The study investigates whether different motivation mechanisms can affect the quality of relationship and member loyalty of virtual communities. The particular domain is online games on which players often join affiliated virtual communities to exchange information. A questionnaire was designed for the online survey that resulted in a total of 685 valid responses. The results from the partial least square analysis show that relationship quality as measured by Customer satisfaction, trust and commitment have a mediating effect between motivation mechanisms and member loyalty. Among the motivation mechanisms, financial bonds have no effect on relationship quality but social and structural bonds have significant effects. The findings can be used by practitioners when they run virtual communities and have implications for future research in related topics.

The relatively new field of Queer Theory creates ways of thinking about people living without binary gender, but does not provide for a research model with which to give context to the material struggles of such people. Through the use of Internet discussion groups, the current research project attempts to examine the challenges that people who identify with the concept "genderqueer" describe facing as they fashion selves in social interactions; a process which inevitably requires consumer goods that typically only allow for heteronormative binary gender. Findings suggest that there are similarities in how respondents came to identify with "genderqueer," but such similarities are less present in how they understand and apply the concept to themselves. This study shows a potential conflict arising between academic Queer Theory, which seeks to deconstruct identity categories, and a more popular use of "genderqueer" claimed as an identity by some respondents. In conclusion this thesis examines possibilities for activism and marketing that may come out of "genderqueer" as a widely recognizable identity category.