Toward a Classification System of Relational Activity in Consumer Electronic Communities: The Moderators’ Tale

A classification system based on in-depth personal construct interviews with experts from a leading European moderating organization is proposed, based on the empirical results of 10 differentiating features of relational activity across communities.

Abstract

Increasingly, consumers are turning toward electronic community as a form of expression, giving marketers the opportunity to understand and communicate with consumers in specialist fields. Vast differences exist in the nature and performance of electronic communities, making selecting a community difficult. This article proposes a classification system based on in-depth personal construct interviews with experts from a leading European moderating organization. It reports on the empirical results of 10 differentiating features of relational activity across communities: content of discussions, diversity, frequency, quality of interaction, levels of commitment, interpersonal perceptions, reciprocity and complementarity, power and conflict, self-disclosure, and levels of satisfaction reported in community relationships.