Engaged to Gain: How psychological needs drive integrative benefits via online customer engagement

Abstract

Online Brand Communities (OBCs) are powerful platforms for fostering customer participation, retention, and engagement. However, existing research on online customer engagement (OCE) often underexplores the role of fundamental psychological needs. This study addresses that gap using a mixed-methods approach. Study 1 (qualitative, phenomenological) identifies three key drivers of OBC engagement—social needs, status needs, and the need for validation. Study 2 (quantitative) integrates Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Social Exchange Theory (SET) to develop and test a model linking these needs to personal and social integrative benefits via OCE, using data from 381 Indian users analysed through PLS-SEM. The results show that social needs and the need for validation significantly drive OCE, which in turn substantially influences both benefit types. OCE fully mediates the relationship between need for validation and personal-integrative benefits, and partially mediates the effect of social need on personal-integrative benefits and social-integrative benefits. Additionally, OCE partially mediates the relationship between need for validation and social-integrative benefits. The study contributes to the CE literature by offering a unified SDT–SET framework that captures both the motivational and relational dimensions of engagement and reconceptualises the need for validation as a key antecedent of OCE. Managerially, it highlights the need for brands to focus on fostering social connection and affirmation, rather than status-based incentives, to build more meaningful and enduring community relationships.