The virtual community’s motivational system to engage firms into sustainability strategy. The Italian agrifood sector

Virtual communities are tools able to enhance the firms’ know-how, orienting it to a commongoal. The paper is based on the idea that there is a relationship between the motivation(engagement) to exchange knowledge in virtual communities and the sustainability sharedplanning along its three dimensions - social, economic and environmental.The main research question of the paper is to observe the motivational engagement system ofthe companies that allows communities of practices to become an innovative strategy todesign sustainability. So, we propose a conceptual framework called CDI (Connection,Discussion and Influence), along which the motivational dimensions can be formed, as theyrepresent the main elements to join a community which is oriented to the synergistic design ofsustainability. The conceptual framework has been tested in the Italian agri-food sector.To confirm the existence of the proposed framework, a Survey Method for data collection wasadopted. The 250 questionnaires were revised through a Confirmatory Factor Analysis as thistechnique was found to be suitable for identifying groups of representative variables and theengagement motivations that characterize participation in sustainability-oriented virtualcommunities.The pro-social behaviour represented by the exchange of knowledge oriented to sustainabilityis enhanced through the engagement of the online community members; it happens when theonline community is structured in order to activate a virtuous circle between Connection,Discussion and Influence.The hypothesised virtuous circle is, in fact, a driver for managers of virtual communities or forthose companies’ networks (such as consortia) that choose to enhance their relational heritagethrough the knowledge exchange. In fact, it provides fundamental guidelines to enhanceengagement in these virtual environments.