Relating Social Media Diffusion, Education Level and Cybersecurity Protection Mechanisms to E-Participation Initiatives: Insights from a Cross-Country Analysis

2023 | Information Systems Frontiers | Citations: 0

Authors: Ahangama, Supunmali

Abstract: Virtual Social Networks (VSN) act as a catalyst for the success of the active pa ... Expand

Abstract: Virtual Social Networks (VSN) act as a catalyst for the success of the active participation of citizens in information sharing, collaboration, and decision making. VSN based e-participation tools allow many-to-many communication and collaboration near real-time with users who might be in geographically dispersed locations. It provides a platform to voice opinions and perspectives and share them with others in new and innovative ways. Cybersecurity is a key area that needs to be considered for the success and continuous use of e-participation systems as it protects user privacy and helps to avoid scams, harassment, and misinformation. The intervening effect of cybersecurity protection mechanisms and citizens’ education level on the relationship between VSN diffusion and e-participation initiatives is explored in the proposed research model presented in this paper. Moreover, this research model is explored for different stages of e-participation (e-information, e-consultation, and e-decision making) and the five dimensions of cybersecurity (legal, technical, organizational, capacity building, and cooperation). The findings indicate that improved VSN usage has increased e-participation (especially in e-consultation and e-decision making) as a result of improved cybersecurity protection and public education, highlighting the varying importance of different cybersecurity protection measures for three stages of e-participation. Thus, considering the recent problems like platform manipulation, misinformation and data breaches associated with the use of VSN for e-participation, this study emphasizes the importance of regulations, policies, partnerships, technical frameworks, and research to ensure cybersecurity, as well as the importance of education to enable the public to interact productively in e-participation activities. This study is performed using publicly available data from 115 countries and the research model is developed, drawing theoretical basis from the Protection Motivation Theory, Structuration Theory, and Endogenous Growth Theory. This paper recognizes the theoretical and practical implications, and limitations while recommending future research directions. Collapse

Topics: IT security decision making human resource management social network government system

Methods: survey partial least squares path modeling cross sectional research mediation analysis archival research

Theories: protection motivation theory structuration theory

Public Opinion and Impression Management in the Communication of Performance During the Second Iraq War

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Audia, Pino G.; Rousseau, Horacio E.; Stimmler, Mary Kate

Abstract: Although studies show that organizations engaged in controversial actions often ... Expand

Abstract: Although studies show that organizations engaged in controversial actions often aim to minimize the release of threatening information, scholars know relatively little about what may prompt organizations to increase transparency in these situations. In this study, we focus on support from public opinion as a condition that may influence the disclosure of sensitive performance information to the public. Using the second Iraq War as an empirical context, we focus on the extent to which public officials—Pentagon spokespersons—release and frame information about war performance. This outcome is critical because the way in which organizations communicate their performance to outsiders has often been regarded as a key defensive impression management tactic. We hypothesize that high public support for the war will increase the likelihood that Pentagon officials release information about sensitive combat performance indicators in their press briefings and identify contingencies, such as adversity and organizational spokespersons’ power, that moderate this relationship. We also explore whether high public support decreases the strategic use of alternate performance frames that emphasize metrics that signal progress toward a desirable end state. Using a unique data set based on the coding of press briefings, public opinion data, and other public sources, we find support for several of our hypotheses. We discuss implications for understanding the relationship between public opinion and impression management and highlight the importance of extending this research to nongovernmental organizations. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2022.1598. Collapse

Topics: armed conflict organization structure website database system terrorist incident

Methods: logistic regression descriptive statistic statistical hypothesis test regression analysis method theory development

Theories: accountability theory

A Design Research Journey

2023 | Communications of the Association for Information Systems | Citations: 2

Authors: Gregor, Shirley

Abstract: ... Expand

Abstract: Collapse

Topics: expert system mainframe

Methods: design science action design research theory development qualitative coding action research

Reinforcing data bias in crisis information management: The case of the Yemen humanitarian response

2023 | International Journal of Information Management | Citations: 0

Authors: Paulus, David; De Vries, Gerdien; Janssen, Marijn; Van De Walle, Bartel

Abstract: The complex and uncertain environment of the humanitarian response to crises can ... Expand

Abstract: The complex and uncertain environment of the humanitarian response to crises can lead to data bias, which can affect decision-making. Evidence of data bias in crisis information management (CIM) remains scattered despite its potentially significant impact on crisis response. To understand what biases emerge in complex crises and how they affect CIM, we conducted a combined interview and document analysis study. Focusing on the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, i.e., the conflict in Yemen, we conducted 25 interviews with managers and analysts of response organizations, and assessed 47 reports and datasets created by response organizations in Yemen. We find evidence of a cycle of bias reinforcement through which bias cascades between field, head­ quarters and donor levels of crisis response. Researchers, as well as practitioners, need to consider these un­ derlying biases and reinforcement loops because they influence what data can be collected when, by whom, from whom, and how the data is shared and used. To the CIM literature, we contribute an in-depth understanding of how four types of data bias emerge in crises: political, accessibility, topical, and sampling bias. Collapse

Topics: information management data quality electronic mail emergency management decision making

Methods: qualitative interview qualitative content analysis qualitative coding case study personal interview

Putting Religious Bias in Context: How Offline and Online Contexts Shape Religious Bias in Online Prosocial Lending

2023 | Management Information Systems Quarterly | Citations: 0

Authors: Sabzehzar, Amin; Burtch, Gordon; Hong, Yili; Raghu, T. S.

Abstract: Biases on online platforms pose a threat to social inclusion. We examine the inf ... Expand

Abstract: Biases on online platforms pose a threat to social inclusion. We examine the influence of a novel source of bias in online philanthropic lending, namely that associated with religious differences. We first propose religion distance as a probabilistic measure of differences between pairs of individuals residing in different countries. We then incorporate this measure into a gravity model of trade to explain variation in country-to-country lending volumes. We further propose a set of contextual moderators that characterize individuals’ offline (local) and online social contexts, which we argue combine to determine the influence of religion distance on lending activity. We empirically estimate our gravity model using data from Kiva.org, reflecting all lending actions that took place between 2006 and 2017. We demonstrate the negative and significant effect of religion distance on lending activity, over and above other established factors in the literature. Further, we demonstrate the moderating role of lenders’ offline social context (diversity, social hostilities, and governmental favoritism of religion) on the aforementioned relationship to online lending behavior. Finally, we offer empirical evidence of the parallel role of online contextual factors, namely those related to community features offered by the Kiva platform (lending teams), which appear to amplify the role of religious bias. In particular, we show that religious team membership is a double-edged sword that has both favorable and unfavorable consequences, increasing lending in general but skewing said lending toward religiously similar borrowers. Our findings speak to the important frictions associated with religious differences in individual philanthropy; they point to the role of governmental policy vis-à-vis religious tolerance as a determinant of citizens’ global philanthropic behavior, and they highlight design implications for online platforms with an eye toward managing religious bias. Collapse

Topics: electronic market online community crowdsourcing crowdfunding peer-to-peer model

Methods: robustness check descriptive statistic qualitative content analysis survey archival research

Theories: theory of economic growth

Leveraging the Power of Peer Groups for Refugee Integration

2022 | Business & Information Systems Engineering | Citations: 0

Authors: Förster, Maximilian; Klier, Julia; Klier, Mathias; Schäfer-Siebert, Katharina; Sigler, Irina

Abstract: Refugee integration, one long-term solution to the large number of people fleein ... Expand

Abstract: Refugee integration, one long-term solution to the large number of people fleeing their home countries, constitutes a challenge for both refugees and host societies. ICT and especially online peer groups seem promising to support this process. Building on literature demonstrating the societal benefits of peer groups, this paper proposes a novel peer-group-based approach to address refugee integration and introduces both an online and offline realization. A randomized field experiment in cooperation with public (refugee) services and a non-governmental organization makes it possible to expand existing research by quantitatively demonstrating societal benefits of online peer groups and ICT for refugee integration. Further, this paper is the first to assess the effectiveness of online and offline peer groups in one experimental setup comparatively. Results show that peer groups provide substantial value with respect to the integration domains social bridges, social bonds, rights and citizenship as well as safety and stability. While the outcome of the various integration domains differs for online and offline peer groups, participants’ adoption rates were higher for online peer groups. Collapse

Topics: anonymity IS impact smartphone Android iOS

Methods: experimental group experiment randomized field experiment design science survey

An Agent that Facilitates Crowd Discussion

2022 | Group Decision and Negotiation | Citations: 0

Authors: Ito, Takayuki; Hadfi, Rafik; Suzuki, Shota

Abstract: Online discussion platforms are perceived as the next-generation method of citiz ... Expand

Abstract: Online discussion platforms are perceived as the next-generation method of citizen involvement. Such platforms can collect, integrate, and synthesize opinions to achieve social good. Crowd-scale platforms are being developed and deployed in social experiments that involve citizens and local governments. In such platforms, human facilitation is often used to preserve the quality of the discussions. Human facilitators often face difficulties when the discussions grow in size. In this paper, we present “D-agree,” a crowd-scale discussion support system based on an automated facilitation agent. The agent extracts discussion structures from online discussions, analyzes them, and posts facilitation messages. We conducted small- and large-scale social experiments in Japan to assess the social impact of the platform. The results showcase the success of our automated facilitation agents in gathering valuable opinions from citizens. In addition, our experiments highlight the effect of an automated facilitation agent on online discussions. In particular, we find that combining the agent facilitator with human facilitators leads to higher user satisfaction. Collapse

Topics: user satisfaction anonymity internet technology Apple iPhone usability

Methods: experiment survey parametric test Student's t-test survey design

We Cannot Direct the Wind, but We Can Adjust the Sails: Prosocial Ventures’ Responses to Potential Resource Threats

2022 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Mittermaier, Alexandra; Shepherd, Dean A.; Patzelt, Holger

Abstract: One of entrepreneurs’ key tasks is mobilizing resources from external resource h ... Expand

Abstract: One of entrepreneurs’ key tasks is mobilizing resources from external resource holders. Although we know how entrepreneurial ventures gain initial access to resources, we do not yet fully understand how they maintain their resource mobilization, particularly in the face of potential threats. During our 11-month study of prosocial ventures that emerged to alleviate the suffering of refugees in Germany, four attacks on the European public occurred that were allegedly committed by refugees. These attacks disrupted the German welcoming culture for refugees, potentially threatening the legitimacy of the prosocial ventures’ core activities. Thus, the attacks provide a starting point for examining how new prosocial ventures are able to maintain access to resources in the face of the potential withdrawal of resource holders. Theorizing from our data, we identify three distinct approaches to explain how prosocial ventures responded to the potential threat undermining the legitimacy of their activities to maintain access to resources. These approaches differ in their initial resource mobilization (i.e., based on the venture’s goal for alleviating suffering), threat appraisals, and responses to maintain resource mobilization in the face of the potential delegitimization of their core activities. Our model provides novel insights into resource mobilization and prosocial venturing. Collapse

Topics: social media terrorist incident website electronic mail database system

Methods: qualitative interview field study theory development qualitative coding longitudinal research

Waging War from Remote Cubicles: How Workers Cope with Technologies That Disrupt the Meaning and Morality of Their Work

2022 | Organization Science | Citations: 2

Authors: Rauch, Madeleine; Ansari, Shahzad (Shaz)

Abstract: Technologies are known to alter social structures in the workplace, reconfigure ... Expand

Abstract: Technologies are known to alter social structures in the workplace, reconfigure roles and relationships, and disrupt status hierarchies. However, less attention has been given to how an emerging technology disrupts the meaning and moral values that tether people to their work and render it meaningful. To understand how workers respond to such an emerging technology, we undertook an inductive, qualitative study of military personnel working in unmanned aerial vehicles, or drone operations, for the U.S. Air Force. We draw on multiple data sources, including personal diaries kept by personnel involved in drone operations. We identified three characteristics of drone technology: remote-split operations, remote piloting of unmanned vehicles, and interaction through iconic representations. Our analysis suggests that drone technology has revolutionized warfare by (1) creating distanciated intimacy, (2) dissolving traditional spatio-temporal boundaries between work and personal life, and (3) redefining the legal and moral parameters of work. Drone program workers identified with these changes to their working environment in contradictory ways, which evoked emotional ambivalence about right and wrong. However, their organization gave them little help in alleviating their conflicting feelings. We illuminate how workers cope with such ambivalence when a technology transforms the meaning and morality of their work. We extend theory by showing that workers’ responses to a changed working environment as a result of a remote technology are not just based on how the technology changes workers’ tasks, roles, and status but also on how it affects their moral values. Collapse

Topics: armed conflict robotic social media remote work anonymity

Methods: qualitative interview longitudinal research company material design artifact archival research

Determinants of Voice on Social Media among Individuals from Marginalized Groups

2021 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Hadavi, Yasamin; Petter, Stacie

Abstract: The advancement of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has profou ... Expand

Abstract: The advancement of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has profoundly changed the way individuals address societal issues. Increasingly, scholars examine how individuals can use information and communication technologies, such as social media, to effect change. Individuals from marginalized groups are using social media to voice concerns related to the need for social inclusion among those who are marginalized. Social media enables individuals to make their voices heard to battle inequal opportunities and insufficient resources within these groups. We develop our research model using the theoretical lens of organizational and employee voice. We describe our intended survey-based data collection effort from individuals within a marginalized group to identify factors affecting one's decision to voice concerns on social media about the experiences of marginalized individuals. The findings of this study will inform additional opportunities for research regarding factors that affect one's decision to voice concerns on social media to effect social change. Collapse

Topics: social media organizational context missing data

Methods: survey descriptive statistic