Active users’ knowledge-sharing continuance on social Q&A sites: motivators and hygiene factors
| Date | 19 March 2018 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/AJIM-09-2017-0207 |
| Pages | 214-232 |
| Published date | 19 March 2018 |
| Author | Minhyung Kang |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Information behaviour & retrieval,Information & knowledge management,Information management & governance,Information management |
Active users’knowledge-sharing
continuance on social Q&A sites:
motivators and hygiene factors
Minhyung Kang
Department of e-Business, School of Business, Ajou University, Suwon,
Republic of Korea
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to focus on active users who are key contributors to online social
question-and-answer (Q&A) sites, and examine antecedents of their knowledge-sharing continuance
intention, based on expectation-confirmation theory and organizational justice theory.
Design/methodology/approach –Sample data were gathered via an online survey from active users of
Naver Knowledge-iN, a popular online social Q&A site in South Korea. Partial least squares structural
equation modeling was adopted for data analysis. Moreover, a multi-group analysis was conducted to identify
the motivators and hygiene factors of the responders’knowledge-sharing continuance.
Findings –Except for perceived self-worth, all the antecedents –perceived playfulness, confirmation,
perceived justice with sites, and perceived justice with askers –seemed to have a considerable influence on
active users’satisfaction, and therefore their continuance intention. Among them, perceived playfulness
was proven to be a motivator, and perceived justice with sites a hygiene factor.
Research limitations/implications –Despite the limitations of a cross-sectional study, this research
successfully illustrated that active users’continuance intention is influenced by perceived playfulness, and
not by perceived self-worth. In addition, perceived justice with social Q&A sites was proven to decrease
dissatisfaction (i.e. hygiene factor), while perceived playfulness was proven to increase satisfaction
(i.e. motivator).
Originality/value –This study differentiates itself from prior research by focusing specifically on
active users of social Q&A sites, since their motivating mechanisms are different from normal users.
Additionally, the antecedents of knowledge-sharing continuance were categorized into motivators and
hygiene factors. This approach affords detailed guidelines to facilitate active users’knowledge-sharing
continuance and to prevent their defection.
Keywords Knowledge sharing, Continuance intention, Expectation-confirmation theory,
Organizational justice theory, Social question-and-answer sites, Two-factor theory
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
With the rapid development of online communities, online knowledgesharing is becoming
progressively more popular (Beck et al., 2014; Haas et al., 2015; Jeng et al., 2017; Wasko and
Faraj, 2005; Zhao et al., 2016). Online knowledge sharing is free from geographical
and temporal limitations that make offline, or traditional, knowledge sharing costly
(Chiu et al., 2006; Faraj et al., 2016). On social question-and-answer (Q&A) sites, such as
Yahoo! Answers (https://answers.yahoo.com/), tens of millions of users ask and answer
questions freely (Choi and Shah, 2016; Gazan, 2011; Le et al., 2017).
A crucial feature of a successful social Q&A site is its active users, users that are highly
active in answering questions (Kang et al., 2011). On Naver Knowledge-iN, active users
within the top 0.1 percent of highly active users are called “Power Knowledge-iN (KiN).”
There are 4,602 Power KiNs, each of whom has provided 4,352 answers on average as of
January 2017 (http://kin.naver.com/people/power/index.nhn). Therefore, the continued
sharing of their knowledge by these active users is critical for social Q&A sites.
Many studies have explored the antecedents of online knowledge sharing (Ardichvili
et al.,2003;Chiuet al., 2006; Hau and Kang, 2016; Hsu et al., 2007; Hwang et al., 2015;
Jadin et al., 2013; Lu et al., 2010; Wasko and Faraj, 2005). In the online environment, where
Aslib Journal of Information
Management
Vol. 70 No. 2, 2018
pp. 214-232
© Emerald PublishingLimited
2050-3806
DOI 10.1108/AJIM-09-2017-0207
Received 19 September 2017
Revised 10 December 2017
Accepted 8 January 2018
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2050-3806.htm
214
AJIM
70,2
switching cost is extremely low, if the experience of knowledge sharing on a certain
website is not satisfactory, users can simply leave the site and discontinue their
knowledge sharing at any time. Therefore, continuance behavior should be observed and
attended more closely (Bhattacherjee, 2001). Recent studies have shown interest in online
knowledge-sharing continuance behavior (Chiu et al., 2011; He and Wei, 2009; Jiang and
Wagner, 2015). However, these studies considered users as a homogeneous group, and
examined general users’continuance behavior, rather than focusing on specific groups.
Some studies on online knowledge sharing have differentiated contributors from
“lurkers”who observe and gain knowledge, but do not contribute (Lai and Chen, 2014;
Ridings et al., 2006). The studies focused on exploring different motivators for each group,
and suggested guidelines to convert “lurkers”to contributors. This study, however, focuses
on active users, who contribute thousands of high-quality answers to Q&A sites, since their
contribution creates and maintains the core knowledge base, which is critical for the
websites’sustainability (Kang et al., 2011). The antecedents of their knowledge-sharing
continuance intention are explored, based on expectation-confirmation theory (ECT)
(Bhattacherjee, 2001; Oliver, 1980) and organizational justice theory (OJT) (Greenberg, 1990;
Greenberg and Cropanzano, 1993). ECT provides a rationale for consumers’continuous
purchasing behavior, while OJT clarifies the reason employees keep working without
turnover. Active users of social Q&A sites are voluntary workers, who produce content for
websites without reimbursement. They are, however, also consumers who actively use the
websites. Thus, integrating these two theories may yield comprehensive explanations for
active users’knowledge-sharing continuance behavior on social Q&A sites. Additionally,
these antecedents of continuance intention are grouped into two factors based on two-factor
theory (Herzberg et al., 1959): the first being motivator and the second being hygiene factor.
These two factors have different roles; motivators increase satisfaction, while hygiene
factors decrease dissatisfaction. Therefore, they are expected to have different influences on
satisfied and dissatisfied user groups. In summary, this study attempts to answer following
research questions:
RQ1. What are the antecedents of active users’knowledge-sharing continuance intention
on social Q&A sites?
RQ2. Among these antecedents, which are motivators, and which are hygiene factors?
2. Theoretical background
2.1 ECT and continuance intention
ECT from the marketing discipline (Oliver, 1980) has been widely adopted to predict
users’continuance behavior in information systems, such as online banking
(Bhattacherjee, 2001), e-learning (Roca et al., 2006), mobile commerce (Hung et al., 2007),
social networking services (Kim, 2011), and mobile messenger services (Kim et al., 2014).
According to ECT (Oliver, 1980), consumers’intention to repurchase a product is
determined by their satisfaction with a previous purchase. In a similar vein, users’
intention to continue using an information system is determined by their satisfaction with
previous use of the system (Bhattacherjee, 2001). Therefore, the role of satisfaction is
crucial in predicting users’continuance behavior.
In the context of information system usage, users are satisfied when their initial
expectation regarding an information system is confirmed by the system’s perceived
performance (Bhattacherjee, 2001). Updating Oliver’s (1980) original ECT, Bhattacherjee
(2001) maintained that modified expectation after initial usage (i.e. post-usage expectation)
also influences satisfaction, as it provides a reference level for the user’s evaluation of the
system. A high reference level tends to lead to a high level of satisfaction.
215
Active users’
knowledge-
sharing
To continue reading
Request your trial