The dark side of group heterogeneity on a brand-based online community

Abstract Online brand community (OBC) refers to a group of consumers who share similar enthusiasm for a particular brand and connected through online platforms. The members of OBC community engage jointly through online platforms to accomplish a collective objective or goal. Normally members of this community express similar sentiments, views, or commitments. Extant literature has nurtured issues such as the influence of OBCs on firms, the dysfunction that invites conflicts and rivalry, homogeneity that helps OBCs to develop shared responsibility, among others. However, there is limited study on the dark side of group heterogeneity on a brand-based online community. Using literature and theories, a theoretical model was developed, which was subsequently validated using the PLS-SEM technique to analyze responses from 348 respondents who were members of online brand communities, mainly of the FMCG and automobile sectors. This study finds that there is a significant negative moderating impact of group heterogeneity on OBC. This study has provided several theoretical and managerial implications to brand community literature and has contributed that brand-based online community commitment could impact brand trust and loyalty along with purchase intention, though such impacts are adversely affected by group heterogeneity culture.