Engaged to Gain: how psychological needs drive integrative benefits via online customer engagement

Roopak, Roopendra, Chakrabarti, Somnath and Sreen, Naman (2025) Engaged to Gain: how psychological needs drive integrative benefits via online customer engagement. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 87. p. 104383. ISSN 0969-6989

[thumbnail of 1-s2.0-S0969698925001626-main.pdf] Text
1-s2.0-S0969698925001626-main.pdf - Published Version
Restricted to Repository staff only

Download (2MB) | Request a copy

Abstract

Online Brand Communities (OBCs) are powerful platforms for fostering customer participation, retention, and engagement. However, existing research on online customer engagement (OCE) often underexplores the role of fundamental psychological needs. This study addresses that gap using a mixed-methods approach. Study 1 (qualitative, phenomenological) identifies three key drivers of OBC engagement—social needs, status needs, and the need for validation. Study 2 (quantitative) integrates Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Social Exchange Theory (SET) to develop and test a model linking these needs to personal and social integrative benefits via OCE, using data from 416 Indian users analysed through PLS-SEM. The results show that social needs and the need for validation significantly drive OCE, which in turn substantially influences both benefit types. OCE fully mediates the relationship between need for validation and personal-integrative benefits, and partially mediates the effect of social need on personal-integrative benefits and social-integrative benefits. Additionally, OCE partially mediates the relationship between need for validation and social-integrative benefits. The study contributes to the CE literature by offering a unified SDT–SET framework that captures both the motivational and relational dimensions of engagement and reconceptualises the need for validation as a key antecedent of OCE. Managerially, it highlights the need for brands to focus on fostering social connection and affirmation, rather than status-based incentives, to build more meaningful and enduring community relationships.

Item Type: Article
Keywords: Online brand communities (OBCs) | Online customer engagement (OCE) | Self-determination theory (SDT) | Social exchange theory (SET) | Psychological needs
Subjects: Social Sciences and humanities > Business, Management and Accounting > Marketing
Social Sciences and humanities > Business, Management and Accounting > Organizational Behaviour
Social Sciences and humanities > Psychology > Applied Psychology
Social Sciences and humanities > Psychology > Social Psychology
Social Sciences and humanities > Social Sciences > Sociology
Social Sciences and humanities > Social Sciences > Cultural Studies
JGU School/Centre: Jindal Global Business School
Depositing User: Mr. Gautam Kumar
Date Deposited: 02 Jul 2025 05:57
Last Modified: 02 Jul 2025 05:57
Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2025.104383
URI: https://pure.jgu.edu.in/id/eprint/9738

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

Actions (login required)

View Item
View Item