MUTUAL DISCLOSURES AND CONTENT INTIMACY IN USER ENGAGEMENT : EVIDENCE FROM AN ONLINE CHAT GROUP

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Feng, Yue (Katherine); Lu, Xianghua; Zhang, Xiaoquan (Michael)
• 署名单位: Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Fudan University; Chinese University of Hong Kong; Tsinghua University
• 刊物名称: MIS QUARTERLY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0276-7783
• DOI: 10.25300/MISQ/2023/17481
• 发表日期: 2024
• 页码: 1331-1362
• 关键词: word-of-mouth; self-disclosure; generated content; consumer reviews; product reviews; MODERATING ROLE; IMPACT; INFORMATION; communities; perceptions

摘要

This paper investigates the role of self-disclosure in online chat groups (OCGs), which serve as a communication channel situated between public platforms and private live chats. Our investigation delves into the effects of mutual disclosures, originating from other members and focal users, on user engagement in terms ofpromptness, positivity, and effort. We also explore the disclosure content and the interplay between mutual disclosures regarding consistency in content intimacy. Using data from a retailer utilizing OCGs for customer service, our findings reveal that mutual disclosures are positively associated with user engagement through the mechanism of liking and uncover multifaceted influences from content intimacy consistency between mutual disclosures. The results are further verified by a controlled experiment and various robustness tests. Moreover, our study differentiates and discusses the roles of group hosts and peer users in facilitating OCG engagement. This research broadens our understanding of how self-related information exchange in online group conversations promotes meaningful engagement. Our fine-grained analysis of disclosure interactions provides clear guidance for firms to strategically manage customer relationships through OCGs and sheds new light on conversational commerce.