The Influencing Factors of Individuals’ Willingness to Contribute Knowledge in Academic Virtual Communities: A Future Network Management Perspective

With the rapid evolution of network technologies, academic virtual communities (AVCs) face persistent challenges in encouraging active knowledge contribution. This study investigates the factors influencing individuals’ willingness to contribute knowledge in AVCs from a future network management perspective. An integrated theoretical model combining the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework, Motivation-Opportunity-Ability (MOA) theory, and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is proposed to analyze the roles of incentives, knowledge quality, trust environment, and self-efficacy. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire survey of 357 AVC participants, and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results demonstrate that incentives, knowledge quality, and trust environment significantly enhance perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, which in turn promote knowledge contribution intention. Self-efficacy is also found to directly increase the willingness to contribute knowledge. These findings emphasize the importance of robust incentive mechanisms, high-quality content management, trustworthy community environments, and user empowerment in fostering active participation. The study provides both theoretical insights and practical recommendations for AVC operators and platform designers. It highlights the value of future network management in sustaining vibrant knowledge-sharing communities.