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Examining micro-level knowledge sharing discussions in online communities

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Abstract

Online communities of practice have become a popular knowledge source for both individuals and organizations. It is important to understand how to facilitate virtual knowledge sharing in online communities. Existing studies generally focus on system design factors or motivations behind knowledge sharing behavior. In this study we aim to investigate the knowledge sharing processes in online communities and identify process patterns that are indicative of effective knowledge sharing processes. We propose a computational framework to examine individual knowledge sharing processes in online communities from a process perspective. Our empirical evaluations show that effective knowledge sharing processes have distinct structural characteristics and communication network patterns compared to unhelpful knowledge sharing processes. Our research findings have practical implications for online community practitioners.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Business Information Technology, Virginia Tech, 1007 Pamplin Hall, 880 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA

    G. Alan Wang

  2. The R&D Department, Thomson Reuters, 3 Time Square, New York, NY, 10036, USA

    Xiaomo Liu

  3. Department of Accounting and Finance, School of Management, Xi’an Jiaotong University, 28 Xianning West Road, Xi’an, Shanxi, 710049, China

    Jianling Wang

  4. Department of Industrial Engineering, College of Management and Economics, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Tianjin, 300072, China

    Min Zhang

  5. Department of Accounting and Information Systems, Virginia Tech, 3007 Pamplin Hall, 880 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA

    Weiguo Fan

Authors
  1. G. Alan Wang
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  2. Xiaomo Liu
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  3. Jianling Wang
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  4. Min Zhang
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  5. Weiguo Fan
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Correspondence to Min Zhang.

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Wang, G.A., Liu, X., Wang, J. et al. Examining micro-level knowledge sharing discussions in online communities. Inf Syst Front 17, 1227–1238 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-015-9566-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-015-9566-1

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