西安交通大学学报（社会科学版）2025，Vol.45Issue(5)：85-96,12.DOI:10.15896/j.xjtuskxb.202505008
流量实践观视角下的数字资本积累机制研究
The Accumulation Mechanism of Digital Capital:A Perspective from the Flow Practice Paradigm
摘要
Abstract
Against the backdrop of the digital economy profoundly reshaping global value creation models,digital capital,as a new form of capital centered on data resources,relying on platform fields,and driven by flow mechanisms,has become a key element for social media influencers(or wanghong)to build influence and realize value conversion.However,most existing studies explore the accumulation mechanisms of digital capital from a relatively static perspective,failing to fully reveal the dynamic generative characteristics of capital.In particular,there is a lack of a systematic framework that integrates individual practices,technical rules,and organizational interactions to explain the dynamic accumulation process of digital capital by social media influencers in the platform ecosystem. To address this gap,this study proposes the theoretical framework of"flow practice paradigm",and constructs a three-dimensional analytical framework comprising the individual,technology,and organization.Drawing on data from 100 Douyin influencers across varying hierarchical levels,it applies fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis(fsQCA)to identify the configurational pathways through which digital capital is accumulated.The findings reveal that the accumulation of digital capital is driven by combinations of multiple conditions;no single factor is sufficient to account for high levels of accumulation.Three typical accumulation pathways are identified:an operation-communication-driven type,a technology-communication-driven type,and a comprehensively driven type.These pathways vary significantly across influencer tiers.Top-tier influencers emphasize efficient operational strategies,highlighting the organizational dimension of digital capital.Mid-tier influencers rely on technical compatibility with platform algorithms,underscoring the importance of platform-aligned technical capabilities.Lower-tier influencers focus on operational content strategies,reflecting the necessity of combining both technical and organizational strengths.Bottom-tier influencers,meanwhile,depend on high-frequency content production and dissemination,revealing the importance of personalized and consistent content creation.Across all tiers,digital capital accumulation exhibits characteristics of fragility,volatility,and intense competition,distinguishing it from traditional forms of capital accumulation. This study offers several key contributions.Theoretically,it first introduces the"flow practice paradigm"as an innovative analytical lens,which shifts the focus from static capital endowments to dynamic processes of accumulation,thereby broadening the analytical boundaries of capital theory in the context of the digital age.Second,it constructs an"individual-technology-organization"integrative framework that transcends the conventional binary of"technology versus subject,"offering a fresh theoretical lens for understanding the complex interactions between digital labor and platform ecosystems.Third,through configurational analysis,the study reveals multiple concurrent mechanisms for digital capital accumulation and delineates the hierarchical heterogeneity of these pathways,thereby responding directly to the core theoretical question of how digital capital accumulates dynamically.Practically,the findings provide actionable insights for digital content creators in developing tier-specific survival and growth strategies.They also offer robust empirical evidence for platforms in algorithm optimization,ecosystem governance,and creator empowerment,contributing to the healthy and sustainable development of the digital economy ecosystem.关键词
数字资本/平台经济/资本积累/流量实践观/网红群体/模糊集定性比较分析Key words
digital capital/platform economy/capital accumulation/flow practice/online influencer(wanghong)/fsQCA分类
管理科学引用本文复制引用
杨江华,伍悦,聂思言..流量实践观视角下的数字资本积累机制研究[J].西安交通大学学报（社会科学版）,2025,45(5):85-96,12.基金项目
国家社会科学基金一般项目(20BSH149). （20BSH149）
