The motivation paradox: Understanding contradictory effects of awards on contribution quantity versus quality in virtual community

Abstract

We use the lens of the intrinsic/extrinsic motivation theory to holistically model the effects of intangible awards on member contribution in virtual communities. Using multiple studies on Yelp, we validate that the influence of award stimuli on contribution outcomes become significantly moderated by the aspect of contribution (quantity versus quality) and the novelty of stimuli (time and repetition of awards) to interestingly form divergent (downward versus upward) yet theoretically explicable curvilinear trajectories of contribution. This study contributes to IS literature on virtual communities and social-cognitive literature on work motivation and offers insights to community managers to design better incentive systems.