Don't let your left hand know the merciful deeds of your right hand? Blatant Benevolence and Social Capital Attainment on Social Network Sites (SNS)

摘要

We apply a multi-method design to investigate the relationship between blatant benevolence and social capital attainment on SNSs. Our first study identifies the normal forms of blatant benevolence and the moderators of its impact on social capital attainment. Our second study empirically tests the hypothesized relationships. We provide evidence that blatant benevolence increases relational and structural social capital attainment, and the relationship changes under certain conditions. Not only does this manuscript make a theoretical contribution but also provides insight to SNS users to increase their social capital. Charity organizations can also make use of the results to promote prosocial behavior online.