Understanding member motivation for contributing to different types of virtual communities: a proposed framework

Abstract

Previous research indicates that the type and purpose of a virtual community (wiki, blog, and Internet Forum) may play a role in determining a member's motivation for contribution to a virtual community, but does not fully explore this idea. This study aggregates the disparate ideas and terminology of previous research on virtual communities and presents a more parsimonious grouping of fourteen motivational factors. These fourteen factors provide a framework for examining what drives members to contribute. Two preliminary studies offer some support for the framework.