Examining the antecedents of idea contribution in online innovation communities: A perspective of creative self-efficacy

In recent decades, firms have increasingly utilized online innovation communities to facilitate product development and improvement by encouraging users' product idea submission. An emerging research stream examines the driver of users' idea contributions. The present study explores the impact of peer feedback on the basis of creative self-efficacy theory, sponsoring firm feedback, direct mastery experiences, and social learning on idea contribution. Using data from 13,116 users of MIUI Forum, our empirical results show that peer feedback and sponsoring firm feedback are positively related to the quantity and quality of users' ideas. Although social learning positively affects the number of user's ideas, it is negatively associated with idea quality. Direct mastery experiences have no significant effect on idea quantity but reduce idea quality. The negative impact of direct mastery experiences on idea quality is stronger with users' higher membership status. These findings offer significant implications for online innovation community management. •Different dimensions of self-efficacy present varying impacts on users' ideation.•Peer feedback and sponsoring firm feedback are positively related to the quantity and quality of users' ideas.•Social learning positively affects the number of user's ideas, it is negatively associated with idea quality.•Direct mastery experiences have no significant effect on idea quantity but reduce idea quality.•The negative impact of direct mastery experiences on idea quality is stronger with users' higher membership status.