Information exchange in virtual communities under extreme disaster conditions

This study proposes a model to examine the mechanism by which social capital contributes to information exchange in virtual communities. A hierarchical model is employed to analyze data from survey and online networks in the context of a major natural disaster. Results suggest that structural capital has a significant effect on cognitive capital, but it has no effect on relational capital. Cognitive capital shows a significant effect on relational capital. This research also finds that structural capital increases information quantity, whereas relational capital and cognitive capital increase information quality. This study reveals the characteristics of online social networks and then proposes socio-technical design principles to address the communication challenges under uncertain emergency. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.