Governance dynamics in online communities
Autonomy, control, and sense of virtual community
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12655262 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Beril Bulat (0000-0002-0966-129X, University of California, Davis, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Publication date | 2025-06-30 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | New Media & Society (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1461-4448 • E-ISSN: 1461-7315 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/14614448251336440 |
| OpenAlex | W4411782727 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 118 |
What drives a genuine sense of community in online spaces? This study examines the role of governance, autonomy, and control in fostering a sense of community online. Findings show that participatory governance and peer-enforced social norms are crucial for creating a strong sense of community, even after controlling for active, frequent community engagement. In contrast, merely enforcing rules through formal control mechanisms does not significantly enhance community strength. Inclusive governance also helps mitigate challenges posed by larger community sizes, supporting a strong sense of community at scale. However, the interaction between participatory governance and social control reveals a complex tension, where high member involvement may dilute the positive effects of peer-enforced norms. These insights underscore the necessity of a balanced, configurational governance approach, integrating both participatory processes and social control to bolster community cohesion. This study offers a more nuanced understanding of how online governance shapes community belonging and provides practical guidelines for designing more inclusive and cohesive digital spaces
Autonomy · Control (management · Corporate governance · Dynamics (music · Economics · Management · Online community · Political science · Public relations · Sense of community · Social science · Sociology · The Internet · Virtual community · World Wide Web · Computer Science · Knowledge Management and Sharing · Open Source Software Innovations · Social Media and Politics · Artificial Intelligence
Governing the Commons
Theories of the Policy Process
A Conceptual Framework for the Design of Organizational Control Mechanisms
Understanding user participation in online communities
Sense of Virtual Community
Procedural justice perceptions, legitimacy beliefs, and compliance with the law
Control
On the Importance of Self-Determination for Intrinsically-Motivated Behavior
Variance Inflation Factor
The experienced "sense" of a virtual community
Bowling alone
Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior
How online social interactions predict the sense of virtual community via social capital
Impacts of different interactions on viewers’ sense of virtual community
Social media use and participation
A Model of Online Trust
Self‐Regulation and the Problem of Human Autonomy
A Case Study of How a Reduction in Explicit Leadership Changed an Online Game Community
Sense of Community and Community Participation
Sense of community, a theory not a value
Politically incorrect participatory media
Metaphors in moderation
Platform dialectics
Gamergate and The Fappening
Why do volunteer content moderators quit? Burnout, conflict, and harmful behaviors
Effective voice
Computer game modders’ motivations and sense of community
Moderator engagement and community development in the age of algorithms
(In)visible moderation
Sense of virtual community and knowledge contribution in a P3 virtual community
Understanding the Sense of Community and Continuance Intention in Virtual Communities
Continuous usage of e-participation
Sense of Community and Informal Social Control Among Lower Income Households
Sense of community in the urban environment
Sense of community in science fiction fandom, Part 1
Validation of A brief sense of community scale
Psychological sense of community at work
The "What" and "Why" of Goal Pursuits
The psychology of volunteer moderators
Community Psychology, Political Efficacy, and Trust
Collective restraint in social dilemmas
Social motivations of live-streaming viewer engagement on Twitch
A Critique of Economic and Sociological Theories of Social Control
Sense of community
A Behavioral Approach to the Rational Choice Theory of Collective Action
The Civic Labor of Volunteer Moderators Online
The Effects of Group Size and Time on the Formation of Online Communities
Social Media and the Transformation of Public Space
Emergent Cultural Differences in Online Communities' Norms of Fairness
| Highly cited | No |
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