Satisfaction with virtual communities in B2B financial services: social dynamics, content and technology

This study explores satisfaction with Virtual Communities in a Financial Services setting. Based on Expectancy Value Theory and the concept of Experiential Value we hypothesize that three sources of value drive user satisfaction in a B2B-VC: social ties, content and technology. We propose a theoretical model to operationalize these concepts. The hypotheses in the model are tested via a Partial Least Square analysis on data gathered via a survey among participants in a leading Virtual Community in the Financial Services industry. As such, we aim to contribute to the growing body of knowledge on Social Media, in particular addressing the relatively unexplored domain of Business-to-Business (B2B) where individuals act on behalf of a company instead of their own interests. Our findings show that user satisfaction in a B2B-VC is driven by the three aforementioned sources of value.