The social side of innovation: peer influence in online brand communities

Abstract

PurposeOnline brand communities (OBCs) are important platforms to obtain consumers' ideas. The purpose of this study is to examine how peer influence and consumer contribution behavior simulate innovative behaviors in OBCs to increase idea quality.Design/methodology/approachUsing a firm-hosted popular online brand community – Xiaomi Community (MIUI), the authors collected a set of data from 6567 consumers and then used structural equation modeling (SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to empirically test the impact of peer influence and consumer contribution behaviors on idea quality in OBCs.FindingsThe results of this study show that both peer influence breadth and depth have a positive effect on idea adoption and peer recognition, wherein proactive contribution behavior positively mediates these relationships, and responsive contribution behavior negatively mediates the impact of peer influence breadth and peer influence depth on peer recognition. A more detailed analysis using the fsQCA method further identifies four types of antecedent configurations for better idea quality.Originality/valueBased on the attention-based view and the theory of learning by feedback, this study explores the factors that affect idea quality in the context of social networks and extends the research of peer influence in the digital age. The paper helps improve our understanding of how to promote customer idea quality in OBCs.

Impact of social comparison and peer pressure on iphone consumer happiness and innovativeness

“…Peer pressure is identified as the most vital factor in driving consumer innovativeness. This finding aligns with research conducted by Wang et al (2023), revealing that peer pressure plays a crucial role in enhancing the level of consumer innovativeness, acting as a strong influence on consumers' creative behavior. This understanding contributes significantly to the dynamics of consumer behavior when adopting innovations.…”

“…It indicates that social comparison positively influences consumer innovativeness by fueling competition, motivating individuals to explore new ideas, and fostering creativity as they seek to distinguish themselves from others. (Gupta et al, 2021;Jiang & Ngien, 2020;Wang et al, 2023). Another researcher, Ye and Kankanhalli (2018), asserted that iPhone users who engage in social comparison are more inclined to exhibit innovative behavior.…”