The IRMA Community
Newsletters
Research IRM
Click a keyword to search titles using our InfoSci-OnDemand powered search:
|
An Exploratory Study of the Design Preferences of U.S. and Chinese Virtual Communities
|
Author(s): Felix B. Tan (Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand), Helen J. Lin (University of Auckland, New Zealand)and Cathy Urquhart (University of Auckland, New Zealand)
Copyright: 2009
Pages: 23
Source title:
Electronic Business: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications
Source Author(s)/Editor(s): In Lee (Western Illinois University, USA)
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-60566-056-1.ch101
Purchase
|
Abstract
With the increasing popularity of electronic commerce, businesses are starting to recognise that developing a good virtual community can help to generate more profits. Virtual communities can be an instrument for building relationships with customers, and retaining customers’ loyalty. Of interest are the similarities and differences in the design preferences of virtual communities across cultural groups. This paper, therefore, examined the design preferences of virtual communities in two cultural groups. The design preferences studied are Web design, tools used, and types of virtual communities preferred. Content analysis was employed to study 20 of the most popular Chinese and U.S. virtual communities. The study found that there are differences in the preference for the type of virtual communities and the tools used by Chinese and U.S. communities. The findings challenge aspects of Web site design across these cultural groups thought to be dissimilar based on prior research, indicating that designers of virtual communities must treat cultural differences with caution. Implications for research and practice are also discussed.
Related Content
Emrah Arğın.
© 2022.
16 pages.
|
Ebru Gülbuğ Erol, Mustafa Gülsün.
© 2022.
17 pages.
|
Yeşim Şener.
© 2022.
18 pages.
|
Salim Kurnaz, Deimantė Žilinskienė.
© 2022.
20 pages.
|
Dorothea Maria Bowyer, Walid El Hamad, Ciorstan Smark, Greg Evan Jones, Claire Beattie, Ying Deng.
© 2022.
29 pages.
|
Savas S. Ates, Vildan Durmaz.
© 2022.
24 pages.
|
Nusret Erceylan, Gaye Atilla.
© 2022.
20 pages.
|
|
|