Please read the following case study and answer the questions below. The growing use of social network sites (such as Facebook) and online communities (such as Starbucks customers) provides exciting opportunities for organizations. Online brand communities allow organizations to engage and interact with customers, obtain market information, sell and advertise products, rapidly disseminate information, develop long-term relationships with the community, and eventually to influence consumers preferences and behavior. To determine why consumers participate in online brand communities economic student Asala has developed a model based on extant service marketing literature. Previous studies have shown that loyalty toward online brand communities depends on: the communities perceived informational value, self-discovery value, social interactivity value, social enhancement value, entertainment value, and reward value. The main idea in this literature is that when the communities perceived informational value increase, improve self-discovery value, social interactivity value improved, social enhancement value improved, entertainment value improved, and reward value increased, then members will probably be satisfied with an online brand community and have the intention to participate in the community.

A. What is the dependent variable?

B. What are the independent variables?

C. What is the moderating variable? And mediating variable if available?

D. Develop a theoretical framework (sketch a diagram to show clearly the relationship between variables).

E. Formulate two sets of hypotheses in words (one directional and one non-directional). Directional hypothesis (H0 & Ha) Non-directional hypothesis (H0 & Ha)