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Social Capital and Knowledge Sharing in Virtual Communities
Abstract
Virtual communities of special interests are computer-mediated forums that enable individuals to exchange experiences, solve practical problems, and generate new ideas with others of common interests. However, why individuals are willing to share their knowledge with others in virtual communities is not well understood. In this study, we examine how social capital influences individuals’ knowledge sharing in computer programming forums by empirically testing a theoretical model. The results show that people will share their knowledge in virtual communities when the knowledge sharing enhances their social network. These findings should help organizations to provide effective virtual communities by clarifying the dynamics of knowledge sharing in virtual communities, allowing managers to nurture effective ones to further the knowledge creation of organizations.
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