Knowledge sharing in professional virtual communities : moderatorship and social identities

This study proposes and tests a model of knowledge sharing within PVCs that incorporates the role of moderatorship and social identities. First, we conceptualize, operationalize, and empirically support moderatorship as a construct with three attributes: support, fairness and competent engagement. Second, we find that moderatorship enhances knowledge sharing intention directly and indirectly through community identification. Third, professional identity does not only positively relate to knowledge sharing directly, but also indirectly via community identification. Finally, professional identity also moderates the effect of moderatorship in that moderatorship exerts a stronger effect on knowledge sharing for those with weaker professional identity