The bright side and dark side of group heterogeneity within online brand community
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-08-2018-1972 |
| Date | 18 July 2019 |
| Pages | 69-80 |
| Published date | 18 July 2019 |
| Author | Junyun Liao,Defeng Yang,Haiying Wei,Yulang Guo |
The bright side and dark side of group
heterogeneity within online brand community
Junyun Liao, Defeng Yang and Haiying Wei
Department of Marketing, School of Management, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China, and
Yulang Guo
Department of Marketing, School of Business Administration, Guangdong University of Finance and Economics, Guangzhou, China
Abstract
Purpose –Despite the increasingly common view that online brand community (OBC) members are heterogeneous, knowledge concerning the
impact of group heterogeneity on community and brand level outcomes is lacking. In response and drawing from organization r esearch, this paper
aims to study the consequences of two types of group heterogeneity (i.e. visible heterogeneity and value heterogeneity) on brand community
commitment and brand commitment. The moderating role of tenure in a community is also examined.
Design/methodology/approach –A survey of 467 members of OBCs was conducted, and structural equation modeling was used to test
hypotheses.
Findings –The results show that perceived visible heterogeneity positively affects brand community commitment, whereasperceived value
heterogeneity has a negative effect on it. Brand community commitment positively relates to brand commitment; it also mediates the effect of
perceived visible heterogeneity and perceived value heterogeneity on brand commitment. Further, the positive effect of visible heterogeneity on
brand community commitment is stronger for short-tenure members, but the negative effect of value heterogeneity is stronger for long-tenure
members.
Practical implications –The findings suggest that managers should make efforts to foster visible heterogeneity and reduce value hetero geneity. In
addition, managers are advised to emphasize the characteristics that carry different appeal for members of differe nt tenure.
Originality/value –This research is one of the first few quantitative studies to examine the influence of brand community heterogeneity on
community, and especially brand level outcomes. It extends the literature on the effect of brand community on brands and addsto the emerging
heterogeneity view of OBCs.
Keywords Online brand community, Brand community, Brand commitment, Tenure, Brand community commitment, Group heterogeneity,
Value heterogeneity, Visible heterogeneity
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Recent decadeshave witnessed the growing popularity of the
online brand community (OBC). Empowered by the growth
of social media, an OBC is usually understood as an online
social group composed of a brand’sadmirers(
Hanson et al.,
2019). OBCs enable members to seek brand knowledge,
share brand experience, find socialization and participate in
activities initiated by a brand (Raïes et al., 2015;Kumar and
Nayak, 2019). Traditionally, brand community literature
has been dominated by the homogeneity view that brand
community formation and engagement are based on
members’homogeneity. For instance, Muniz and O’guinn
(2001) maintain that brand community is characterized by
consciousness of kind, rituals and traditions, and moral
responsibility. Stokburger-Sauer (2010) propose that
members in a brand community are connected by collective
goals and mutual commitment. Using this view, scholars
have contributed ample evidence of the positive role of
brand community in creating brand loyalty (Manchanda
et al., 2015).
However, recent studies challenge this view by uncovering
the heterogeneity of brand community members, especially in
the online environment (Thomas et al.,2013;Özbölük and
Dursun, 2017). Such heterogeneity is partially driven by the
online nature of the communities, in that most OBCs pose few
restrictions on membership. Thus, individuals of diverse
backgrounds can come and go and express themselves freely
(Özbölük and Dursun, 2017). Thomas et al. (2013) argue that
Thecurrentissueandfulltextarchiveofthisjournalisavailableon
Emerald Insight at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/1061-0421.htm
Journal of Product & Brand Management
29/1 (2020) 69–80
© Emerald Publishing Limited [ISSN 1061-0421]
[DOI 10.1108/JPBM-08-2018-1972]
This project is supported by Jinan University Management School Funding
Program (No. GY18004) and Institute of Enterprise Development, Jinan
University, Guangdong Province (2019GBAZD06). The authors also
gratefully acknowledge financial support from the National Natural
Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (No. 71802097, No. 71372169,
No. 71772077, No. 71472074, No. 71872073 & No. 91746206). The
authors would like to thank Prof. Chenting Su and three anonymous
reviewers for their helpful comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript.
Received 7 August2018
Revised 7 August 2018
25 February 2019
10 May 2019
Accepted 18 May 2019
69
Get this document and AI-powered insights with a free trial of vLex and Vincent AI
Get Started for FreeStart Your 3-day Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your 3-day Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your 3-day Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your 3-day Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your 3-day Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting