Psychological contract model for knowledge collaboration in virtual community of practice: An analysis based on the game theory

In virtual communities of practice, many participants use their knowledge to achieve a common goal based on cooperation, and the key to such cooperation is knowledge collaboration. Knowledge collaboration is the primary method of increasing the virtual community of practice's knowledge ability and achieving the core competency advantage of sustainable growth. Knowledge collaboration inevitably involves the psychological elements of the collaborators. This study focuses on the elements of the psychological contract of the members of the virtual community of practice when participating in knowledge collaboration; the psychological contract summarizes the members' collaboration via seven psychological factors spread across two dimensions. Based on these factors, this study uses the game theory to create a cost game model and profit-sharing game model in the virtual community of practice knowledge collaboration. The cost game model is built upon Stackelberg equilibrium, the model is solved using backward induction, and its effectiveness is established. The profit-sharing model is based upon a modified Nash bargaining solution; the model is applied to the Python software development team in the Github community of practice and yields positive results. Finally, the research outcomes are summarized, and directions for future research are provided. (C) 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.