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Research Note ---To Continue Sharing or Not to Continue Sharing? An Empirical Analysis of User Decision in Peer-to-Peer Sharing Networks

Author

Listed:
  • Mu Xia

    (Department of Operations Management and Information Systems, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California 95053)

  • Yun Huang

    (Science of Networks in Communities (SONIC), Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208)

  • Wenjing Duan

    (Department of Information Systems & Technology Management, School of Business, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052)

  • Andrew B. Whinston

    (Center for Research in Electronic Commerce, McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712)

Abstract

Peer-to-peer sharing networks have seen explosive growth recently. In these networks, sharing files is completely voluntary, and there is no financial reward for users to contribute. However, many users continue to share despite the massive free-riding by others. Using a large-scale data set of individual activities in a peer-to-peer music-sharing network, we seek to understand users' continued-sharing behavior as a private contribution to a public good. We find that the more benefit users “get from” the network, in the form of downloads , browses , and searches , the more likely they are to continue sharing. Also, the more value users “give to” the network, in the form of downloads by other users and recognition by the network, the more likely they are to continue sharing. Moreover, our findings suggest that, overall, “getting from” is a stronger force for the continued-sharing decision than “giving to.”

Suggested Citation

  • Mu Xia & Yun Huang & Wenjing Duan & Andrew B. Whinston, 2012. "Research Note ---To Continue Sharing or Not to Continue Sharing? An Empirical Analysis of User Decision in Peer-to-Peer Sharing Networks," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 23(1), pages 247-259, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:orisre:v:23:y:2012:i:1:p:247-259
    DOI: 10.1287/isre.1100.0344
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    4. Chan, Kimmy Wa & Li, Stella Yiyan & Zhu, John Jianjun, 2015. "Fostering Customer Ideation in Crowdsourcing Community: The Role of Peer-to-peer and Peer-to-firm Interactions," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 42-62.
    5. Steven James Watson & Daniel John Zizzo & Piers Fleming, 2015. "Determinants of Unlawful File Sharing: A Scoping Review," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(6), pages 1-23, June.
    6. Nripesh Trivedi & Daniel Adomako Asamoah & Derek Doran, 2018. "Keep the conversations going: engagement-based customer segmentation on online social service platforms," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 239-257, April.
    7. Liu, Libo & Cheung, Christy M.K. & Lee, Matthew K.O., 2016. "An empirical investigation of information sharing behavior on social commerce sites," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 686-699.
    8. Zhangxi Lin & Andrew B. Whinston & Shaokun Fan, 2015. "Harnessing Internet finance with innovative cyber credit management," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 1(1), pages 1-24, December.
    9. Rishika Rishika & Jui Ramaprasad, 2019. "The Effects of Asymmetric Social Ties, Structural Embeddedness, and Tie Strength on Online Content Contribution Behavior," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(7), pages 3398-3422, July.
    10. Liangfei Qiu & Subodha Kumar, 2017. "Understanding Voluntary Knowledge Provision and Content Contribution Through a Social-Media-Based Prediction Market: A Field Experiment," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 28(3), pages 529-546, September.

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