{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,19]],"date-time":"2026-02-19T00:55:48Z","timestamp":1771462548784,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":63,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2019,9,16]],"date-time":"2019-09-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1568592000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["AJIM"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2019,9,16]]},"abstract":"\nPurpose<\/jats:title>\nThe purpose of this paper is to examine some drivers of users\u2019 participation in online social question-and-answer (Q&A) communities based on social cognitive theory and then identify the underlying mechanism of this process.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n\nDesign\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title>\nThis study developed a research model to test the proposed hypotheses, and an online survey was employed to collected data. Totally, 313 valid responses were collected, and partial least squares structural equation modeling was adopted to analyze these data.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n\nFindings<\/jats:title>\nThis study empirically finds that the outcome expectations (personal outcome expectations and knowledge self-management outcome expectations) are positively related to participation in online social Q&A communities. At the same time, users\u2019 self-efficacy positively influences their participation behaviors. It can not only directly motivate users\u2019 participation, but also indirectly promote participation behaviors through the two dimensions of outcome expectations. Besides, perceived expertise and perceived similarity are two positive and significant environmental elements affecting users\u2019 participation.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n\nOriginality\/value<\/jats:title>\nThis study extends the understanding about how participation behaviors will be motivated in the context of online social Q&A communities. Drawing on the social cognitive theory, constructs were established based on the features of these communities. Meanwhile, some mediating effects in the motivating process were also discussed.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/ajim-01-2019-0002","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2019,8,27]],"date-time":"2019-08-27T08:46:16Z","timestamp":1566895576000},"page":"637-656","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":46,"title":["What drives users\u2019 participation in online social Q&A communities? An empirical study based on social cognitive theory"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"71","author":[{"given":"Zheshi","family":"Bao","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zhiyong","family":"Han","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"key":"key2019091813560645000_ref001","volume-title":"Social Foundations of Thought and Action: A Social Cognitive Theory","year":"1986"},{"key":"key2019091813560645000_ref002","volume-title":"Self-efficacy: The Exercise of Control","year":"1997"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2019091813560645000_ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"33","DOI":"10.1111\/1540-4560.00247","article-title":"Can you see the real me? 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