Does one rotten apple always spoil the barrel? The role of perceptions of empowerment when consumers observe destructive others in online co-creation activities

Online co-creation activities can at times backfire for a firm. Instead of strengthening the relationship between a firm and its consumers, consumers mock the activity and make meaningless, insinuating, or otherwise destructive contributions. This is problematic not only because the initiative does not achieve its intended purpose, but because destructive behavior often seems to inspire followers who copy the behavior or cheer it on. In this paper we examine ways in which firms can potentially protect themselves against such contagious negative behavior. We argue that when online co-creation activities allow consumers considerable freedom of expression, this helps them to feel a sense of empowerment, making it less likely that they will join in when they see other contributors engaging in deviant or destructive behavior. The two studies we conducted to test this hypothesis provided evidence to support this rationale. Their findings are relevant for customer engagement research as well as for online content managers. Perceptions of empowerment are identified as being a key factor in determining how consumers engage online, and are shown to be particularly important in online co-creation activities.