Understanding Knowledge Sharing in Online Travel Communities

This study explores the nature of knowledge sharing in online travel communities by proposing three types of antecedents: individual, community, and affiliation. These antecedents generate the formation of community identification and its influence on ongoing knowledge contribution. In addition, this study examines the moderating role of a traveler’s interaction mode on the proposed sharing paradigm. The findings reveal the following: (a) community identification is positively influenced by a member’s travel involvement and community benefits, (b) strong identification strengthens a member’s sharing intentions, and (c) the postulated relationships differ based on a member’s interaction mode. In short, community identification for travelers’ intent on seeking information is almost solely influenced by community benefits, whereas travelers inclined to relationship building are primarily influenced by travel involvement. In terms of knowledge sharing, relationship builders shared more frequently and to a greater extent than information seekers.