Signals that Matter: Gender, Content Framing, and Engagement in Online Communities of Practice

Abstract

As social media evolves into a core venue for professional interaction and knowledge exchange, understanding what drives engagement in online communities of practice remains a crucial area of inquiry. This study examines how gender and content framing jointly influence peer engagement in an online physician community (i.e., pathology community) on X. Analyzing 2,467 patient case tweets using matched sampling and negative binomial random-effects models, we find that content authored by female physicians receives more favorable engagement than content authored by male physicians. Engagement also varies by content framing: diagnostic challenges and curbside consultations elicit more replies than mere shares. Female physicians benefit more from sharing less cognitively demanding content, while gender differences diminish for complex cases. These findings highlight the decision dilemma professionals face when framing knowledge contributions and reveal how identity signals and content strategies jointly shape engagement in online communities of practice, offering both theoretical and practical insights.