Matzat, Uwe. "Reducing problems of sociability in online communities: Integrating online communication with offline interaction." American behavioral scientist 53.8 (2010): 1170-1193.

This study investigates the impact of blending offline and online interactions within knowledge-sharing online communities, particularly those hosted for teachers within a virtual organization. It explores how the presence of real-life relationships among some community members influences common sociability issues in these communities, such as trust deficits, free rider behavior, and unstable membership. Based on survey data from 26 online communities, the findings reveal that communities with a mix of real-life and virtual interactions exhibit significantly higher levels of trust and lower instances of free riding. However, this blend does not appear to affect the stability of membership. These results underscore the positive role that offline networks play in enhancing online sociability and knowledge sharing, challenging previous assertions that online and offline interactions need to be fully integrated to achieve these benefits.