Assimilate or Differentiate? Contributors’ Choice of Subjects in User-Generated Content

Zhihong Ke; De Liu; Alok Gupta; Daniel Joseph Brass

doi:10.1111/deci.12410

Assimilate or Differentiate? Contributors’ Choice of Subjects in User-Generated Content

Zhihong Ke, De Liu, Alok Gupta, Daniel Joseph Brass

Management

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

A key to the content diversity on user-generated content platforms is what subject users choose to contribute on. This research investigates how two factors can shape contributors’ subject choice decisions, namely, the amount of existing content and content contributed by online friends or “friend content.” Our experimental findings show that both the amount of existing content and friend content can shape a contributor's subject choice decisions: ceteris paribus, contributors prefer subjects with less existing content and ones with friend content when the amount of existing content is the same. In addition, contributors’ preference for subjects with friend content weakens as the amount of existing content on other subject's decreases. Our findings hold important implications for research and practice in user-generated content platforms and beyond.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1265-1287
Number of pages	23
Journal	Decision Sciences
Volume	51
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/deci.12410
State	Published - Oct 1 2020

Keywords

Assimilation
Differentiation
Social Network Friends
Subject Choices
User-Generated Content

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Business, Management and Accounting (all)
Strategy and Management
Information Systems and Management
Management of Technology and Innovation

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10.1111/deci.12410

Cite this

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title = "Assimilate or Differentiate? Contributors{\textquoteright} Choice of Subjects in User-Generated Content",

abstract = "A key to the content diversity on user-generated content platforms is what subject users choose to contribute on. This research investigates how two factors can shape contributors{\textquoteright} subject choice decisions, namely, the amount of existing content and content contributed by online friends or “friend content.” Our experimental findings show that both the amount of existing content and friend content can shape a contributor's subject choice decisions: ceteris paribus, contributors prefer subjects with less existing content and ones with friend content when the amount of existing content is the same. In addition, contributors{\textquoteright} preference for subjects with friend content weakens as the amount of existing content on other subject's decreases. Our findings hold important implications for research and practice in user-generated content platforms and beyond.",

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AB - A key to the content diversity on user-generated content platforms is what subject users choose to contribute on. This research investigates how two factors can shape contributors’ subject choice decisions, namely, the amount of existing content and content contributed by online friends or “friend content.” Our experimental findings show that both the amount of existing content and friend content can shape a contributor's subject choice decisions: ceteris paribus, contributors prefer subjects with less existing content and ones with friend content when the amount of existing content is the same. In addition, contributors’ preference for subjects with friend content weakens as the amount of existing content on other subject's decreases. Our findings hold important implications for research and practice in user-generated content platforms and beyond.

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Assimilate or Differentiate? Contributors’ Choice of Subjects in User-Generated Content

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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