Virtual lead user communities: Drivers of knowledge creation for innovation

This study examines the creation of innovation-related knowledge in virtual communities visited mainly by lead users. Such communities enable firms to access a large number of lead users in a cost-efficient way. A propositional framework relates lead users’ characteristics to unique virtual community features to examine their potential impact on the development of valuable innovation knowledge. The authors empirically validate this framework by analyzing online contributions of lead users for mobile service innovation projects. The findings indicate that the value of their contributions stems from their ability to suggest solutions instead of simply describing problems or stating customer needs. Lead users’ technical expertise also makes them particularly well-suited to develop new functionalities, but less so for design and usability improvements. The digital context favors the creation of explicit knowledge that can be easily integrated into the development of new products. Finally, contributions given by lead users in a proactive way contain more novel insights than reactive contributions such as answers to community members’ questions. The findings should help managers stimulate, identify, and improve the use of lead users’ input in virtual communities.     

基于改进网络志方法的开放式创新社区中领先用户识别研究

领先用户在开放式创新社区中发挥着重要作用,成为产品创新的有力推动者。但网络环境下领先用户识别的研究刚刚兴起,相关研究非常缺乏。本文首先对开放式创新社区中领先用户特征进行理论研究,提出需求领先力、活跃表现力、社区影响力三大特征。然后基于改进的网络志方法,将定性的网络志和定量的数据分析结合,构建了识别领先用户的理论步骤。遵循社区选择原则,以知乎社区扫地机器人版块103位用户为研究对象,对用户的提问数、回答数等7个指标进行因子分析和聚类分析,识别出2位领先用户;并采用扎根理论,比较发帖内容和未来市场上扫地机器人新产品功能,发现领先用户提出的大部分建议会体现于未来新产品功能上,证明了领先用户识别方法的有效性。研究有助于完善领先用户识别方法,并为后续领先用户行为研究奠定坚实基础。     

在线问答社区用户集体意愿影响因素研究

[目的/意义]旨在探索虚拟社区用户集体意愿研究.[方法/过程]结合在线问答社区特点,采用结构方程模型,先后利用SPSS 23.0和AMOS 21.0进行数据分析并进行模型验证.[结果/结论]研究认为,虚拟社区感、社会资本均对在线问答社区用户集体意愿产生正向影响;在线互动、线下互动除了直接对在线问答社区用户集体意愿产生正...     

Extending lead user theory to users’ innovation-related knowledge sharing in the online user community: The mediating roles of social capital and perceived behavioral control

The research on users as a source of innovation has been coming into blossom and the studies about the effect of users’ lead userness on their innovation-related activities are drawing more and more attention from both academic and business circles. However, there have been few empirical studies exploring the relationship between users’ lead userness and their innovation-related knowledge sharing behavior in the context of online user community and the mediating effects of users’ social capital and their perceived behavioral control on this relationship. By empirically analyzing the 140 data collected from an online user community that is used as an important source of innovation for a company with the structural equation modeling analysis through the partial least squares method, this study reveals that users’ lead userness has a positive relationship with their innovation-related knowledge sharing in the online user community and users’ social capital and perceived behavioral control jointly and fully mediate this positive relationship. Based on the new findings, this study is expected to provide useful implications which can contribute to widening and deepening the research stream about the effect of users’ lead userness on their innovation-related knowledge sharing in the online user community.     

认知视域下社会化问答社区用户知识采纳行为的影响因素——基于扎根理论的探索性分析

【目的/意义】社会化问答社区目前已成为网络环境下用户搜寻和获取知识的重要途径。探析用户知识采纳行为有助于提升社会化问答社区知识组织与服务能力,对社区的运营管理方面也具有重要的实践意义。【方法/过程】本文选取知乎作为研究对象,应用扎根理论方法,通过数据资料收集、三级编码等过程,结合认知心理学的相关理论,构建了社会化问答社区用户知识采纳行为模型。【结果/结论】研究发现:自我认知、平台认知、社会认知三个维度对用户知识采纳行为具有显著影响,并通过认知有用性、认知易用性两个中介变量和技术、情感因素两个调节变量分别刺激用户知识采纳的意愿,从而影响知识采纳行为。【创新/局限】从认知视域基于扎根理论的方法探索社会化问答社区知识采纳行为的影响因素模型,但采集的知乎的样本容量较小,概念模型的信度和效度并未经过大样本检验。     

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

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.     

Design and evaluation of awareness mechanisms in CiteSeer

Awareness has been extensively studied in human computer interaction (HCI) and computer supported cooperative work (CSCW). The success of many collaborative systems hinges on effectively supporting awareness of different collaborators, their actions, and the process of creating shared work products. As digital libraries are increasingly becoming more than just repositories for information search and retrieval – essentially fostering collaboration among its community of users – awareness remains an unexplored research area in this domain. We are investigating awareness mechanisms in CiteSeer, a scholarly digital library for the computer and information science domain. CiteSeer users can be notified of new publication events (e.g., publication of a paper that cites one of their papers) using feeds as notification systems. We present three cumulative user studies – requirements elicitation, prototype evaluation, and naturalistic study – in the context of supporting CiteSeer feeds. Our results indicate that users prefer feeds that place target items in query-relevant contexts, and that preferred context varies with type of publication event. We found that users integrated feeds as part of their broader, everyday activities and used them as planning tools to collaborate with others.     

知识问答社区用户心流体验对持续知识共享意愿的影响研究——以PAT模型为视角

[目的/意义]为解释知识问答社区用户分享知识时的情绪和体验，从PAT模型（Person-Artifact-Task model）入手，探求用户自身特征、社区的工具特征、知识共享任务特征对心流体验产生的影响以及心流体验与持续知识共享意愿之间的关联。[方法/过程]论文以百度知道社区的活跃用户为调查对象，回收205份有效问卷，利用Amos21.0软件对数据进行结构方程模型分析。[结果/结论]研究发现，知识问答社区用户自身特征中的技能水平、感知控制力、兴趣，社区工具特征的互动性、感知易用性，以及任务特征的挑战性对其心流体验的产生有正向影响；按照影响程度降序排列，依次为感知易用性、技能水平、感知控制力、互动性、兴趣；用户产生的心流体验越强，其持续参与知识共享的意愿越强；心流体验在除了清晰目标之外的其他6个自变量与持续知识共享意愿之间的中介作用得到了验证。在此基础上，论文从强化用户粘性、激发兴趣、提升互动等方面探讨对知识问答社区管理实践的启示。     

Who contributes what? Scrutinizing the activity data of 4.2 million Zhihu users via immersion scores

Studies of knowledge communities have focused predominantly on contributors who ask questions and/or post replies, while little research has examined the contributions of those who neither pose questions nor suggest answers in knowledge communities. To illuminate member contributions of various sorts, this study evaluated user contribution to knowledge community from three dimensions (influence, content-contribution, and activeness) of immersion. Based on the user activity data of more than 4 million users from Zhihu, the largest online knowledge community in China, we calculated the immersion level for the four user groups (Lurkers, Questioners, Answerers, and Questioner-Answerers) in line with their question-asking and question-answering behaviors in Zhihu. The research findings revealed that Lurkers (members who posted nothing) showed higher community-immersion score than Questioners who asked questions only. The latter, Questioners, had the lowest community-immersion score, while Questioner-Answerers, who posted both questions and answers, exhibited the greatest contribution in the case knowledge community. We further made horizontal comparison of immersion score among the four different user groups, and found that when immersion scores of the four different user groups are above a certain threshold, the immersion scores of the four different user groups display a consistent distinguishing pattern. This result highlights the similarity of tendencies in behavioral orientation among different users in knowledge communities. Theoretical contributions and practical implications to be gleaned from this research are discussed.     

基于社会认知理论的知识型社区用户持续使用行为研究

作为一种新兴社区,知识型社区为用户提供了知识、经验等分享与沟通的平台,但同时存在诸多问题,如灌水现象严重、用户之间互动少,这将影响用户持续使用意愿和行为,导致社区运营的失败。基于社会认知理论（SCT）,本文建立了知识型社区用户持续使用行为模型。对收集的数据进行统计分析,研究结果发现,个人结果预期、知识质量、系统质量显著影响用户持续使用意愿。研究结果启示社区管理者需重视知识型社区的知识质量、系统质量,积极营造良好的知识交流环境,以促进用户的持续使用行为,确保知识型社区的成功。     

基于概念格的社区用户知识需求模型研究

以概念格理论为基础,利用形式概念分析的方法构建出社区知识热点主题概念格,以概念格中最大频繁项聚类挖掘社区用户知识需求的共性特征。在此基础上提出了社区用户知识需求的三项特征,即社会影响性、时间迁移性、需求层次性。并以此建立了社区用户知识需求模型。     

Managing a strategic source of innovation: Online users

The purpose of the paper is to develop a framework of management competences related to the effective management of three types of online innovation tools. The framework highlights the development of three types of management competences and related practices: (a) disclosure competence in order to find, direct and motivate users to contribute, (b) appropriation competence in order to appropriate users’ contributions, and (c) integration competence in order to direct, transfer and integrate user contributions to the relevant parts of the organization. The study provides a managerially relevant view of the complementarities between external sourcing of knowledge and necessary internal competences to reap the benefits of involving users through an online innovation tool.     

社会资本对虚拟社区用户忠诚的影响

虚拟社区用户忠诚对于虚拟社区的长期可持续性发展尤为重要。本研究以知识分享行为（知识共享数量和质量）为中介变量,探讨社会资本（信任、社会联结性、共同愿景）和外部动机（互惠动机、声誉动机）对社区忠诚的作用机理,并通过结构方程模型进行验证。研究结果表明,信任和外部动机通过知识共享数量和质量对社区忠诚有显著正向影响,社会联结性仅通过知识共享数量对社区忠诚有显著影响;信任和外部动机对知识共享数量和质量有显著正向影响,社会联结性仅显著影响知识共享数量,而共同愿景对知识共享数量和质量均无显著影响;知识共享行为对社区忠诚有显著正向影响,并且知识共享质量对社区忠诚的影响更显著。该结论为企业重视虚拟社区用户知识分享行为从而吸引和留住虚拟社区用户提供了决策支持,为企业更好的运营虚拟社区并利用虚拟社区获得可持续发展提供了重要启示。     

开放式创新社区用户知识分享的影响因素研究

[目的/意义] 开放式创新社区能够帮助企业获取外部用户分享的知识并从中筛选出具有价值的创意。但用户往往缺乏分享的动机和意愿,这将导致社区运营的失败。因此有必要研究开放式创新社区用户知识分享的影响因素。[方法/过程] 基于社会认知理论构建研究模型,并以国内典型的开放式创新社区——MIUI论坛为对象,在线抓取数据并采用统计软件Stata进行分析。[结果/结论] 结果表明,创新自我效能、结果期望、社会认同和社区影响对用户知识分享行为均有显著正向影响,用户经验对创新自我效能有负向调节作用,对结果期望有正向调节作用,对社会认同和社区影响有部分调节作用。     

同侪影响对用户贡献行为的作用研究———基于网络客观大数据的分析

本文将同侪影响引入在线创新社区的用户行为研究中,从广度和深度两方面考察同侪影响对用户贡献行为的影响,并分析感知收益的中介作用。研究以小米社区MIUI功能与讨论区的创意集市板块为对象构建S-O-R模型,采用6567名用户发布的8830条创意、5.26万条评论和收到的103.36万条评论数据,利用Mplus8.1分析检验,结果发现：同侪影响广度与深度均有利于促进用户贡献行为,综合收益在同侪影响广度、深度与用户贡献行为间起正向中介效应,情感收益仅在同侪影响广度、深度与主动贡献行为间起正向中介效应,而认知收益则在同侪影响深度与反应贡献行为间起负向中介效应。研究拓展了在线网络情境下知识管理与社会学领域的交叉研究,并为在线创新社区社交网络和知识管理提供重要启示。     

在线医疗社区中医生知识贡献行为的影响因素研究 ——基于SEM与fsQCA方法

【目的/意义】探究在线医疗社区中医生知识贡献行为的形成路径,对提高医生知识贡献意图、弥合意图与行 动间的鸿沟,从而促进医生进行知识贡献具有重要的意义。【方法/过程】以在线医疗社区中的医生用户为研究对 象,基于健康行动过程取向理论（HAPA）构建医生知识贡献行为研究模型,采用结构方程模型（SEM）与模糊集定性 比较分析（fsQCA）相结合的方法开展理论研究。【结果/结论】①在动机阶段,自我效能、责任感及行为控制正向影响 知识贡献意图;在意志决断阶段,应对计划、行为控制、知识贡献意图正向影响知识贡献行为,应对计划在知识贡献 意图与行为间存在中介效应。②定性比较分析发现三类触发知识贡献意图与三类触发知识贡献行为的前因构型, 其中自我效能、行为控制与知识贡献意图在知识贡献行为触发中起到重要作用。【创新/局限】将健康领域的理论引 入知识贡献研究,使用混合方法讨论多变量间的复杂因果关系,但样本数据可能存在同源方差。     

社区奖励对隐性知识共享的影响:内部动机的中介作用

通过设置虚拟社区奖励鼓励用户分享知识,已成为众多社区促进用户知识共享行为的重要措施。社区奖励对知识共享的影响问题已经赢得了广泛的关注与研究,但其效果却一直存在争议。本文通过将虚拟社区知识共享行为划分为隐性知识共享和显性知识共享两种类型,探讨了虚拟社区奖励对两类知识共享行为的相对影响及其对隐性知识共享的作用机制。研究发现：虚拟社区奖励能够显著促进用户的显性知识共享,而与隐性知识共享存在倒U型的曲线关系;愉悦感和自我效能感在虚拟社区奖励与隐性知识共享之间起完全中介的作用。该研究结论不仅加深了对虚拟社区奖励对知识共享行为影响的理解,并且探索了虚拟社区奖励对隐性知识共享的作用机制,对社区合理设计虚拟社区奖励以促进用户的知识共享具有实践指导意义。     

互联网虚拟品牌社区产品创新绩效研究

在网络虚拟品牌社区（OUIC）前端创新环节,企业是否参与、何时参与、如何参与知识创造管理不仅会影响到企业的产品创新绩效,甚至会影响企业在市场中的核心竞争力。本研究选择具有一定高新技术信息支撑的家电电器行业OUIC为研究背景,引入创意组合管理（IPM）为研究的核心变量,通过构建不同创意主题发布模式（B端创意主题与C端创意主题）与不同前端创新阶段（创意产生阶段与创意发展阶段）的2×2组间设计来验证相关命题。结果表明,针对不同创意主题社区,企业采取的不同决策行为,对产品创新绩效均存在显著差异。（1）证明了不同创意主题发布模式（B端创意主题或C端创意主题）,会对用户的知识创造力产生差异性影响。B端创意主题（企业主导发布）,企业可以引导社区用户重点进行新产品核心子系统相关创意的开发;C端创意主题（用户主导发布）,企业可以引导社区用户重点进行新产品周边子系统相关创意的开发。（2）验证了在用户参与OUIC 前端创新环节知识创造过程中,企业实施创意组合管理（IPM）对用户知识创造力与产品创新绩效产生的正面显著效果。（3）验证了用户参与OUIC前端创新环节知识创造过程中,企业对用户创新行为的最佳干预时机。在B端创意主题（企业主导发布）下,企业在创意产生阶段（第一阶段）实施创意组合管理（IPM）为最佳导入时机;C端创意主题（用户主导发布）下,企业在创意发展阶段（第二阶段）实施创意组合管理（IPM）为最佳导入时机。研究在理论上不仅丰富和完善了虚拟经济营销管理相关理论,而且在应用上有助于企业利用互联网工具为产品创新发掘新的途径,并培育企业市场核心竞争力。     

基于社会网络分析的通证知识社区网络特征研究

[目的/意义]分析通证知识社区的知识分享网络结构,有助于把握区块链背景下的虚拟社区知识分享和传播规律。[方法/过程]以国内通证知识社区代表——币乎网为研究对象,通过网络爬虫方式获取币乎用户样本数据,采用社会网络分析和内容分析方法,运用UCINET工具对社区用户的知识分享网络进行网络特征分析。[结果/结论]样本网整体呈现出小世界效应和无标度网络特征;中心性高的核心用户对社区知识贡献和传播的影响力较高;通证激励有助于挖掘社区中的优质内容。     

Cultivating the sense of belonging and motivating user participation in virtual communities: A social capital perspective

Virtual communities (VCs) are attracting more attention as they provide a platform for people to share experiences and knowledge, which may further impact their purchase decisions. From a social capital perspective, this study investigated factors that cultivate a VC member's sense of belonging and their effects on facilitating his participation in the VC in terms of the intentions to get and share experiences and knowledge. The results indicated that three factors that relate to three dimensions of social capital in the VC – familiarity with members in the VC from the structural dimension, perceived similarity with other members from the cognitive dimension, and trust in other members from the relational dimension – are all positively related to the sense of belonging, which affects intentions to get and share knowledge and mediates the relationships between social capital factors and a VC member's intentions to participate.