{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,29]],"date-time":"2026-08-29T05:54:21Z","timestamp":1787982861317,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2011,8,9]],"date-time":"2011-08-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1312848000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2011,8,9]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Purpose<\/jats:title><jats:p>This paper aims to explore some of the effects of belonging to a virtual brand community on consumer behaviour. It also proposes the concept of belonging as a three\u2010dimensional construct.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title><jats:p>The paper proposes that belonging to a virtual community has positive effects on consumer satisfaction, affective commitment and word\u2010of\u2010mouth behaviour. After validation of the measurement scales the hypotheses are contrasted through modelling.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Findings<\/jats:title><jats:p>The data show that belonging to a virtual community may enhance consumer satisfaction, affective commitment and word\u2010of\u2010mouth advertising towards the brand around which the community is developed. In addition, the paper introduces a third dimension to the construct of belonging, called non\u2010participative belonging. Active participative belonging influences the level of satisfaction and affective commitment more positively than passive and non\u2010participative belonging.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Research limitations\/implications<\/jats:title><jats:p>Data were obtained through surveys, web surveys and online interviews. There were also limitations of sample size and sampling procedure.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Practical implications<\/jats:title><jats:p>Managers may enhance consumer satisfaction, affective commitment and word\u2010of\u2010mouth advertising by developing virtual brand communities and promoting consumers' participation in them.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title><jats:p>Previous works that have focused on virtual brand communities have never concentrated on virtual brand communities within Facebook. In addition, prior to this study, belonging to a virtual brand community was a two\u2010dimensional construct: active and passive participative belonging. The paper identifies a third dimension as non\u2010participative belonging. Thus this paper offers new areas for future research.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/14684521111161918","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2011,8,20]],"date-time":"2011-08-20T07:08:40Z","timestamp":1313824120000},"page":"517-542","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":127,"title":["The influence of belonging to virtual brand communities on consumers' affective commitment, satisfaction and word\u2010of\u2010mouth advertising"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"35","author":[{"given":"Marcelo","family":"Royo\u2010Vela","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paolo","family":"Casamassima","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"key":"key2022012720385973400_b1","unstructured":"Ahluwalia, R.H., Unnava, R. and Burnkrant, R.E. 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