• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.89-108
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• 2015

Social networking communities (SNCs) are media designed to facilitate social interaction using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. SNCs can constitute individuals' their own profiles in the online environment and share texts, images and photos in a variety ways. In other words, one of the other motivators is knowledge sharing. Various sites, such as Facebook, Orkut, MySpace, and Hi5 are categorized as SNCs. SNCs have become increasingly popular in recent years among youths, especially students, who use them to build social networks. This study examines whether this usage of SNCs inculcates a sense of community among their members. Several studies have examined the role of a sense of community through increased usage in the context of virtual communities. Although this result may be true of virtual communities, this paper contends that the opposite relationship prevails in the case of SNCs because members interact to build networks and are not obliged to interact. The results reveal that maintaining long-term interactions in the SNCs is helpful in building a sense of community in SNCs. Although short-term usage may not boost the development of a sense of community in SNCs, it does matter if the premise is for a long-term commitment to SNCs. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.19-43
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• 2014

The Pareto principle, also known as the 80-20 rule, states that roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes for many events including natural phenomena. It has been recognized as a golden rule in business with a wide application of such discovery like 20 percent of customers resulting in 80 percent of total sales. On the other hand, the Long Tail theory, pointing out that "the trivial many" produces more value than "the vital few," has gained popularity in recent times with a tremendous reduction of distribution and inventory costs through the development of ICT(Information and Communication Technology). This study started with a view to illuminating how these two primary business paradigms-Pareto principle and Long Tail theory-relates to the success of virtual knowledge collaboration. The importance of virtual knowledge collaboration is soaring in this era of globalization and virtualization transcending geographical and temporal constraints. Many previous studies on knowledge sharing have focused on the factors to affect knowledge sharing, seeking to boost individual knowledge sharing and resolve the social dilemma caused from the fact that rational individuals are likely to rather consume than contribute knowledge. Knowledge collaboration can be defined as the creation of knowledge by not only sharing knowledge, but also by transforming and integrating such knowledge. In this perspective of knowledge collaboration, the relative distribution of knowledge sharing among participants can count as much as the absolute amounts of individual knowledge sharing. In particular, whether the more contribution of the upper 20 percent of participants in knowledge sharing will enhance the efficiency of overall knowledge collaboration is an issue of interest. This study deals with the effect of this sort of knowledge sharing distribution on the efficiency of knowledge collaboration and is extended to reflect the work characteristics. All analyses were conducted based on actual data instead of self-reported questionnaire surveys. More specifically, we analyzed the collaborative behaviors of editors of 2,978 English Wikipedia featured articles, which are the best quality grade of articles in English Wikipedia. We adopted Pareto ratio, the ratio of the number of knowledge contribution of the upper 20 percent of participants to the total number of knowledge contribution made by the total participants of an article group, to examine the effect of Pareto principle. In addition, Gini coefficient, which represents the inequality of income among a group of people, was applied to reveal the effect of inequality of knowledge contribution. Hypotheses were set up based on the assumption that the higher ratio of knowledge contribution by more highly motivated participants will lead to the higher collaboration efficiency, but if the ratio gets too high, the collaboration efficiency will be exacerbated because overall informational diversity is threatened and knowledge contribution of less motivated participants is intimidated. Cox regression models were formulated for each of the focal variables-Pareto ratio and Gini coefficient-with seven control variables such as the number of editors involved in an article, the average time length between successive edits of an article, the number of sections a featured article has, etc. The dependent variable of the Cox models is the time spent from article initiation to promotion to the featured article level, indicating the efficiency of knowledge collaboration. To examine whether the effects of the focal variables vary depending on the characteristics of a group task, we classified 2,978 featured articles into two categories: Academic and Non-academic. Academic articles refer to at least one paper published at an SCI, SSCI, A&HCI, or SCIE journal. We assumed that academic articles are more complex, entail more information processing and problem solving, and thus require more skill variety and expertise. The analysis results indicate the followings; First, Pareto ratio and inequality of knowledge sharing relates in a curvilinear fashion to the collaboration efficiency in an online community, promoting it to an optimal point and undermining it thereafter. Second, the curvilinear effect of Pareto ratio and inequality of knowledge sharing on the collaboration efficiency is more sensitive with a more academic task in an online community.

• The Journal of Information Systems
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.217-234
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• 2000

This paper is to develop an information infrastructure to support managing process in design, planning, production, and quality control. Multi-media data set of design, product, and management information flow between organizational units of a virtual enterprise. The process is the logical organization of people, technology and practices incorporated into work activities to make an end product. The core of the infrastructure is the enterprise framework which coordinates activities and controls the process. The proposed framework manages collaborative activities across space and time, and between users and computers who share information in virtual community. It utilizes knowledge distributed through virtual community and fosters cooperation between organizations. The framework provides the following facilities； coordinating activities, sharing data and processes, visualizing multi-media data, customizing and updating processes, reusing data and processes. This paper covers design and manufacturing activities but our focus is initially targeted at design area.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.53-74
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• 2012

A challenge in fostering virtual communities is the continuous supply of knowledge, namely members' willingness to contribute knowledge to their communities. Previous research argues that giving away knowledge eventually causes the possessors of that knowledge to lose their unique value to others, benefiting all except the contributor. Furthermore, communication within virtual communities involves a large number of participants with different social backgrounds and perspectives. The establishment of mutual understanding to comprehend conversations and foster knowledge contribution in virtual communities is inevitably more difficult than face-to-face communication in a small group. In spite of these arguments, evidence suggests that individuals in virtual communities do engage in social behaviors such as knowledge contribution. It is important to understand why individuals provide their valuable knowledge to other community members without a guarantee of returns. In virtual communities, knowledge is inherently rooted in individual members' experiences and expertise. This personal nature of knowledge requires social interactions between virtual community members for knowledge transfer. This study employs the social capital theory in order to account for interpersonal relationship factors and identity theory for individual and group factors that may affect knowledge contribution. First, social capital is the relationship capital which is embedded within the relationships among the participants in a network and available for use when it is needed. Social capital is a productive resource, facilitating individuals' actions for attainment. Nahapiet and Ghoshal (1997) identify three dimensions of social capital and explain theoretically how these dimensions affect the exchange of knowledge. Thus, social capital would be relevant to knowledge contribution in virtual communities. Second, existing research has addressed the importance of identity in facilitating knowledge contribution in a virtual context. Identity in virtual communities has been described as playing a vital role in the establishment of personal reputations and in the recognition of others. For instance, reputation systems that rate participants in terms of the quality of their contributions provide a readily available inventory of experts to knowledge seekers. Despite the growing interest in identities, however, there is little empirical research about how identities in the communities influence knowledge contribution. Therefore, the goal of this study is to better understand knowledge contribution by examining the roles of social capital and identity in virtual communities. Based on a theoretical framework of social capital and identity theory, we develop and test a theoretical model and evaluate our hypotheses. Specifically, we propose three variables such as cohesiveness, reciprocity, and commitment, referring to the social capital theory, as antecedents of knowledge contribution in virtual communities. We further posit that members with a strong identity (self-presentation and group identification) contribute more knowledge to virtual communities. We conducted a field study in order to validate our research model. We collected data from 192 members of virtual communities and used the PLS method to analyse the data. The tests of the measurement model confirm that our data set has appropriate discriminant and convergent validity. The results of testing the structural model show that cohesion, reciprocity, and self-presentation significantly influence knowledge contribution, while commitment and group identification do not significantly influence knowledge contribution. Our findings on cohesion and reciprocity are consistent with the previous literature. Contrary to our expectations, commitment did not significantly affect knowledge contribution in virtual communities. This result may be due to the fact that knowledge contribution was voluntary in the virtual communities in our sample. Another plausible explanation for this result may be the self-selection bias for the survey respondents, who are more likely to contribute their knowledge to virtual communities. The relationship between self-presentation and knowledge contribution was found to be significant in virtual communities, supporting the results of prior literature. Group identification did not significantly affect knowledge contribution in this study, inconsistent with the wealth of research that identifies group identification as an important factor for knowledge sharing. This conflicting result calls for future research that examines the role of group identification in knowledge contribution in virtual communities. This study makes a contribution to theory development in the area of knowledge management in general and virtual communities in particular. For practice, the results of this study identify the circumstances under which individual factors would be effective for motivating knowledge contribution to virtual communities.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2011

The power of the internet community as a social network exerts great influence on all areas of our society not only on knowledge creation and knowledge sharing but also on politics, economy, and culture. This study aims to investigate how the diffusion process of information evolves on the internet in the new environment. The focus of the study is particularly on aspects of using information and the process of information production and the types and methods of online communities. It is the goal of the study to clarify aspects of the online community as an important mediator among universal means of communication in our society. Ways of social communication are changing rapidly and thus the reasoning for this change is very important policy issues to form a social consensus.

• Proceedings of the Korea Inteligent Information System Society Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.171-178
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• 2007

인터넷 인구 증가와 정보자원 고도화에 따라 인터넷 사용자들은 새로운 형태의 커뮤니케이션을 스스로 발전시켜왔고 이러한 흐름이 최근 UCC의 폭발적인 증가로 이어졌다. 하지만 아직까지 사용자들이 UCC를 공유하는 동기에 대한 명확한 설명은 부재한 상황이다. UCC는 기존에 지속적으로 연구되어 왔던 온라인 커뮤니케이션 형태인 가상공동체나 온라인 구전의 참여 동기를 상당부분 계승하고 있으나 최근의 인터넷 문화와 기술 수준 변화에 부합하는 새로운 참여동기를 포함하고 있는 것으로 보여진다. 본 연구에서는 이러한 UCC 제작 동기를 파악하기 위해 UCC 제작 경험이 있는 300명의 샘플을 대상으로 설문을 수행했고, 이를 통해 UCC 제작 동기가 Self-Creation Motive, Community Commitment Motive, Self-Expression Motive, Community-Relatedness Motive, Reward Motive로 요인화될 수 있음을 밝혀냈다. 본 연구의 결과를 통해 UCC를 비즈니스 모델로 하는 온라인 기업들은 보유 고객의 UCC 공유 동기 성향을 파악할 수 있고, 이를 통해 고품질의 UCC를 확보하기 위한 차별화된 전략을 제시할 수 있게 될 것이다.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• no.30
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• pp.42-50
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• 2002

This research deals with a new concept regarding creative enlargement in order for useful space composition. Architecture, through interior design case analysis has given birth to a new concept and inspiration altering interior designer's perspectives on the future environment. Focusing exclusively on those offices that express in design terms a commitment to such concepts as team-Working, just-in-time Working, virtual and mobile working and those using the newest technological tools and the latest space-planning concepts available. Emphasis is placed on how an office environment can be designed to encourage group working, the sharing of knowledge, a spirit of community within larger organizations, and non-territorial working-employees that work where and how they want supported by cordless technologies.

• International Journal of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.219-223
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• 2022

The Internet can deliver various information and services at the lowest cost without time and space constraints while targeting the world among all existing means of communication. Unlike traditional media such as TV, newspapers, and radio in the past, promotions through mobile environments allow target customers to use two-way low-cost, high-efficiency promotional strategies regardless of time and place. With the development of the Internet, social media has developed into a place to acquire information about favorite companies and their products. Social media greatly contributes to the production of text, photos, videos, and various networks, and has expanded global communication and communication media through the interaction and sharing of various information. In addition, through social media, users can communicate in various ways, reveal themselves, and share and exchange information such as knowledge and personal thoughts. In line with these changes, corporate marketers and sellers are striving to provide consumers with appropriate information more quickly. We aims to find out about social media marketing strategies useful for companies.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.71-79
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• 2010

Impact of online social network to cyber community has increased much attention recently. The biggest challenge in fostering a social network is to the extent whether it helps to build human capital network or social community. We propose what critical factors influence the formation of online capital network. The study uses three independent factors as motivation, self disclosure, and interactivity and two dependent factors as knowledge sharing and strengthening relationships to create virtual capital connection. Data collected from 256 university students to test the proposed model. The results of the study shows that all hypothesis are supported except one with strengthening relationship. Implications and limitations of this research are discussed.