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Video game streaming (VGS) is emerging as an extremely popular, highly interactive, inordinately subscribed and very dynamic form of digital media. Incorporated environmental elements, gratifications and user pre-existing attitudes in VGS, this paper presents the development of an extended model of uses and gratification theory (EUGT) for predicting users' behavior in novel technological context.

The proposed model was empirically tested in VGS context due to its popularity, interactivity and relevance. Data collected from 308 VGS users and structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to assess the hypotheses. Multi-model comparison technique was used to assess the explanatory power of EUGT.

The findings confirmed three significant types elements in determining VGS viewers' engagement, including gratifications (e.g. involvement), environmental cues (e.g. medium appeal) and user predispositions (e.g. pre-existing attitudes). The results revealed that emerging technologies provide potential opportunities for new motives and gratifications, and highlighted the significant of pre-existing attitudes as a mediator in the gratification-uses link.

This study is one of its kind in tackling the criticism on UGT of considering media users too rational or active. The study achieved this objective by considering environmental impacts on user behavior which is largely ignored in recent UGT studies. Also, by incorporating users pre-existing attitudes into UGT framework, this study conceptualized and empirically verified the higher explanatory power of EUGT through a novel multi-modal approach in VGS. Compared to other rival models, EUGS provides a more robust explanation of users' behavior. The findings contribute to the literature of UGT, VGS and users' engagement.

Social media communities contain like-minded members who disclose opinions about various topics that are important to them. These communities often function as echo chambers, filter bubbles or separate spaces for users to share conforming opinions and discredit others deliberately. In extreme cases, they build their alternative reality with limited information that can lead to real-world action, as seen in the storming of the capitol. Therefore, we need to better understand the mechanisms of opinion disclosure in such communities.

We base our research on the spiral of silence theory to understand both trait-based and state-based fear of isolation as the mechanism that prevents opposing opinions in three scenarios focusing on topics dominating the mainstream US media landscape at that time: immigration, presidential election and COVID-19. We recruited 164 participants from an online research platform and analyzed the data using structural equation modeling.

Our results reveal empirical evidence that state-based fear of isolation prompts community members to express agreement and support for the community’s opinion, regardless of their views. We show that hot-button issues impose an even greater danger of establishing an environment in online communities that becomes an echo chamber of filter bubbles.

The spiral of silence theory provides a fine-grained understanding of the concept of fear of isolation, which was either used as a trait or as a state. Furthermore, we go beyond the initial hypotheses of the spiral of silence and show that within online communities, members stay silent and start to argue against their own opinions.

Considering the significance of knowledge with respect to the current economic era, this study exclusively focuses on perceived negative workplace gossips (NWG) and knowledge-hiding behavior through a self-evaluation perspective. Further, this study also aims to explore the mediating role of workplace ostracism and moderating role of neuroticism in the relationship between perceived NWGs and knowledge hiding behavior (KHB).

Relying on the self-verification theory, data were collected from 323 employees working in the largest public sector universities of Punjab, Pakistan. Data were collected in three-time lags to overcome common method bias and social desirability issues. PROCESS macro bootstrap method were used to confirm the proposed model and hypothesis investigation.

The findings of the study revealed that perceived NWGs increase KHB. Additionally, workplace ostracism mediates the relationship between perceived NWGs and KHB. The findings of the study also suggest neuroticism moderates the relationship between workplace ostracism and KHBs.

Based on the self-evaluation concept, this research provides new insight by linking NWGs and KHB, especially from gossipee’s (target’s) perspective in the Pakistani cultural context. By examining the mediating role of workplace ostracism and the moderating role of neuroticism, this research responds to a recent call to explore more mechanisms between NWG and KHB. Finally, this research offers significant implications to managers and organizations that how and when their work environment can limit the impact of NWG.