THE DARK SIDE OF DIGITAL PLATFORMS: UNDERSTANDING SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES' DEPENDENCE ON THIRD-PARTY PLATFORMS

2023 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Asadullah, Ahmad; Faik, Isam; Lim, Shi Ying

Abstract: The digital platform business model has evolved and become a dominant form of e ... Expand

Abstract: The digital platform business model has evolved and become a dominant form of economic interaction worldwide. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) had to shift their business to platforms to survive in this new market. While existing studies show the positive side of SMEs' use of platforms, there has been little research on the dark side of their participation in the platform economy, particularly their high dependence on platforms. We conducted a qualitative study to examine the mechanisms of dependence and its repercussions on SMEs' performance. Our findings suggest that SMEs' dependence on platforms arises from high importance, low discretion, and limited substitutability. We also find that, beyond their dependence on single platforms, SMEs generally become dependent on an oligopolistic system of dominant platforms. This dependence heightens the power asymmetry between platforms and SMEs. We highlight major manifestations of this power asymmetry, including the platform's ability to restrict access to resources and to prioritize different stakeholders' interests in their ecosystem. Collapse

Topics: electronic commerce digital platform business-to-consumer website electronic business

Methods: qualitative interview field study computational algorithm personal interview theory development

Theories: resource dependency theory

A Comparative Analysis of Seven Smart City Development Projects: Institutional, Economic, Technical, and Policy Perspectives

2023 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Choi, J.; Caicedo, C.

Abstract: This paper argues for the use of a multifaceted, and contextualized approach to ... Expand

Abstract: This paper argues for the use of a multifaceted, and contextualized approach to smart city development by unpacking how individual smart city initiatives have planned and implemented diverse projects based on their distinct environments, stakeholders, and goals. We evaluated and compared the institutional, economic, technical and policy characteristics of seven smart city initiatives (Montgomery, San Diego, New York City, Calgary, London, Vienna, Singapore). Our findings demonstrate three principal implications in smart city development. First, the surveyed smart cities established concrete cases for the use of different project development models in terms of leadership and governance styles, adoption of smart city applications, and planning and management strategies. Second, such differences stemmed from the multifaceted interactions that link environment, stakeholders, and goals. Finally, knowledge management (KM) played a crucial role in ensuring the accumulation and transferability of organizational and policymaking infrastructure within and between smart city initiatives. Collapse

Topics: smart city privacy innovation management mobile system mobile application

Methods: survey synthesis cross sectional research literature study structured literature research

Green Data Analytics of Supercomputing from Massive Sensor Networks: Does Workload Distribution Matter?

2023 | Information Systems Research | Citations: 0

Authors: Guo, Zhiling; Li, Jin; Ramesh, Ram

Abstract: Energy costs represent a significant share of the total cost of ownership in hig ... Expand

Abstract: Energy costs represent a significant share of the total cost of ownership in high-performance computing (HPC) systems. Using a unique data set collected by massive sensor networks in a petascale national supercomputing center, we first present an explanatory model to identify key factors that affect energy consumption in supercomputing. Our analytic results show that, not only does computing node utilization significantly affect energy consumption, workload distribution among the nodes also has significant effects and could effectively be leveraged to improve energy efficiency. Next, we establish the high model performance using in-sample and out-of-sample analyses. We then develop prescriptive models for energy-optimal runtime workload management and extend the models to consider energy consumption and job performance tradeoffs. Specifically, we present four dynamic resource management methodologies (packing, load balancing, threshold-based switching, and energy optimization), model their application at two levels (purely within-rack and jointly cross-rack resource allocation), and explore runtime resource redistribution policies for jobs under the emergent principle of computational steering and comparatively evaluate strategies that use computational steering with those that do not. Our experimental studies show that packing is preferred when the total workload of a rack is higher than a threshold and load balancing is preferred when it is lower. These results lead to a threshold strategy that yields near-optimal energy efficiency under all workload conditions. We further calibrate the energy-optimal resource allocations over the full range of workloads and present a bicriteria evaluation to consider energy consumption and job performance tradeoffs. We demonstrate significant energy savings of our proposed strategies under various workload conditions. We conclude with implementation guidelines and policy insights into energy-efficient computing resource management in large supercomputing data centers. History: Olivia Liu Sheng, Senior Editor; Xiaobai Li, Associate Editor. Funding: The authors thank the National Supercomputing Center of Singapore for enabling and supporting this research. J. Li received support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grants 71901169, 72032006, and T2293774]. Supplemental Material: The online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2023.1208. Collapse

Topics: data center high-performance computing task productivity resource allocation analytical information system

Methods: optimization model experiment simulation descriptive statistic longitudinal research

GDPR Privacy Type Clustering: Motivational Factors for Consumer Data Sharing

2023 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 7

Authors: Hanneke, Björn; Baum, Lorenz; Hinz, Oliver

Abstract: The GDPR introduced restrictive privacy-preserving measures, affecting the dail ... Expand

Abstract: The GDPR introduced restrictive privacy-preserving measures, affecting the daily life of (online) consumers. Moreover, literature shows that privacy preferences are constantly evolving. This is the first study introducing a GDPR exercising-oriented approach to identify consumer privacy types. Based on a representative sample of the German online population, we cluster consumers according to their privacy importance ("intention to act") and GDPR knowledge ("ability to act") and derive four consumer privacy type clusters: fundamentalists, amateurs, pragmatists, and unconcerned. We investigate motivational factors for changing privacy settings and find significant differences between consumers' intentions and actions for selected factors. This provides evidence for the privacy paradox. Contrarily, intentions and actions align for other factors, which supports the hypothesis that actionbased consent might lower the privacy paradox. Finally, we suggest the development of standardized scales and corresponding clustering methodologies for consumer privacy type clustering to increase comparability over time and across populations. Collapse

Topics: privacy legal context General Data Protection Regulation privacy behavior advertising management

Methods: cluster analysis survey archival research k-means clustering survey design

Doing More with Less: A Resource-Considerate Framework for SMEs on the Digital Transformation Journey

2023 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Hoang, Ton Nu Huong Giang; Nguyen, Thi Phuong Quyen; Bashir, Munirah; Teo, Hock-Hai

Abstract: Digital transformation (DT) is widely acknowledged as an effective strategy to ... Expand

Abstract: Digital transformation (DT) is widely acknowledged as an effective strategy to enhance revenue and business operations efficiency. However, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) often face significant challenges in implementing DT initiatives due to their inherent resource constraints, such as limited financial resources or a small workforce. Unfortunately, existing literature on how SMEs can effectively embrace digital transformation is limited; available frameworks are primarily tailored to large organizations with more resources. Hence, this study aims to develop a pragmatic DT framework specifically designed to aid SMEs in overcoming resource constraints that impede their successful DT transformation, while also leveraging their agile capability. The digital transformation framework was developed by combining prior literature with insights gathered through focus group discussions with industry experts from various industries. Our research contributes to the existing digital transformation literature by formulating a novel resource-considerate framework that caters to SMEs' unique characteristics, allowing them to implement DT initiatives without overburdening their limited resources. Collapse

Topics: digital transformation strategic management digital business IT manager systems implementation

Methods: design requirement focus group group interview grounded theory theory development

Examining the Relationship between National Cybersecurity Commitment, Culture, and Digital Payment Usage: An Institutional Trust Theory Perspective

2023 | Information Systems Frontiers | Citations: 1

Authors: Krishna, Ben; Krishnan, Satish; Sebastian, M. P.

Abstract: Cyberattacks can be considered one of the fundamental challenges that paralyze t ... Expand

Abstract: Cyberattacks can be considered one of the fundamental challenges that paralyze the progress of digital payment usage (DPU) progress among citizens, as consumers shun away from using digital banking services due to increased concern over information security. National Cybersecurity Commitment (NCSC) has emerged as a preventive cybersecurity mechanism for countries to tackle such cybersecurity threats. Previous studies have shown that a country's NCSC positively impacts the business and economy of the country. This study examines the effect of NCSC on digital payment usage (DPU) across nations by grounding our discussion on the institutional trust theory. As trusting belief in security measures is a culturally embedded characteristic, we also examine the moderating role of national culture through Hofstede’s cultural dimensions. We use multilevel models to analyze publicly available archives of repeated cross-sectional data covering 76 countries to test the proposed relationships. Our findings indicate that NCSC has a positive influence on DPU. Further, our results highlight that the relationship between NCSC and DPU in a country is contingent on cultural dimensions. Overall, the evidence suggests that a competent cybersecurity environment compatible with cultural values can influence the speedy diffusion of digital payments in a country. Implications of our findings for research and practice are also discussed. Collapse

Topics: IT security internet technology national culture electronic finance information system use

Methods: longitudinal research hierarchical linear modeling cross sectional research archival research time series analysis

Theories: trust theory cultural dimensions theory contingency theory theory of economic growth

“My Precious!”: A Values-Affordances Perspective on the Adoption of Bitcoin

2023 | Journal of the Association for Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Lichti, Constantin; Tumasjan, Andranik

Abstract: Given the growing pervasiveness of information systems (IS) in everyday life, r ... Expand

Abstract: Given the growing pervasiveness of information systems (IS) in everyday life, recent research has acknowledged that IS technologies are often not value free but are instead infused with fundamental personal values. However, little is known about how such values explain why people assimilate these technologies and their affordances. In the intriguing case of Bitcoin, personal values-especially libertarian political values-played an essential role in clarifying the ideological underpinnings of Bitcoin and its early adoption. Consequently, we draw on research on personal values and affordance theory to develop and test a model explicating how these personal values guide individuals toward using IS applications with salient affordances that address their values. Specifically, we hypothesize and test how individuals' personal values (i.e., libertarian political values) influence their attitudes toward Bitcoin affordances and their Bitcoin use behavior using data from a multiple administration survey of 236 users and nonusers of Bitcoin. Our results indicate that libertarian political values affect individuals' attitudes toward Bitcoin affordances, which in turn mediate the effects of these values on actual Bitcoin use. Our findings advance the field by demonstrating the importance of integrating values into the conceptualization of IS technology affordances. Collapse

Topics: Bitcoin affordance blockchain information system use user experience

Methods: theory development survey design artifact data transformation post-hoc analysis

Theories: theory of affordance sociomaterialism theory socio technical theory

Going Digital First while Safeguarding the Physical Core: How an Automotive Incumbent Searches for Relevance in Disruptive Times

2023 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Liu, Shiyuan(Eric); Essén, Anna; Mähring, Magnus

Abstract: Incumbent firms typically face significant risk of losing the relevance of thei ... Expand

Abstract: Incumbent firms typically face significant risk of losing the relevance of their physical core when facing industry disruption driven by digital technologies. Existing literature emphasizes a digital first approach, whereby firm offerings are fundamentally redeveloped from a digital point of view, from the point of conception. While this prescription can help accelerate innovation, it does not tell us how incumbents might safeguard the relevance of their traditional physical core resources when going digital first. This is important, since major discontinuities in strategic repositioning, while often celebrated in digital innovation and transformation literature, create significant risks to firm survival. To this end, we conduct a grounded analysis of a European automotive firm's innovation journey over an eight-year period. We contribute to the digital innovation and transformation literature by developing a process model explaining how a digital first approach can be employed in a way that also safeguards the physical core. Collapse

Topics: innovation management digital innovation digital transformation internet of things mobile system

Methods: qualitative interview business process modeling design pattern conceptual modelling qualitative coding

Is a Pretrained Model the Answer to Situational Awareness Detection on Social Media?

2023 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Lo, S.; Lee, K.; Zhang, Y.

Abstract: Social media can be valuable for extracting information about an event or incid ... Expand

Abstract: Social media can be valuable for extracting information about an event or incident on the ground. However, the vast amount of content shared, and the linguistic variants of languages used on social media make it challenging to identify important situational awareness content to aid in decision-making for first responders. In this study, we assess whether pretrained models can be used to address the aforementioned challenges on social media. Various pretrained models, including static word embedding (such as Word2Vec and GloVe) and contextualized word embedding (such as DistilBERT) are studied in detail. According to our findings, a vanilla DistilBERT pretrained language model is insufficient to identify situation awareness information. Fine-tuning by using datasets of various event types and vocabulary extension is essential to adapt a DistilBERT model for real-world situational awareness detection. Collapse

Topics: Twitter situational awareness social media Wikipedia wiki

Methods: BERT DistilBERT support vector machine machine learning word embedding

Are we on the right track? an update to Lyytinen et al.’s commentary on why the old world cannot publish

2023 | European Journal of Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Mettler, Tobias; Sunyaev, Ali

Abstract: In a thought-provoking paper published in EJIS more than a decade ago, Lyytinen ... Expand

Abstract: In a thought-provoking paper published in EJIS more than a decade ago, Lyytinen and colleagues asked the question, why does the “old world” perform poorly in high academic impact publishing? This triggered a lively debate on the epistemological and methodological traditions, preferences, and research practices of Europeans versus North Americans that has lasted until today. Is it still true, we asked ourselves, that European scholars generate less academic impact than their North American colleagues? Is the European research context indeed disadvantageous for developing high academic impact research? In this paper, we set out to explore these questions by analysing the Google Scholar profiles of 1713 IS researchers from all over the world. Our findings show that Northern and Western European scholars no longer seem to differ significantly from their North American peers, even though the different research contexts still exercise a certain level of influence. However, is this a development the “old world” desires? We provide an assessment and some suggestions for the future of European IS research. Collapse

Topics: IT investment productivity IS discipline Google+ problem solving

Methods: ANOVA parametric test bibliometric analysis statistical hypothesis test robust regression