A review of consumer-to-consumer digital information and knowledge sharing

Abstract

Purpose: This study undertook a systematic literature review of consumers’ information and knowledge sharing (I&KS) in digital scenarios, as it is an expanding thematic area that differs from other consumer behavior and has been underexplored. Design/methodology/approach: Following the PRISMA philosophy, we identified I&KS-related studies in the Scopus database based on a search term chain determined through an exploratory study. Additional inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, and studies were manually filtered. An input–process–output type model was used to manually review and systematize the literature. Then, a second content analysis was conducted using artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Findings: Based on 51 relevant articles, this study characterized the I&KS research field as multidisciplinary through quantitative methods. Based on an input–process–output consumer behavior model and content analysis, this study systematized existing knowledge and revealed that most knowledge encompassed the influence of personal and psychological consumer characteristics. Additionally, based on AI tools applied to the full texts of the relevant articles, five thematic clusters emerged, largely coinciding with the input–process–output model used. Finally, future research avenues and recommendations for business and organizational practices were identified. Originality/value: This study fills the gap in consumer studies by systematically reviewing I&KS, a developing field, as no prior research has addressed this topic systematically.