Status versus Reputation as Motivation in Online Communities

Abstract

The continued active participation of contributors is crucial for online knowledge exchange communities. In many communities, virtual credit scores measure contributions and play a pivotal role in motivating active participation over time. We use status theory to characterize virtual credit as a double-edged sword to participation dynamics. We hypothesize that virtual scores reflect status rather than reputation and produce a non-linear effect by motivating contributions when participants are of low status but demotivating participants once they achieve high status. We test our theorizing on a dataset of a large Q&A community. Consistent with our hypotheses, we find robust evidence that status-seeking is a positive source of motivation but self-depletes, meaning that cumulating status in the community reduces the motivational drive of status-seeking. This study contributes to the literature on the motivations to participate in voluntary online knowledge exchange communities by offering an explanation of the dynamics of continued active participation.