Asia pacific journal of information systems

The Korea Society of Management Information Systems (한국경영정보학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Finding a Needle in a Haystack: Homophily, Communication Structure, and Information Search in an Online User Community

  • Jeongmin Kim (School of Management, Sookmyung Women's University) ;
  • Soyeon Lee (School of Management, Sookmyung Women's University) ;
  • Yujin Han (School of Management, Sookmyung Women's University) ;
  • Dong-Il Jung (Division of Business Administration, Sookmyung Women's University)
  • Received : 2023.12.25
  • Accepted : 2024.05.09
  • Published : 2024.06.30
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

A growing body of research explores how users of online communities navigate through large-scale platforms to find the information they seek. This study builds on the theories of homophily, structural embeddedness, and social exchange to investigate how interest homophily and existing communication structures serve as mechanisms driving information searches and the subsequent formation of communication networks in these communities. Specifically, we analyze comment-on-post tie formation using network data from "Today's House," the largest online user community specializing in interior design in Korea. Employing the LR-QAP method, a permutation-based hypothesis testing algorithm for social network data, our research identifies that network tie formation is driven by both homophilous information searches based on instrumental and hedonic interests, as well as by structurally induced searches such as preferential attachment, reciprocity, and transitivity. In addition, we investigate the contingent effects of communication structure on homophilous tie formation. Our findings suggest that while network-wide structural characteristics enhance homophilous tie formation based on instrumental interests, local network processes leverage homophily based on hedonic interests. We conclude by discussing the theoretical implications of the differential influence of participation motivations on information search patterns and the practical implications for the design of online communities.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT) grant funded by the Korea Government (MOTIE)) (P0017123, 2021 Industrial Innovation Talent Growth Support Project)

References

  1. Abdullah, S. N. C., Khalil, N., Haron, S. N., Hamid, M. Y., and Yan, Y. (2023). Unveiling the impact of sustainable interior design criteria on hotel's operational performance effectiveness and user's hedonic consumption. International Journal of Sustainable Construction Engineering and Technology, 14(3), 154-165. https://doi.org/10.30880/ijscet.2023.14.03.013 
  2. Ameri, M., Honka, E., and Xie, Y. (2023). From strangers to friends: Tie formations and online activities in an evolving social network. Journal of Marketing Research, 60(2), 329-354. https://doi.org/10.1177/00222437221107900 
  3. Arnold, M. J., and Reynolds, K. E. (2003). Hedonic shopping motivations. Journal of Retailing, 79(2), 77-95. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-4359(03)00007-1 
  4. Barabasi, A. L., and Albert, R. (1999). Emergence of scaling in random networks. Science, 286(5439), 509-512. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.cond-mat/9910332 
  5. Barabasi, A. L. (2012). The Science of Networks. Cambridge, MA: Perseus. 
  6. Babin, B. J., Darden, W. R., and Griffin, M. (1994). Work and/or fun: Measuring hedonic and utilitarian shopping value. Journal of Consumer Research, 20(4), 644-656. https://doi.org/10.1086/209376 
  7. Barone, M., and Coscia, M. (2018). Birds of a feather scam together: Trustworthiness homophily in a business network. Social Networks, 54, 228-237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socnet.2018.01.009 
  8. Baum, J. C., and Dutton, J. E. (1996). Introduction: The embeddedness of strategy. Advances in Strategic Management, 46(1), 1-57. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-954X.1998.tb03468.x 
  9. Belenzon, S., Hashai, N., and Patacconi, A. (2019). The architecture of attention: Group structure and subsidiary autonomy. Strategic Management Journal, 40(10), 1610-1643. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.3059 
  10. Blau, P. M. (1964). Exchange and Power in Social Life. New York: Wiley. 
  11. Brown, J., Broderick, A. J., and Lee, N. (2007). Word of mouth communication within online communities: Conceptualizing the online social network. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 21(3), 2-20. https://doi.org/10.1002/dir.20082 
  12. Burt, M. G. (1992). The justification for applying the effective-mass approximation to microstructures. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 4(32), 6651-6690. https://doi.org/10.1088/0953-8984/4/32/003 
  13. Burt, R. S., Jannotta, J. E., and Mahoney, J. T. (1998). Personality correlates of structural holes. Social Networks, 20(1), 63-87. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-8733(97)00005-1 
  14. Burt, R. S. (2000). The network structure of social capital. Research in Organizational Behavior, 22, 345-423. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-3085(00)22009-1 
  15. Chen, W., Wei, X., and Zhu, K. (2017). Engaging voluntary contributions in online communities: A hidden Markov model. MIS Quarterly, 42(1), 83-100.  https://doi.org/10.25300/MISQ/2018/14196
  16. Cheng, Y., Zhang, X., Wang, H., and Jiang, S. (2018). How to improve the answering effectiveness in pay-for-knowledge community: An exploratory application of intelligent QA system. In Companion Proceedings of The Web Conference 2018 (pp. 313-317). 
  17. Coleman, J. S. (1988). Social capital in the creation of human capital. American Journal of Sociology, 94, S95-S120.  https://doi.org/10.1086/228943
  18. Coleman, J. S. (1990). Commentary: Social institutions and social theory. American Sociological Review, 55(3), 333-339. https://doi.org/10.2307/2095759 
  19. Collet, F., and Philippe, D. (2014). From hot cakes to cold feet: A contingent perspective on the relationship between market uncertainty and status homophily in the formation of alliances. Journal of Management Studies, 51(3), 406-432. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12051 
  20. Constant, D., Sproull, L., and Kiesler, S. (1996). The kindness of strangers: The usefulness of electronic weak ties for technical advice. Organization Science, 7(2), 119-135. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.7.2.119 
  21. Cook, K. S., and Rice, E. R. (2001). Exchange and power: Issues of structure and agency. In Handbook of Sociological Theory (pp. 699-719). Boston, MA: Springer. 
  22. Currarini, S., and Mengel, F. (2016). Identity, homophily and in-group bias. European Economic Review, 90, 40-55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroecorev.2016.02.015 
  23. DiMaggio, P. J., and Powell, W. W. (1983). The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields. American Sociological Review, 48, 147-160. https://doi.org/10.2307/2095101 
  24. Fan, T., Lu, L., Shi, D., and Zhou, T. (2021). Characterizing cycle structure in complex networks. Communications Physics, 4(1), 272. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-021-00781-3 
  25. Faraj, S., and Johnson, S. L. (2011). Network exchange patterns in online communities. Organization Science, 22(6), 1464-1480. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1100.0600 
  26. Fligstein, N. (1987). The intraorganizational power struggle: Rise of finance personnel to top leadership in large corporations, 1919-1979. American Sociological Review, 52(1), 44-58. https://doi.org/10.2307/2095391 
  27. Fuhse, J. A., and Gondal, N. (2022). Networks from culture: mechanisms of tie-formation follow institutionalized rules in social fields. Social Networks, 77, 43-54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socnet.2021.12.005 
  28. Fulk, J., Flanagin, A. J., Kalman, M. E., Monge, P. R., and Ryan, T. (1996). Connective and communal public goods in interactive communication systems. Communication Theory, 6(1), 60-87. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2885.1996.tb00120.x 
  29. Gawer, A. (Ed.). (2011). Platforms, Markets, and Innovation. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. 
  30. Giddens, A. (1984). The Constitution of Society. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. 
  31. Gimeno, J. (2004). Competition within and between networks: The contingent effect of competitive embeddedness on alliance formation. Academy of Management Journal, 47(6), 820-842. https://doi.org/10.5465/20159625 
  32. Gnyawali, D. R., and Madhavan, R. (2001). Cooperative networks and competitive dynamics: A structural embeddedness perspective. Academy of Management Review, 26(3), 431-445. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMR.2001.4845820 
  33. Granovetter, M. (1985). Economic action and social structure: The problem of embeddedness. American Journal of Sociology, 91(3), 481-510. https://doi.org/10.1086/228311 
  34. Greenwood, B. N., Agarwal, R., Agarwal, R., and Gopal, A. (2019). The role of individual and organizational expertise in the adoption of new practices. Organization Science, 30(1), 191-213. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2018.1246 
  35. Groenewegen, P., and Moser, C. (2014). Online communities: Challenges and opportunities for social network research. Contemporary Perspectives on Organizational Social Networks, 40, 463-477. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0733-558X(2014)0000040023 
  36. Gulati, R. (1995). Social structure and alliance formation patterns: A longitudinal analysis. Administrative Science Quarterly, 40(4), 619-652. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2393756 
  37. Haas, M. R., Criscuolo, P., and George, G. (2015). Which problems to solve? Online knowledge sharing and attention allocation in organizations. Academy of Management Journal, 58(3), 680-711. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2013.0263 
  38. Han, X., Wang, L., Crespi, N., Park, S., and Cuevas, A. (2015). Alike people, alike interests? Inferring interest similarity in online social networks. Decision Support Systems, 69, 92-106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dss.2014.11.008 
  39. Hansen, M. T. (1999). The search-transfer problem: The role of weak ties in sharing knowledge across organization subunits. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(1), 82-111. https://doi.org/10.2307/2667032 
  40. Hansen, M. T., and Haas, M. R. (2001). Competing for attention in knowledge markets: Electronic document dissemination in a management consulting company. Administrative Science Quarterly, 46(1), 1-28. https://doi.org/10.2307/2667123 
  41. Hoetker, G., and Agarwal, R. (2007). Death hurts, but it isn't fatal: The post-exit diffusion of knowledge created by innovative companies. Academy of Management Journal, 50(2), 446-467. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2007.24634858 
  42. Holland, P. W., and Leinhardt, S. (1970). A method for detecting structure in sociometric data. American Journal of Sociology, 76, 492-513. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-442450-0.50028-6 
  43. Holland, P. W., and Leinhardt, S. (1971). Transitivity in structural models of small groups. Comparative Group Studies, 2(2), 107-124. https://doi.org/10.1177/104649647100200201 
  44. Hu, S., Hu, L., and Wang, G. (2021). Moderating role of addiction to social media usage in managing cultural intelligence and cultural identity change. Information Technology & People, 34(2), 704-730. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-10-2019-0518 
  45. Huang, Z., and Benyoucef, M. (2013). From e-commerce to social commerce: A close look at design features. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 12(4), 246-259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elerap.2012.12.003 
  46. Hwang, E. H., Singh, P. V., and Argote, L. (2015). Knowledge sharing in online communities: Learning to cross geographic and hierarchical boundaries. Organization Science, 26(6), 1593-1611. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2015.1009 
  47. Jin, J., Li, Y., Zhong, X., and Zhai, L. (2015). Why users contribute knowledge to online communities: An empirical study of an online social Q&A community. Information & Management, 52(7), 840-849. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2015.07.005 
  48. Johnson, S. L., Faraj, S., and Kudaravalli, S. (2014). Emergence of power laws in online communities. MIS Quarterly, 38(3), 795-808.  https://doi.org/10.25300/MISQ/2014/38.3.08
  49. Kane, G. C., Alavi, M., Labianca, G., and Borgatti, S. P. (2014). What's different about social media networks? A framework and research agenda. MIS Quarterly, 38(1), 275-304.  https://doi.org/10.25300/MISQ/2014/38.1.13
  50. Khan, N., Kim, J., and Lee, H. J. (2019). The effect of network position on the efficiency of open collaboration: A study of Wikipedia featured article edits. Asia Pacific Journal of Information Systems, 29(1), 50-64. https://doi.org/10.14329/apjis.2019.29.1.50 
  51. Kim, J. Y., Howard, M., Cox Pahnke, E., and Boeker, W. (2016). Understanding network formation in strategy research: Exponential random graph models. Strategic Management Journal, 37(1), 22-44. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2454 
  52. Kim, H. J., and Kim, J. M. (2005). Cyclic topology in complex networks. Physical Review E, 72(3), 036109. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.72.036109 
  53. Kim, Y., and Kane, G. C. (2019). Online tie formation in enterprise social media. Asia Pacific Journal of Information Systems, 29(3), 382-406.  https://doi.org/10.14329/apjis.2019.29.3.382
  54. Kirillova, K., and Chan, J. (2018). "What is beautiful we book": hotel visual appeal and expected service quality. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 30(3), 1788-1807. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-07-2017-0408 
  55. Krackhardt, D. (1988). Predicting with networks: Nonparametric multiple regression analysis of dyadic data. Social Networks, 10(4), 359-381. https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-8733(88)90004-4 
  56. Krackhardt, D., and Stern, R. N. (1988). Informal networks and organizational crises: An experimental simulation. Social Psychology Quarterly, 51(2), 123-140. https://doi.org/10.2307/2786835 
  57. Kollock, P. (1999). The economies of online cooperation: Gifts and public goods in cyberspace. In P. Kollock and M. Smith (Eds.), Communities in Cyberspace (pp. 220-239). London, UK: Routledge. 
  58. Kleinbaum, A. M., Stuart, T. E., and Tushman, M. L. (2013). Discretion within constraint: Homophily and structure in a formal organization. Organization Science, 24(5), 1316-1336. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1120.0804 
  59. Kuk, G. (2006). Strategic interaction and knowledge sharing in the KDE developer mailing list. Management Science, 52(7), 1031-1042. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1060.0551 
  60. Lazarsfeld, P. F., and Merton, R. K. (1954). Friendship as a social process: A substantive and methodological analysis. Freedom and Control in Modern Society, 18(1), 18-66. 
  61. Leskovec, J., Huttenlocher, D., and Kleinberg, J. (2010). Signed networks in social media. In Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 1361-1370). 
  62. Levin, D. Z., and Cross, R. (2004). The strength of weak ties you can trust: The mediating role of trust in effective knowledge transfer. Management Science, 50(11), 1477-1490. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1030.0136 
  63. Liao, C. H. (2022). Exploring the impacts of network mechanisms on knowledge sharing and extra-role behavior. Journal of Knowledge Management, 26(8), 1901-1920. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-01-2021-0020 
  64. Lin, N. (2017). Building a network theory of social capital. In Social Capital (pp. 3-28). Routledge. 
  65. Lindberg, A., Berente, N., Gaskin, J., and Lyytinen, K. (2016). Coordinating interdependencies in online communities: A study of an open source software project. Information Systems Research, 27(4), 751-772. https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2016.0673 
  66. Liu, C. T., and Guo, Y. M. (2015). The role of sense of belonging in social media usage: a tale of two types of users. Asia Pacific Journal of Information Systems, 25(2), 403-422. https://doi.org/10.14329/apjis.2015.25.2.403 
  67. Lu, Y., Jerath, K., and Singh, P. V. (2013). The emergence of opinion leaders in a networked online community: A dyadic model with time dynamics and a heuristic for fast estimation. Management Science, 59(8), 1783-1799. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1562245 
  68. Ma, M., and Agarwal, R. (2007). Through a glass darkly: Information technology design, identity verification, and knowledge contribution in online communities. Information Systems Research, 18(1), 42-67. https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.1070.0113 
  69. March, J. G., and Simon, H. A. (1993). Organizations. New York: John Wiley & Sons. 
  70. Mark, N. P. (2003). Cultural and competition: Homophily and distancing explanations for cultural niches. American Sociological Review, 68(3), 319-345. https://doi.org/10.1177/000312240306800302 
  71. McPherson, J. M., Popielarz, P. A., and Drobnic, S. (1992). Social networks and organizational dynamics. American Sociological Review, 57(2), 153-170. https://doi.org/10.2307/2096202 
  72. McPherson, M., Smith-Lovin, L., and Cook, J. M. (2001). Birds of a feather: Homophily in social networks. Annual Review of Sociology, 27(1), 415- 444. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.27.1.415 
  73. Merton, R. K. (1968). Social Theory and Social Structure. New York: Simon and Schuster. 
  74. Mesch, G., and Talmud, I. (2006). The quality of online and offline relationships: The role of multiplexity and duration of social relationships. The Information Society, 22(3), 137-148. https://doi.org/10.1080/01972240600677805 
  75. Oloritun, R. O., Madan, A., Pentland, A., and Khayal, I. (2013). Identifying close friendships in a sensed social network. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 79, 18-26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.05.054 
  76. Pai, P., and Tsai, H. T. (2016). Reciprocity norms and information-sharing behavior in online consumption communities: An empirical investigation of antecedents and moderators. Information & Management, 53(1), 38-52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2015.08.002 
  77. Piezunka, H., and Dahlander, L. (2015). Distant search, narrow attention: How crowding alters organizations' filtering of suggestions in crowdsourcing. Academy of Management Journal, 58(3), 856-880. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2012.0458 
  78. Podolny, J. M. (2001). Networks as the pipes and prisms of the market. American Journal of Sociology, 107(1), 33-60. https://doi.org/10.1086/323038 
  79. Podolny, J. M., and Hill-Popper, M. (2004). Hedonic and transcendent conceptions of value. Industrial and Corporate Change, 13(1), 91-116. https://doi.org/10.1093/icc/13.1.91 
  80. Putnam, R. D. (1994). Social capital and public affairs. Bulletin of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 47(8), 5-19.  https://doi.org/10.2307/3824796
  81. Ray, S., Kim, S. S., and Morris, J. G. (2014). The central role of engagement in online communities. Information Systems Research, 25(3), 528-546. https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2014.0525 
  82. Ren, Y., Kraut, R., and Kiesler, S. (2007). Applying common identity and bond theory to design of online communities. Organization Studies, 28(3), 377-408. https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840607076007 
  83. Rheingold, H. (2000). The Virtual Community, Revised Edition: Homesteading on the Electronic Frontier. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. 
  84. Snijders, T. A. B. (2011). Statistical models for social networks. Annual Review of Sociology, 37, 131-153. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.012809.102709 
  85. Statistics Korea. (2021). Social Indicators. Seoul: Statistics Korea 
  86. Stuart, T. E., Hoang, H., and Hybels, R. C. (1999). Interorganizational endorsements and the performance of entrepreneurial ventures. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 315-349. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666998 
  87. Surma, J. (2016). Social exchange in online social networks. The reciprocity phenomenon on Facebook. Computer Communications, 73, 342-346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comcom.2015.06.017 
  88. Wang, C. Y., Lee, H. C., Wu, L. W., and Liu, C. C. (2017). Quality dimensions in online communities influence purchase intentions. Management Decision, 55(9), 1984-1998. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-11-2016-0822 
  89. Wasko, M. M., and Faraj, S. (2000). "It is what one does": Why people participate and help others in electronic communities of practice. The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 9(2-3), 155-173. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0963-8687(00)00045-7 
  90. Wasserman, S., and Faust, K. (1994). Social Network Analysis: Methods and Applications. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. 
  91. Watts, D. J. (1999). Networks, dynamics, and the small-world phenomenon. American Journal of Sociology, 105(2), 493-527. https://doi.org/10.1086/210318 
  92. Wu, P. F., and Korfiatis, N. (2013). You scratch someone's back and we'll scratch yours: Collective reciprocity in social Q & A communities. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 64(10), 2069-2077. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.22913 
  93. Xia, M., Huang, Y., Duan, W., and Whinston, A. B. (2012). Research note-to continue sharing or not to continue sharing? An empirical analysis of user decision in peer-to-peer sharing networks. Information Systems Research, 23(1), 247-259. https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.1100.0344 
  94. Trapido, D. (2013). Counterbalance to economic homophily: Microlevel mechanisms in a historical setting. American Journal of Sociology, 119(2), 444-485. https://doi.org/10.1086/673971 
  95. Uzzi, B. (1997). Social structure and competition in interfirm networks: The paradox of embeddedness. Administrative Science Quarterly, 42(1), 35-67. https://doi.org/10.2307/2393808