The Impact of Membership Overlap on Growth: An Ecological Competition View of Online Groups

摘要: The dominant narrative of the Internet has been one unconstrained growth, abundance, and plenitude. It is in this context that new forms organizing, such as online groups, have emerged. However, same factors underlie utopian life also give rise to numerous many which fail attract participants or provide significant value. This suggests despite potential transformative nature modern information technology, issues scarcity, competition, may remain critical performance functioning groups. In paper, we draw from organizational ecology theories develop an ecological view groups explain how overlapping membership among causes intergroup competition for member attention affects a group's ability grow. Hypotheses regarding effects group size, age, overlap on growth are proposed tested with data 64-month, longitudinal sample 240 discussion analysis shows sharing members other reduced future rates, suggesting puts competitive pressure Our results suggest that, compared smaller younger larger older experience greater difficulty growing their membership. addition, were more vulnerable than groups: experienced intensified. Overall, our findings show abundance opportunities afforded by technologies can create scarcity user time effort, increases extends theory highlights importance studying environment