Understanding Continuance Intention of Knowledge Creation in Online Communities from a Social-Psychological Perspective

Grounded on both social cognitive theory and expectation-disconfirmation theory (EDT), this study aims to investigate how individuals' continuance intention of knowledge creation and satisfaction are affected by their perceived identity verification (PIV) and performance expectancy. In addition, we also explore how the foregoing relationships are contingent on trust-affective trust and cognitive trust. To assess the theoretical model, we surveyed two online communities-Baidu (China) and Yahoo knowledge+ (Taiwan), including 213 and 216 useful responses respectively. Both PIV and performance expectancy are positively associated with continuance intention of knowledge creation. While performance expectancy has a significant impact on satisfaction, in Baidu community, PIV affects satisfaction indirectly (through performance expectancy) rather than directly. Finally, neither the relationships between PIV and continuance intention nor those between performance and continuance intention are contingent on trust based on our findings. This study provides a new insight into how knowledge creation can be facilitated by PIV and performance expectancy, and how the foregoing relationships are contingent on trust. Our findings have implications for both practice and theory.