Knowledge Creation Dynamics In Online Consumer Communities

Online consumer communities contain vast amounts of consumer knowledge, which, activated by individual needs, becomes a collective good at the disposal of the community. Drawing from literature on communities of practice, this exploratory study identifies different knowledge creation dynamics in online consumer communities. with a sample of 50 complete threads (35,000 words) drawn from an online forum, the study uses a constant comparative approach to identify five forms of knowledge creation dynamics: failed, partial knowledge creation, resolution-tending, deep-bodied knowledge, and broad-ranging knowledge. Some forms are more useful to both the initiator and the community than others. Implications on how consumers may use the different forms of collective knowledge in their individual decision-making, and how marketers can use these findings, are discussed.