Look at Me - Using Signaling Theory to Design Profile Functionalities for Virtual Ideas Communities

14 Pages Posted: 1 Aug 2014

See all articles by Philipp Ebel

Philipp Ebel

University of Kassel - Information Systems

Shkodran Zogaj

University of Kassel

Ulrich Bretschneider

University of Kassel

J. M. Leimeister

University of St. Gallen; University of Kassel - Information Systems

Date Written: 2013

Abstract

In existing virtual ideas communities (VICs) there are no functionalities that allow members to signal directly their skills and competences. While through submitted ideas, users of VICs can signal their competencies indirectly, a possibility to communicate explicitly their skills and competencies is missing. Drawing from existing literature within the field of VICs we assume that users that have the possibility to signal their skills will be more active. Hence, to satisfy members' self-marketing needs, community members have to be provided with possibilities or, more specifically, functionalities which enable them to signalize their proficiencies. Against this backdrop, we designed profile functionalities based on the signaling theory. In addition to systematically designing these IT artefacts, our research in progress also contains a first evaluation.

Keywords: virtual ideas communities, user profiles, signaling theory, design science

Suggested Citation

Ebel, Philipp and Zogaj, Shkodran and Bretschneider, Ulrich and Leimeister, Jan Marco, Look at Me - Using Signaling Theory to Design Profile Functionalities for Virtual Ideas Communities (2013). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2472356 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2472356

Philipp Ebel

University of Kassel - Information Systems ( email )

Pfannkuchstraße 1
Kassel, 34121
Germany

Shkodran Zogaj

University of Kassel ( email )

Fachbereich 05
Nora-Platiel-Straße 1
34109 Kassel, Hessen 34127
Germany

Ulrich Bretschneider

University of Kassel ( email )

Fachbereich 05
Nora-Platiel-Straße 1
34109 Kassel, Hessen 34127
Germany

Jan Marco Leimeister (Contact Author)

University of St. Gallen ( email )

Varnbuelstr. 14
Saint Gallen, St. Gallen CH-9000
Switzerland

University of Kassel - Information Systems ( email )

Pfannkuchstraße 1
Kassel, 34121
Germany

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
31
Abstract Views
611
PlumX Metrics