Modeling the Mediating Role of Online Social Capital in Social Support and Service IT Usage

Drawing on social capital theory and social cognitive theory, this study postulates self-efficacy as a key driver of online social support behavior. Besides, this study postulates that service IT usage is indirectly influenced by social support via the mediation of social capital. This study contributes to the online community literature by extending IT self-efficacy to the previously unexplored area of online social support, by validating idiosyncratic drivers of online social support and by performing an operationalization of online social capital. Last, the report provides the implications and limitations of the research.