Involvement and stickiness in online brand communities: an organizational citizenship behavior perspective

Advances in communication technologies geared toward helping people connect and collaborate with like-minded others have led to the rapid developments of online brand communities (OBComms). However, there are as yet few theoretical frameworks that conceptualize how to improve member involvement and retention. This study contributes to bridging this gap by applying organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) to the context of OBComms. More specifically, this study will explore the contribution of OCBs to member stickiness intentions as well as the role of the member-community relationship as a critical determinant of OCB (or member involvement) formation. Thus, from a theoretical standpoint, this study will illustrate how a well-established construct (i.e., OCBs) from organizational research can be applied to gain a more systematic understanding of OBComms. For practitioners, this study will provide insight into how to design and manage their OBComms