• Information Systems Review
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.23-43
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• 2024

Nowadays, online reviews have become a common word of mouth that many users produce and consume. Posting online reviews is a kind of job that consumers do themselves. Since posting online reviews is not mandatory, it entirely relies on the consumer's voluntary willingness. In this respect, this study aims to describe the motivation for posting online reviews and their behavior processes, such as why online reviewers generate reviews and what types of reviews they create. In this study, we have conducted an in-depth study with 18 participants who have experience in posting reviews. By analyzing interview manuscripts from the grounded theory method approach, we have ultimately presented motivating factors for review posting (mutual reciprocity, material rewards), determinants of review browsing (trust toward review contents, preference for review format), and shadow work (a job that must be done, voluntary data production, consumer's share). We have also proposed the dynamics between core dimensions for theorizing a cycle process of review production and consumption. Our findings could bridge the gap in the existing online review research and offer practical implications for platform companies that need review management.

• Korean journal of communication and information
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• v.37
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• pp.307-341
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• 2007

The Blog enables individuals to become communication producers, not merely consumers. This study aims to analyse the practice of the Blog communication and the surrounding social dynamics. Employing ethnographic content analysis, in-depth interview, and participatory observation, this study tried to explore following research questions: 1) What are the value-added process and social dynamics surrounding the production and practice of the Blog communication? From the perspective of political economy, the mechanisms of market economy of capitalism directly and indirectly worked in Blog production, making it as a medium for profit. The power of capital overwhelmed the blog. These results enable us to predict that Blog can be a new tool for capitalism to create profit.