The motivations of leaders to lead Facebook online groups: a case study of parenting groups

Facebook community leaders play a significant role in creating and maintaining social environments, and they characteristically exhibit several qualities and skills, such as the ability to generate involvement in the groups. However, their identities and motivations have yet to be investigated in depth. Using the theoretical framework of the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), this paper addresses this gap by exploring the motivations of leaders to lead a Facebook online group. Leaders of online parents groups were surveyed for this study. A survey was administered electronically to 160 Facebook community leaders to gather data on the relationship between the community leaders’ motivation and the following variables: personality traits (narcissism, altruism, grit), sense of community (immersion, sense of belonging, influence), management features, and demographics. A hierarchical regression indicates that higher narcissism, self-control, immersion, and lower consistency of interest (grit factor) can explain Facebook community leaders’ motivations to lead online groups of parents. The results are discussed in the context of the leaders’ influential role in social media.