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Understanding online community citizenship behaviors through social support and social identity

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  • Chiu, Chao-Min
  • Huang, Hsin-Yi
  • Cheng, Hsiang-Lan
  • Sun, Pei-Chen

Abstract

As with other types of online communities, the success of an online support community depends on members’ behaviors that benefit the community as a whole. Such discretionary conduct is called online community citizenship behavior (OCCB). This study integrates social support and social identity theory to examine factors affecting citizenship behaviors in online support communities. In the research model, we theorize that online community citizenship behavior is driven mainly by two social mechanisms: (1) the social support mechanism, which transfers the effect of online social support first to self-efficacy, self-esteem, and subjective well-being, and then to citizenship behavior; and (2) the social identity mechanism, which relates the perceived external prestige and distinctiveness of online support communities to community identification and, in turn, to citizenship behavior. Data collected from 159 valid users of online support communities provides partial support for the research model. The findings indicate that perceived external prestige and community distinctiveness positively affect an individual's identification with an online support community, which in turn has a positive effect on OCCB. Social support has a positive effect on self-efficacy, self-esteem and subjective well-being. Subjective well-being has a stronger effect on OCCB than does community identification. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Chiu, Chao-Min & Huang, Hsin-Yi & Cheng, Hsiang-Lan & Sun, Pei-Chen, 2015. "Understanding online community citizenship behaviors through social support and social identity," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 504-519.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ininma:v:35:y:2015:i:4:p:504-519
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2015.04.009
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    2. Nikol Kvardova & Hana Machackova & David Smahel, 2020. "The Direct and Indirect Effects of Online Social Support, Neuroticism, and Web Content Internalization on the Drive for Thinness among Women Visiting Health-Oriented Websites," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-14, April.
    3. Faraz Sadeghvaziri & Mohammad Azimi, 2022. "Employer brand identification: investigating the concept of employer brand identification in the military context," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 92(1), pages 1-26, January.
    4. Yixin Chen & Yang Xu, 2021. "Exploring the Effect of Social Support and Empathy on User Engagement in Online Mental Health Communities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-18, June.
    5. Peng, Jiamin & Yang, Xiaoyun & Poon, Patrick & Xie, Lishan, 2022. "Enhancing users' well-being in virtual medical tourism communities: A configurational analysis of users’ interaction characteristics and social support," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    6. Nuraddeen Abubakar Nuhu & Kevin Baird & Sophia Su, 2023. "The impact of interactive and diagnostic levers of eco‐control on eco‐innovation: The mediating role of employee environmental citizenship behaviour," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(2), pages 2245-2271, June.

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