Han, Eunyoung, Kyung Kyu Kim, and Ae Ri Lee. "Contributors to exchange structures and their effects on community solidarity in online communities." Internet Research 29.6 (2019): 1410-1442.

This paper investigates the impact of exchange structure, either direct or generalized, on community solidarity in online communities (OCs) and explores the moderating effects of activity intensity on this relationship. Based on social exchange theory (SET), the research model incorporates social structures like organizational identity orientation (OIO) and distributive justice norms. Data from 376 OCs were collected through an email survey. Findings indicate that generalized exchange promotes community solidarity more effectively than direct exchange, with significant differences observed at high-activity intensity levels. OIO significantly influences exchange structure, and equality and need norms affect different types of exchange. This research fills gaps in information systems research by identifying determinants of exchange structure and examining their effects on OC solidarity, contributing to theoretical precision in SET.