Fostering cooperation on the Internet: social exchange processes in ...

Anderson et al. (1999) further argue that we enter into interaction with others in an effort tocontrol the physical, social, intellectual, psychological, aesthetic and spiritual conditions of ourown life. This argument needs further explanation with regard to the Internet. Due to its verynature and the absence of major legal restrictions, the Internet supports individual control overthe conduct of one's activities and group autonomy with respect to the common goals and theorganization of the collective effort. Especially in research on voluntary work (Thompson andBono, 1993) the importance of perceived control as a source of motivation for volunteers ishighly emphasized. Voluntary work provides the means to struggle against “… the inability ofindividuals to significantly alter the state of the world around them and the inability to controltheir own productive activity.” (ibid, p.328). The Internet enabled “a structural shift of powerfrom sellers to users.” (Bollier, 1999). But what is this consumer power on the Internet based on?According to Foa and Foa (1974), an individual's power to engage in an exchangetransaction depends on his/her possession of resources. Voluntary virtual work teams own a verypowerful resource, the power of a 'global brain'. Research on volunteering in non-profitorganizations showed that gaining knowledge and increased career prospects constitute importantmotivations for volunteers (Thompson and Bono, 1993; Lerner and Tirole, 2000). However, inaccordance with theories of gift-giving one can counter argue that power in exchange relationshipon the Internet is not contingent on the possession of resources but instead on the capability andability to combine and deliver resources in a way that meets the needs and expectations of others.Thus, it is the delivery rather than the possession of resources which creates value and is decisivefor exchange to occur and relationships to prosper. Knowledge resources that are hoarded assources of power provide no benefit for either partner in virtual relationships. However, althoughin virtual communities power relies on giving away knowledge resources instead of possessing or14