| QQ China features interactive and connective online channels that generate social relational resources, encourage individual engagement, and facilitate embedded economic potential. The objectives of this research are to describe QQ users' demographics and virtual behavior characteristics, to identify the underlying dimensions of relational social capital and virtual engagement, and to investigate the impacts of social capital and virtual engagement on purchase intention.;Results from an analysis of data (n = 216) from China reveal the significant impacts of relational social capital and virtual engagement on purchase intention. First, functional purchase motivations, channel usage, and purchasing behaviors are captured to portray characteristics among QQ's users. Second, trust, identification, and norm of reciprocity are primary antecedents to predict purchase intention in QQ. Third, three dimensions of relational social capital facilitate QQ users' virtual engagements. Finally, information seeking and knowledge creation leads to product purchase intention. |
