status, reputation, and other social networking interests. Design/methodology/approach We collected and measured the knowledge sharing activities and discussion from a Chinese online expertise knowledge network in Business Management Consulting. We tested the mediating effects of the sharing behavior of the major members of the online knowledge network on members’ status (network centrality) in different time units (days). Findings In a dynamic virtual community, the direct result of knowledge sharing behavior is reflected in the individual status position (the degree of node centrality). At the same time, individual knowledge sharing behavior has an “inertia effect”: individual prior status (the degree of node centrality) affects current knowledge sharing behavior, while current knowledge sharing behavior affects current status in the knowledge network, forming an inertial circuit between personal behavior and network status. Originality/value We expound the theory of individual knowledge sharing in the context of an inter-person dynamic virtual community; we provide action “strategies” for individual knowledge sharing behavior choice, for better understanding the nature of individual knowledge behavior, and we also propose and test the “inertia effect” of knowledge sharing behavior and the knowledge network, and demonstrate the theory of network effects from an individual perspective.

Suggested Citation

  • Shenglei Pi & Weining Cai, 2017. "Individual knowledge sharing behavior in dynamic virtual communities: the perspectives of network effects and status competition," Frontiers of Business Research in China, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:fobric:v:11:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1186_s11782-017-0021-7
    DOI: 10.1186/s11782-017-0021-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1186/s11782-017-0021-7
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1186/s11782-017-0021-7?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Joan Torrent-Sellens, 2015. "Knowledge Products and Network Externalities: Implications for the Business Strategy," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 6(1), pages 138-156, March.
    2. Schrader, Stephan, 1995. "Gaining advantage by 'leaking' information: Informal information trading," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 13(2), pages 156-163, June.
    3. Yuri Mishina & Emily S. Block & Michael J. Mannor, 2012. "The path dependence of organizational reputation: how social judgment influences assessments of capability and character," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(5), pages 459-477, May.
    4. Katz, Michael L & Shapiro, Carl, 1985. "Network Externalities, Competition, and Compatibility," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 75(3), pages 424-440, June.
    5. Nicholas Economides & Charles Himmelberg, 1995. "Critical Mass and Network Size with Application to the US Fax Market," Working Papers 95-11, New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, Department of Economics.
    6. Kevin Zheng Zhou & Caroline Bingxin Li, 2012. "How knowledge affects radical innovation: Knowledge base, market knowledge acquisition, and internal knowledge sharing," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(9), pages 1090-1102, September.
    7. Gupta, Samir & Polonsky, Michael, 2014. "Inter-firm learning and knowledge-sharing in multinational networks: An outsourced organization's perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(4), pages 615-622.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Kusumastuti, Ratih Dyah & Nurmala, N. & Rouli, Juliana & Herdiansyah, Herdis, 2022. "Analyzing the factors that influence the seeking and sharing of information on the smart city digital platform: Empirical evidence from Indonesia," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Corrado Benassi & Marcella Scrimitore, 2017. "Income Distribution in Network Markets," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 251-271, September.
    2. Michal Grajek, 2002. "Identification of Network Externalities in Markets for Non-Durables," CIG Working Papers FS IV 02-32, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin (WZB), Research Unit: Competition and Innovation (CIG).
    3. Vitor Trindade & Johannes Moenius, 2007. "Networks, Standards and Intellectual Property Rights," Working Papers 0705, Department of Economics, University of Missouri.
    4. Nicholas Economides, 1997. "The Economics of Networks," Brazilian Electronic Journal of Economics, Department of Economics, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, vol. 1(0), December.
    5. Doganoglu, Toker & Grzybowski, Lukasz, 2007. "Estimating network effects in mobile telephony in Germany," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 65-79, March.
    6. Schade, Sven & Buxmann, Peter, 2005. "A Prototype to Analyse and Support Standardization Decisions," Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 35795, Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL).
    7. Lyu, Chongchong & Yang, Jianjun & Zhang, Feng & Teo, Thompson S.H. & Mu, Tian, 2020. "How do knowledge characteristics affect firm’s knowledge sharing intention in interfirm cooperation? An empirical study," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 48-60.
    8. Merino Troncoso, Carlos, 2012. "Externalidades de red y estimación de una función de demanda [Network externalities and demand estimation]," MPRA Paper 110277, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Hiroshi Kitamura, 2010. "Capacity Expansion In Markets With Inter‐Temporal Consumption Externalities," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(2), pages 127-148, June.
    10. Tse, Edison, 2002. "Grabber-holder dynamics and network effects in technology innovation," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 26(9-10), pages 1721-1738, August.
    11. Moretto, Michele, 2008. "Competition and irreversible investments under uncertainty," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 75-88, March.
    12. Oz Shy, 2011. "A Short Survey of Network Economics," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 38(2), pages 119-149, March.
    13. Daniel Birke, 2009. "The Economics Of Networks: A Survey Of The Empirical Literature," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(4), pages 762-793, September.
    14. Jean-Jacques Herings, P. & Peeters, Ronald & Yang, Michael S., 2010. "Competition against peer-to-peer networks," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 22(4), pages 315-331, December.
    15. Joachim Henkel & Jörn Block, 2013. "Peer influence in network markets: a theoretical and empirical analysis," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 23(5), pages 925-953, November.
    16. Wei Jin & ZhongXiang Zhang, 2015. "Levelling the Playing Field: On the Missing Role of Network Externality in Designing Renewable Energy Technology Deployment Policies," Working Papers 2015.76, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    17. Eric Benhamou & Thomas Serval, 2000. "On the Competition Between ECNs, Stock Markets and Market Makers," FMG Discussion Papers dp345, Financial Markets Group.
    18. Baraldi, A. Laura, 2008. "Network Externalities and Critical Mass in the Mobile Telephone Network: a Panel Data Estimation," MPRA Paper 13373, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Lim, Byeong-Lak & Choi, Munkee & Park, Myeong-Cheol, 2003. "The late take-off phenomenon in the diffusion of telecommunication services: network effect and the critical mass," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 15(4), pages 537-557, December.
    20. Laura Baraldi, 2004. "Esternalita' Di Rete: Una Rassegna," Working Papers 12_2004, D.E.S. (Department of Economic Studies), University of Naples "Parthenope", Italy.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:fobric:v:11:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1186_s11782-017-0021-7. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.