Unraveling hybrid exchange: virtual tipping on live-streaming platforms

Purpose The purpose of this research is to explore the nature of virtual tipping in live game streaming from the perspective of tippers. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative research involved six naturalistic group interviews with 27 young adult game streaming tippers in China. Findings The research revealed a typology of four virtual tipping exchanges – perfunctory exchange, transactional (commodity) exchange, relational (gift) exchange and hybrid exchange. The most notable finding is hybrid exchange, a synergistic hybrid of transaction and gift-giving. Practical implications The authors recommend that both streamers and streaming platforms acknowledge and accommodate both transactional and relational tipping motivations. The authors also recommend platforms to recruit skillful streamers with high emotional intelligence to better convert perfunctory tippers into tippers who tip more generously. Originality/value The result of hybrid exchange suggests going beyond the traditional commodity vs gift dichotomy to examine the potential market-gift complementary in a single exchange in the sharing economy.