Reducing inferior member community participation using uplift modeling: Evidence from a field experiment

In their ongoing search for competitive advantage, firms increasingly leverage online innovation communities (ICs). The viability of these ICs may be jeopardized by big data environments and inferior member participation. Therefore, community managers must address poor member participation, together with the data-rich environment. This study examines the viability of a proactive motivational email campaign to reduce inferior member participation using uplift modeling; it also explores optimal treatment characteristics, including message scope (untargeted versus targeted), message content (hedonic, cognitive, and social message), and member profile (self-interest–oriented and positive emotional writing style). The findings indicate that marketing decision makers should use proactive, targeted emails with cognitive motivational elements to mitigate inferior levels of member participation. These findings have important implications for innovation scholars and community managers.