What Motivates People to Purchase Digital Items on Virtual Community Websites? The Desire for Online Self-Presentation.

Author List: Kim, Hee-Woong; Chan, Hock Chuan; Kankanhalli, Atreyi;
Information Systems Research, 2012, Volume 23, Issue 4, Page 1232-1245.
The sale of digital items, such as avatars and decorative objects, is becoming an important source of revenue for virtual community (VC) websites. However, some websites are unable to leverage this source of revenue, and there is a corresponding lack of understanding about what motivates people to purchase digital items in VCs. To explain the phenomenon, we develop a model based on the theory of self-presentation. The model proposes that the desire for online self-presentation is a key driver for such purchases. We also hypothesize that the social influence factors of online self-presentation norms and VC involvement as well as personal control in the form of online presentation self-efficacy are antecedents of the desire for online self-presentation. The model was validated by using survey data collected from Cyworld (N = 217) and Habbo (N = 197), two online social network communities that have been pioneers in the sale of digital items. This work contributes to our understanding of the purchase of digital items by extending the theory of self-presentation and adds to the broader line of research on online identity. It also lends insights into how VC providers can tap this source of revenue.
Keywords: desire for online self-presentation; digital item purchase; online presentation self-efficacy; VC involvement; VC norms; virtual community
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#108 0.150 model research data results study using theoretical influence findings theory support implications test collected tested based empirical empirically context paper
#130 0.131 online users active paper using increasingly informational user data internet overall little various understanding empirical despite lead cascades help availability
#118 0.129 online consumers consumer product purchase shopping e-commerce products commerce website electronic results study behavior experience b2c impact internet purchases websites
#236 0.089 form items item sensitive forms variety rates contexts fast coefficients meaning higher robust scores hardware providing compared single complete subgroups
#178 0.086 digital divide use access artifacts internet inequality libraries shift library increasingly everyday societies understand world initiative initiatives embedded community dimensions
#146 0.074 work people workers environment monitoring performance organizations needs physical useful number personal balance perceptions create computer-based technological technologies investigation achievement
#120 0.059 virtual world worlds co-creation flow users cognitive life settings environment place environments augmented second intention spatial interactivity ownership objects immersive
#206 0.058 multimedia voice presentation impression text biased bias image cue formats equivocality understanding present effective objects condition provide presentations images desire
#153 0.057 usage use self-efficacy social factors individual findings influence organizations beliefs individuals support anxiety technology workplace key outcome behavior contextual longitudinal