Abstract
Many web users post their opinions and information without revealing their identities (i.e., demographics, social standing, and/or expertise); anonymity has become a common form of information exchange in online communities such as social media sites and Internet forums. In the meantime, negative social consequences have resulted from anonymous activities in online communities. Existing literature reports largely mixed results about the impact of online anonymity on online community outcomes. In an effort to clarify these mixed results, this study proposes a new operational definition of online anonymity that consists of three dimensions: unlinkability, unobservability, and pseudonymity. The data used in this study was collected from 238 online community users through a web-based survey conducted in South Korea. The results show that unlinkability, unobservability and pseudonymity positively influence self-discrepancy, which in turn positively influences the quality and quantity of information sharing.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 57-77 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| Journal | Journal of Global Information Management |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2014 Jul 1 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Business and International Management
- Computer Science Applications
- Strategy and Management
- Management Science and Operations Research
- Information Systems and Management
Cite this
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Impact of anonymity on information sharing through internal psychological processes : A case of South Korean online communities. / Lee, Ho; Choi, Jaewon; Kim, Kyung Kyu; Lee, Ae Ri.
In: Journal of Global Information Management, Vol. 22, No. 3, 01.07.2014, p. 57-77.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Impact of anonymity on information sharing through internal psychological processes
T2 - A case of South Korean online communities
AU - Lee, Ho
AU - Choi, Jaewon
AU - Kim, Kyung Kyu
AU - Lee, Ae Ri
PY - 2014/7/1
Y1 - 2014/7/1
N2 - Many web users post their opinions and information without revealing their identities (i.e., demographics, social standing, and/or expertise); anonymity has become a common form of information exchange in online communities such as social media sites and Internet forums. In the meantime, negative social consequences have resulted from anonymous activities in online communities. Existing literature reports largely mixed results about the impact of online anonymity on online community outcomes. In an effort to clarify these mixed results, this study proposes a new operational definition of online anonymity that consists of three dimensions: unlinkability, unobservability, and pseudonymity. The data used in this study was collected from 238 online community users through a web-based survey conducted in South Korea. The results show that unlinkability, unobservability and pseudonymity positively influence self-discrepancy, which in turn positively influences the quality and quantity of information sharing.
AB - Many web users post their opinions and information without revealing their identities (i.e., demographics, social standing, and/or expertise); anonymity has become a common form of information exchange in online communities such as social media sites and Internet forums. In the meantime, negative social consequences have resulted from anonymous activities in online communities. Existing literature reports largely mixed results about the impact of online anonymity on online community outcomes. In an effort to clarify these mixed results, this study proposes a new operational definition of online anonymity that consists of three dimensions: unlinkability, unobservability, and pseudonymity. The data used in this study was collected from 238 online community users through a web-based survey conducted in South Korea. The results show that unlinkability, unobservability and pseudonymity positively influence self-discrepancy, which in turn positively influences the quality and quantity of information sharing.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84919430097&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.4018/jgim.2014070103
DO - 10.4018/jgim.2014070103
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84919430097
VL - 22
SP - 57
EP - 77
JO - Journal of Global Information Management
JF - Journal of Global Information Management
SN - 1062-7375
IS - 3
ER -