Knowledge Sharing with Online Social Networks

This paper answered a question - why people want to share knowledge in virtual community setting. Without sharing volition, mass collaboration, often happened on the Internet, becomes non-existential. Mass collaboration has been a significant base for the success of Wikipedia, open source software, Yahoo! Answers, etc. With a model modified from Rational Action Theory (TRA) and data collected in Taiwan, we found that self-esteem and absorptive ability are two driving forces to share. Taiwan posits an important role in knowledge sharing in online social networks. It is an early adopter of knowledge sharing websites including BBS. The success of Yahoo Knowledge+ brought about Yahoo Answers. The latter then has the largest market share of its kind. We did not find expected return has impact. Albeit counterintuitive, this confirms today's open business environment where unexpected return usually goes to those who have deep involvement.