Lingfeng Dong

The existence of network effects not only changes traditional product diffusion patterns but also has significant impacts on individuals’ decision behaviors. Previous studies on competitive product diffusion have focused on macro-level diffusion speed and effects while neglecting the micro-level impacts of individual heterogeneity and social interaction on product diffusion. This paper introduces the individual heterogeneities and social interactions of consumers into the competitive product diffusion model on the basis of a two-sided market framework and complex network theory. We proposed a small world network model and behavioral game theory. Specifically, the small world network model was used to build interactions between users, and behavioral game theory was utilized to describe the interactions between users. In our model, the direct network effect was distinguished from the indirect network effect on the basis of the synergy of multiple complementary products. The results show that the final distribution often presented a situation wherein two products coexisted, but the market share was very different. In an asymmetric first-mover situation, the direct network effect dominated the indirect network effect. Moreover, the dominant position of one product at present can be changed by the other under certain conditions. Finally, when the switching and learning costs were high, the market maintained its concentration, and the prior platform was unable to dominate the market. A decrease in the costs raised the prior platform’s market share and the speed of market occupation.

Purpose: This study aims to explore whether gratification matters in influencing consumers' attitudes towards purchase in the context of livestream shopping and the antecedents that lead to consumers' gratification perceptions.Design/methodology/approach: Four technology affordances (i.e. modality affordance, agency affordance, interactivity affordance and navigability affordance) and two gratifications (information gratification and entertainment gratification) are identified, and the relationships among the technology affordances, gratifications and purchase intention are examined. The model is tested using structural equation modeling.Findings: The result shows that both information and entertainment gratification are positively associated with consumer purchase intention. No significant results have been uncovered with the relationship between interactivity affordance and entertainment gratification, while the rest relationships of gratification and its antecedents are positively associated.Originality/value: The findings of this study uncover the antecedents and consequences of gratification in the context of livestreaming from technology affordance perspective. The uncovered relationships among technology affordance, gratification, purchase intention as well as the moderation roles aroused by price consciousness contribute to the extant literature.

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the effects of normative and hedonic motivations on continuous knowledge contribution, and how past contribution experience moderates the effects of the motivations on continuous knowledge contribution.Design/methodology/approach: Based on goal-framing theory, the present study proposes a comprehensive theoretical model by integrating normative and hedonic motivations, past contribution experience and continuous knowledge contribution. The data for virtual community members' activities were collected using the Python Scrapy crawler. Logit regression was used to validate the integrative model.Findings: The results show that both normative motivation (reflected by generalized reciprocity and social learning) and hedonic motivation (reflected by peer recognition and online attractiveness) are positively associated with continuous knowledge contribution. Moreover, these effects are found to be significantly influenced by members' past knowledge contribution experience. Specifically, the results suggest that past knowledge contribution experience undermines the influence of generalized reciprocity on continuous knowledge contribution but strengthens the effect of peer recognition and online attractiveness.Originality/value: Although the emerging literature on continuous knowledge contribution mainly focuses on motivations as antecedents that promote continuous knowledge contribution, most of these studies assume that the relationship between motivating mechanisms and continuous knowledge contribution does not change over time. The study is one of the initial studies to examine whether and how the influence of multiple motivations evolves relative to levels of past contribution experience.

A Q&A community typically employs various types of external incentives to motivate knowledge contribution from their community members. This study aims to examine the effects of different external incentives, which are conceptualized as different types of motivational factors, on community participants’ sustained knowledge contribution. Drawing on motivation crowding theory, the present study proposes that different motivators interact and jointly influence knowledge contribution behavior. The panel data were collected from a Chinese Q&A community by using the Python Scrapy crawler, and the Poisson regression model with fixed effects was used to validate the integrative model. The results revealed that generalized reciprocity and social learning undermined the effect of online attractiveness on sustained knowledge contribution, whereas peer feedback strengthens this effect. The findings contribute to the extant research on sustained contribution behavior and provide practical insights into sustaining virtual communities.

This study examines the mechanisms underlying the relationship between motivation and massive open online course (MOOC) learning intention, and the contextual moderators that affect this mechanism. Drawing on motivational theory and the related literature, this study investigates how motivation affects students’ intention to learn with MOOCs and the related meditation and moderation effects. The findings of our study show that both extrinsic and intrinsic motivations have a significant influence on intention to learn with MOOCs. In addition, the results also suggest that the relationship between extrinsic motivation and intention to learn is mediated by the technology fit perceived by learners but not the relationship between intrinsic motivation and intention to learn. Furthermore, the relationships between both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation and intention to learn are moderated by subjective norms. This study enriches the extant literature on the impact of technology fit and subjective norms on MOOC learning. Few studies have focused on how students can be effectively encouraged to take MOOCs. Given the lack of theoretical and empirical research, this study developed a theoretical model and conducted an empirical study to fill the research gap.

This study examined the effect of politeness, as a key reflection of linguistic features of conversation in the online labor marketplace, on hiring behavior. Drawing on the politeness theory, a non-linear relationship was theorized. A hypothesis was put forward and examined against a large-scale archival dataset from a Chinese online labor market. Using an econometric model, the results demonstrated that there was an inverted U-shaped relationship between politeness and hiring decisions. The study offers theoretical implications to the online labor market literature and politeness theory by providing empirical insights on the role of politeness in hiring decision. In addition, our findings offer beneficial and practical contributions for vendors and platform operators.

This study examines the impacts of psychological empowerment and subjective norm on knowledge sharing in organizations, and the moderation effects aroused by power distance. Quantitative data from 567 valid questionnaires are collected by survey from a large company. The results demonstrate that subjective norm and psychological empowerment are positively associated with attitude toward knowledge sharing. Moreover, the findings further suggest that power distance undermines the influence of psychological empowerment on knowledge sharing but strengthens the effect of motivation to comply. Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed.