Paper ID
3014
Paper Type
full
Description
This study explores how different types of resources a seller contributes in the online community will trigger others’ reciprocity, reflected by the responses the seller’s threads receive. Drawing on social exchange theory and using machine learning techniques, we identify two important types of resources transferred in an online sellers’ community: informational resource and instrumental resource. Our findings reveal that a seller’s provision of informational resource is positively associated with the responses the seller’s threads receive, while a seller’s provision of instrumental resource is negatively associated with the responses the seller’s threads receive. Moreover, the effect is moderated by the types of resources sought by a certain thread. Specifically, both effects are strengthened for threads that seek informational resource and undermined for threads that seek instrumental resource. The study contributes to the understanding of online reciprocity by uncovering the differing impact of different contribution and its boundary condition.
Recommended Citation
Chen, Yi, "Impact of Heterogeneous Prior Contribution on Reciprocity in Online Sellers’ Community" (2019). ICIS 2019 Proceedings. 27.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/icis2019/behavior_is/behavior_is/27
Impact of Heterogeneous Prior Contribution on Reciprocity in Online Sellers’ Community
This study explores how different types of resources a seller contributes in the online community will trigger others’ reciprocity, reflected by the responses the seller’s threads receive. Drawing on social exchange theory and using machine learning techniques, we identify two important types of resources transferred in an online sellers’ community: informational resource and instrumental resource. Our findings reveal that a seller’s provision of informational resource is positively associated with the responses the seller’s threads receive, while a seller’s provision of instrumental resource is negatively associated with the responses the seller’s threads receive. Moreover, the effect is moderated by the types of resources sought by a certain thread. Specifically, both effects are strengthened for threads that seek informational resource and undermined for threads that seek instrumental resource. The study contributes to the understanding of online reciprocity by uncovering the differing impact of different contribution and its boundary condition.