Revisiting Seller Reputation: Impact of Internal and External Reputation on Sales in Online Knowledge Payment Markets

The emergence of the sharing economy has catalyzed the proliferation of online knowledge payment platforms, empowering individuals possessing untapped knowledge to engage as sellers. Within this landscape, reputation plays a pivotal role in shaping the sales dynamics of knowledge products, which are categorized as credence goods. Unlike conventional sellers, who typically focus on internal reputation-building efforts, knowledge providers have the opportunity to cultivate an external reputation through their professional contributions beyond the platform, potentially influencing sales within it. However, the relative impact of internal and external reputation on driving sales remains uncertain. Our study addresses this gap by investigating the influence of a knowledge provider's internal and external reputation on sales across two phases of live knowledge-sharing lectures—pre and post-live broadcast—using data obtained from a prominent online knowledge payment platform. Our findings reveal that both internal and external reputation positively impact sales during both phases. Furthermore, our analysis indicates that the type of product moderates the effect of reputation on sales, with internal reputation exerting a greater influence on sales of hedonic products, while external reputation has a stronger effect on sales of utilitarian products. These discoveries contribute to technology operations management by providing theoretical insights into the formulation and implementation of innovative strategies aimed at enhancing the sales performance of knowledge-based products. Our findings underscore the importance of integrating distinct reputation-building approaches into the design of reputation systems, thereby charting a course toward achieving successful product sales in the realm of online knowledge payment platforms.