Abstract
Marketplaces have provided a meeting place for communities to socialise, exchange information and transact business for many centuries. It is perhaps a natural progression that the inclusion of social network facilities should be an intrinsic part of e-marketplace development. This exploratory study examines the concept of designing social features into an e-marketplace by considering the needs of online community members. Using TradeMe, a New Zealand horizontal intermediary e-marketplace, as an illustrative case study it was found that the use of an online community to encourage information flow, reciprocity and trust has resulted in a vibrant, successful business model. Further research is required to investigate the viability of the community model beyond the case illustrated.
Recommended Citation
Stockdale, Rosemary, "Exploring the Role of Social Community Within an E-Marketplace" (2009). ACIS 2009 Proceedings. 30.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/acis2009/30