Title:	GROUP DECISION MAKING IN AN ONLINE GROUP-BUYING COMMUNITY: A CASE STUDY OF THE “IHERGO” ONLINE COMMUNITY
Author(s):	Wei-ting Wang , Lola C.p.chen
ISBN:	978-972-8924-93-5
Editors:	Pedro Isaías, Bebo White and Miguel Baptista Nunes
Year:	2009
Edition:	1
Keywords:	Decision making, online group-buying, online community
Type:	Full Paper
First Page:	453
Last Page:	460
Language:	English
Cover:
Full Contents:	click to dowload
Paper Abstract:	Online group-buying websites had ever been all the rage both at home and abroad, but eventually closed down by their poor operation. In recent years, the rage has come back again --"ihergo"--which founded in 2007 in Taiwan. “ihergo” is the first online group-buying website that brings the concept of “community” into its business model in Taiwan. It gathers people to bargain with firms and forms a cohesive community of members who join group-buying, discuss and share experiences with each other. However in the process of interaction, members can encounter many opportunities for group decision-making and conflicts, if there were not well resolved, it may cause dissolution of the community . This study hopes to though the observation and in-depth interview to further understand group decision-making and conflict resolution that is rarely observed in the community. Due to the limitations in time and geographic locations, this study mainly focuses on northern Taiwan (north of Hsinchu). As the users of “ihergo” are mostly females, the research target is female-dominated. As a result, this research has found that when making decisions, members would discuss among themselves, it helps to enhance the operation of group-buying. On the other side, obey the norms of the initiators and patriarchs who have sufficient experience can make group-buying go smoothly, even these norms have a little bit self-centeredness. In respect of facing conflict, they would communicate with each other rationally at first, as long as the problem could be solved, they would rather at the expense of their own rights. However, if it does not work, they may evade or adapt a firmer stand regardless of the relationship between members.
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