title: Creating the sustainable conditions for knowledge information sharing in virtual community.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Encyclopedias are not a new platform for the distribution of knowledge, but they have recently drawn a great deal of attention in their online iteration. Peer production in particular has emerged as a new mode of providing information with value and offering competitive advantage in information production.
  
  
  METHODS
  Large numbers of volunteers actively share their knowledge by continuously editing articles in Baidu encyclopedias. Most articles in the online communities are the cumulative and integrated products of the contributions of many coauthors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Email-based surveys and objective data mining were here used to collect analytical data. Critical mass theory is here used to analyze the characteristics of these collective actions and to explain the emergence and sustainability of these actions in the Baidu Encyclopedia communities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results show that, based on the collective action framework, the contributors group satisfied the two key characteristics that ensure the collective action of knowledge contribution will both take place and become self-sustaining. This analysis not only facilitates the identification of collective actions related to individuals sharing knowledge in virtual communities, but also can provide an insight for other similar virtual communities' management and development.
authors.affiliation: Zhongshan Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No. 1, Xueyuan Road, Zhongshan, Guangdong 528400 China.
authors.forename: Jiangtao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Business Administration, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510641 China.
authors.forename: Jianmei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Zhongshan Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No. 1, Xueyuan Road, Zhongshan, Guangdong 528400 China.
authors.forename: Quan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Zhongshan Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No. 1, Xueyuan Road, Zhongshan, Guangdong 528400 China ; School of Economics & Management, Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai, 201306 China ; Law School, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China ; China Academy of Corporate Governance, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China ; School of Business, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, 124221 China.
authors.forename: Sang-Bing
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Tsai
keywords: Knowledge sharing; Service management; Web community; Web management