Through a Glass Darkly: Information Technology Design, Identity Verification, and Knowledge Contribution in Online Communities

TLDR

A variety of IT artifacts such as reputation systems and digital archives are widely used to support online communities, yet research on their impact on communication and interaction remains limited. The study proposes an identity‑based view that links the use of four categories of IT artifacts—virtual co‑presence, persistent labeling, self‑presentation, and deep profiling—to enhanced perceived identity verification, which in turn promotes satisfaction and knowledge contribution. The authors surveyed over 650 members of two online communities to test the theoretical model. Results show that IT artifacts positively affect perceived identity verification, which is strongly associated with member satisfaction and knowledge contribution, offering new insights into how IT features facilitate computer‑mediated knowledge sharing.

Abstract

A variety of information technology (IT) artifacts, such as those supporting reputation management and digital archives of past interactions, are commonly deployed to support online communities. Despite their ubiquity, theoretical and empirical research investigating the impact of such IT-based features on online community communication and interaction is limited. Drawing on the social psychology literature, we describe an identity-based view to understand how the use of IT-based features in online communities is associated with online knowledge contribution. Specifically, the use of four categories of IT artifacts—those supporting virtual co-presence, persistent labeling, self-presentation, and deep profiling—is proposed to enhance perceived identity verification, which thereafter promotes satisfaction and knowledge contribution. To test the theoretical model, we surveyed more than 650 members of two online communities. In addition to the positive effects of community IT artifacts on perceived identity verification, we also find that perceived identity verification is strongly linked to member satisfaction and knowledge contribution. This paper offers a new perspective on the mechanisms through which IT features facilitate computer-mediated knowledge sharing, and it yields important implications for the design of the supporting IT infrastructure.