Who sells knowledge online? An exploratory study of knowledge celebrities in China

Dados Bibliográficos

ID12420237
AutoresXiaoyu Chen (0000-0003-1741-0674, Shanghai University, autor correspondente), Alton Y K Chua (0000-0002-5603-2453, Nanyang Technological University), Loo Geok Pee (0000-0003-3042-9011, Nanyang Technological University)
Ano2021
Volume32
Fascículo3
Páginas916-942
Data de publicação2021-08-20
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoInternet Research (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1066-2243 • E-ISSN: 2054-5657
EditoraEmerald Publishing Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1108/intr-07-2020-0378
OpenAlexW3194532506
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas8
Referências citadas43

Purpose This study explores identity signaling used by an emerging class of knowledge celebrities in China – Knowledge Wanghong – who sell knowledge products on online platforms. Because identity signaling may involve constructing unique online identities and controlling over product-related and seller-related characteristics, the purpose of this study is two-fold: (1) to uncover different online identities of knowledge celebrities; and (2) to examine the extent to which the online identity type is associated with their product-related characteristics, seller-related characteristics and sales performance. Design/methodology/approach A unique data set was collected from a Chinese leading pay-for-knowledge platform – Zhihu – which featured the online profiles of tens of thousands of knowledge celebrities. Online identity types were derived from their self-edited content using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling. Thereafter, their product-related characteristics, seller-related characteristics and respective sales performance were analyzed across different identity types using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multiple-group linear regression. Findings Knowledge celebrities are clustered into four distinctive online identities: Mentor, Broker, Storyteller and Geek. Product-related characteristics, sell-related characteristics and sales performance varied across four different identities. Additionally, the online identity type moderated the relationships among their product-related characteristics, sell-related characteristics and sales performance. Originality/value As emerging-phenomenon-based research, this study extends related literature by using the notion of identity signaling to analyze a peculiar group of online celebrities who are setting an important trend in the pay-for-knowledge model in China

Advertising · Business · Identity (music · Originality · Product (mathematics · Value (mathematics · Variance (accounting · Computer Science · Digital Marketing and Social Media · FinTech, Crowdfunding, Digital Finance · Mathematics · Media Influence and Politics · Psychology · Social Psychology · Marketing