Proposing the Core Contributor Withdrawal Theory (CCWT) to Understand Core Contributor Withdrawal from Online Peer-Production Communities

Internet Research, vol. 28(4), pp. 988–1028

Posted: 2 May 2018 Last revised: 13 Oct 2018

See all articles by Ling Jiang

Ling Jiang

City University of Hong Kong (CityU) - Department of Information Systems

Kristijan Mirkovski

City University of Hong Kong (CityU) - Department of Information Systems

Jeffrey Wall

University of North Carolina (UNC) at Greensboro

Christian Wagner

City University of Hong Kong (CityU) - Department of Information Systems

Paul Benjamin Lowry

Virginia Tech - Pamplin College of Business

Date Written: April 14, 2018

Abstract

Purpose: Drawing on sensemaking and emotion regulation research, this article reconceptualizes core contributor withdrawal in the context of online peer-production communities (OPPCs). To explain the underlying mechanisms that make core contributors withdraw from these communities, we propose a process theory of contributor withdrawal called the core contributor withdrawal theory (CCWT).

Design/methodology/approach: To support CCWT, a typology of unmet expectations of online communities is presented, which uncovers the cognitive and emotional processing involved. To illustrate the efficacy of CCWT, a case study of the English version of Wikipedia is provided as a representative OPPC.

Findings: CCWT identifies sensemaking and emotion regulation concerning contributors’ unmet expectations as causes of core contributor withdrawal from OPPCs, which first lead to declined expectations, burnout, and psychological withdrawal and thereby to behavioral withdrawal.

Research limitations/implications: CCWT clearly identifies how and why important participation transitions, such as from core contributor to less active contributor or non-contributor, take place. By adopting process theories, CCWT provides a nuanced explanation of the cognitive and affective events that take place before core contributors withdraw from OPPCs.

Practical implications: CCWT highlights the challenge of online communities shifting from recruiting new contributors to preventing loss of existing contributors in the maturity stage. Additionally, by identifying the underlying cognitive and affective processes that core contributors experience in response to unexpected events, communities can develop safeguards to prevent or correct cognitions and emotions that lead to withdrawal.

Originality/value: CCWT provides a theoretical framework that accounts for the negative cognitions and affects that lead to core contributors’ withdrawal from online communities. It furthers the understanding of what motivates contributing to and what leads to withdrawal from OPPC.

Suggested Citation

Jiang, Ling and Mirkovski, Kristijan and Wall, Jeffrey and Wagner, Christian and Lowry, Paul Benjamin, Proposing the Core Contributor Withdrawal Theory (CCWT) to Understand Core Contributor Withdrawal from Online Peer-Production Communities (April 14, 2018). Internet Research, vol. 28(4), pp. 988–1028, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3162923

Ling Jiang

City University of Hong Kong (CityU) - Department of Information Systems ( email )

83 Tat Chee Avenue
Kowloon
Hong Kong

Kristijan Mirkovski

City University of Hong Kong (CityU) - Department of Information Systems ( email )

83 Tat Chee Avenue
Kowloon
Hong Kong

Jeffrey Wall

University of North Carolina (UNC) at Greensboro ( email )

P.O.Box 26170
Greensboro, NC 27412
United States

Christian Wagner

City University of Hong Kong (CityU) - Department of Information Systems ( email )

83 Tat Chee Avenue
Kowloon
Hong Kong

Paul Benjamin Lowry (Contact Author)

Virginia Tech - Pamplin College of Business ( email )

1016 Pamplin Hall
Blacksburg, VA 24061
United States

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