More Than a Need for Knowledge: Understanding Drivers for Knowledge Seeking and Knowledge Sharing Behavior in Online Communities

Knowledge seeking is the default activity in online communities and therefore important for their functioning. Existing research studies on why members seek knowledge overlook other factors than a simple need for knowledge, resulting in an extremely narrow body of knowledge. We propose that a need for advice can increase knowledge seeking and is further shaped by perceptions of reciprocity, self-esteem, and identification with the community. By surveying 186 respondents from 34 large online communities and applying OLS regression analyses, we find that knowledge seeking is driven by need for advice and identification, but not reciprocity. The results further show that members with high self-esteem seek less knowledge. Yet, the decision to seek knowledge depends on the level of self-esteem and this is predicted by need for advice. Our results contribute to the currently sparse body on knowledge seeking and add to the realization of necessary design attributes of online communities.