preprints.org > social sciences > accounting > doi: 10.20944/preprints202101.0084.v1

Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Version 1 : Received: 3 January 2021 / Approved: 5 January 2021 / Online: 5 January 2021 (11:30:44 CET)
Version 2 : Received: 5 January 2021 / Approved: 5 January 2021 / Online: 5 January 2021 (14:09:05 CET)

Due to the rapid development of information and communication technologies, many daily activities have been merged online, and they have become more flexible and more effective. The massive growth in the number of online users has activated virtual word concepts and created a new phenomenon: the social currency to facilitate e-commerce activities such as buying, selling, and trading on social media. This study aims to recognize how social contacts in 'action' within social media platform permeates sharing and transactions of valuable resources. The active interaction, entertainment, e-WOM traded in social networks are conceptualized as 'social currency' that people owe to each other in social circulation. This study demonstrates the importance of consumers' time-sharing (CTS) concept in the social media environment to earn social reputation (reviews, likes, comments, followers, favorite). A total of eight exploratory semi-structured qualitative depth-interviews were conducted at Dalian China. The data were analyzed using NVivo 12 software. Results suggested that the interaction, entertainment, e-WOM and traded between time and money in social networks are conceptualized as 'social currency' that people owe to each other in social circulation. The current study confirms the importance of the newly developed social currency concept in terms of social circulation.

Social currency; Social media platform; Social exchange