Avoiding the Diffusion of Responsibility in Social Networking Groups: A Field Experiment on Responses to Online Help-Request Referrals

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

Authors: Feng, Nan; Hu, Zhongtao; Wu, Yi; Choi, Ben

Abstract: Help-request referral (HRR) campaigns are being increasingly adopted by online s ... Expand

Abstract: Help-request referral (HRR) campaigns are being increasingly adopted by online service providers to attract online traffic and engage new users. In these campaigns, participants are required to collect a specific amount of help from their social network in exchange for attractive rewards. Participants often face challenges in obtaining positive feedback from their social networking groups due to the diffusion of responsibility. Based on the triangle model of responsibility, this study proposes and empirically tests a research model that examines two key determinants (i.e., request personalization and relational closeness) of recipients’ perceived responsibility that further shape their responses to HRR. Our field experiment empirically supports the research hypotheses. Overall, this study enriches the literature on online social referrals by focusing on HRR, where social referrals are broadcasted and senders reap referral benefits. The study also provides practical insights for HRR designers and social networking service providers. Collapse

Topics: personalization usability WeChat marketing management online word of mouth

Methods: survey experiment field experiment logistic regression analysis of covariance

Bots with Feelings: Should AI Agents Express Positive Emotion in Customer Service?

2023 | Information Systems Research | Citations: 0

Authors: Han, Elizabeth; Yin, Dezhi; Zhang, Han

Abstract: Customer service employees are generally advised to express positive emotion dur ... Expand

Abstract: Customer service employees are generally advised to express positive emotion during their interactions with customers. The rise and maturity of artificial intelligence (AI)–powered conversational agents, also known as chatbots, beg the question: should AI agents be equipped with the ability to express positive emotion during customer service interactions? This research explores how, when, and why an AI agent’s expression of positive emotion affects customers’ service evaluations. We argue that AI-expressed positive emotion can influence customers via dual pathways: an affective pathway of emotional contagion and a cognitive pathway of expectation–disconfirmation. We propose that positive emotion expressed by an AI agent (versus a human employee) is less effective in facilitating service evaluations because of a heightened level of expectation–disconfirmation. We further introduce a novel individual difference variable, customers’ relationship norm orientation, which affects their expectations toward the AI agent and moderates the cognitive pathway. Results from three laboratory experiments substantiate our claims. By revealing a distinctive impact of positive emotion expressed by an AI agent compared with a human employee, these findings deepen our understanding of customers’ reactions to emotional AIs, and they offer valuable insights for the deployment of AIs in customer service. History: Deepa Mani, Senior Editor; Pallab Sanyal, Associate Editor. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2022.1179. Collapse

Topics: artificial intelligence service quality customer service human AI collaboration social media

Methods: analysis of covariance experiment statistical hypothesis test chatbot theory development

Theories: information theory dual-system theory

Affordance Perception Through a Digital Mindset: A Dual Process Theory Perspective

2023 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Hildebrandt, Yannick; Beimborn, Daniel

Abstract: ... Expand

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Topics: affordance user experience usability crowdsourcing mindfulness

Methods: experiment analysis of covariance survey statistical hypothesis test parametric test

Theories: theory of affordance dual-system theory

Does being emotionally inexpressive in personal profile photos affect hiring assessments in online professional social networks?

2023 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Igbojekwe, Ugochi; Eziefuna, Ebere; Fan-Osuala, Onochie

Abstract: Online personal profile photos (PPPs) can serve as a source of impression forma ... Expand

Abstract: Online personal profile photos (PPPs) can serve as a source of impression formation and judgment about individuals. This study investigates how the emotionality expressed in a job candidate's online PPP on a professional social network (e.g., LinkedIn) affects a recruiter's perceptions of them. Drawing on social role theory and classifying job roles along agency (agentic) and communal dimensions, this paper proposes that job candidates whose emotional expression or inexpression in their online PPP is consistent with qualities associated with agentic and communal job roles are more likely to be perceived as competent and fit for the job role. Collapse

Topics: social network LinkedIn

Methods: experiment statistical hypothesis test longitudinal research analysis of covariance

Theories: role theory

Who is More Likely to Initiate Referrals? Effect of User’s Regulatory Focus on Referral Intention

2023 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Jin, Huijie; Lu, Shouwang; Wang, Kanliang

Abstract: The online referral reward program (ORRP) is a social marketing method by which ... Expand

Abstract: The online referral reward program (ORRP) is a social marketing method by which firms reward existing users and encourage them to recommend products or services to their friends. Prior research has primarily focused on the impact of ORRP design on users' participation, however, the role of individuals' characteristics is unexplored. Based on regulatory focus theory and self-efficacy theory, this research proposes and investigates the effect of users' regulatory focus (promotion-focused vs. prevention-focused) on their referral intention and explores its mechanism and boundary condition. The results of three experiments show that compared to prevention-focused users, promotion-focused users have higher selfefficacy to complete the referral task; and thus, have higher referral intention. This effect will be attenuated when the tie strength between inviters and invitees is strong. The findings not only contribute to the research on ORRP and regulatory focus but also provide guidance for firms to optimize ORRPs. Collapse

Topics: self efficacy mobile application electronic commerce video conference social media

Methods: parametric test Student's t-test experiment analysis of covariance mediation analysis

Theories: regulatory focus theory self efficacy theory

Seeking Information Using Search Engines: The Impact of Negation on Judgments

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

Authors: Kayhan, Varol; Warkentin, Merrill

Abstract: We examine how online searches lead to judgment formation in two contexts where ... Expand

Abstract: We examine how online searches lead to judgment formation in two contexts where statements are negated differently. In one context, a statement (of the form "if P then Q") is negated using "not" (as in "if P then not Q"), while in the other context, it is negated using a different term or phrase (as in "if P then R"). We show that online searches to find information about the validity of this statement generate different results in these contexts. Our findings contribute to extant work on online searches by suggesting that when individuals test the validity of a statement using search engines, their searches lead to categorically different results contingent on the search context. From a practical standpoint, we make recommendations to search engine developers and content providers so online searches generate more inclusive results. Collapse

Topics: search engine Google+ web page decision making accounting

Methods: experiment blood pressure experimental task statistical hypothesis test analysis of covariance

Pushing Yourself Harder: The Effects of Mobile Touch Modes on Users’ Self-Regulation

2023 | Information Systems Research | Citations: 0

Authors: Liu, Yang (Alison); Jiang, Zhenhui (Jack); Choi, Ben C. F.

Abstract: Many mobile applications use push notifications and reminders to explicitly educ ... Expand

Abstract: Many mobile applications use push notifications and reminders to explicitly educate, remind, and motivate users to perform healthy behaviors. However, users do not always act according to these explicit digital interventions. Our study investigates whether users’ self-regulation can be implicitly facilitated with a proper mobile interaction design. Specifically, we investigate the impacts of two touch modes that are supported by force-based interaction technology, that is, pressing and tapping. Drawing on the theory of embodied cognition, which suggests that people automatically infer meanings from their bodily actions, we conjecture that pressing, compared with tapping, enhances self-regulation because the action of pressing on the touchscreen embodies resolute approach motivation toward goals. We test our hypotheses in three experiments. The first experiment investigates beverage choices on a mobile app; the second experiment examines goal setting on a fitness app; and the third experiment focuses on personal hygiene learning on a mobile education app. The results from the three experiments show that pressing actions can improve users’ self-regulation in selecting a healthier but less tasty beverage (Study 1), setting higher exercise goals and performing more physical exercise (Study 2), and reducing lapses in maintaining personal hygiene (Study 3). In addition, such effects were more salient among users with a higher level of health knowledge and a promotion-focused health orientation. This study contributes to healthcare IT research by showing that mobile interaction can be leveraged to nudge users toward enhanced self-regulation. History: Alok Gupta, Senior Editor; David (Jingjun) Xu, Associate Editor. Funding: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grants 72202172 and 72032006], the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China [Grant HKU 17502921], the University Research Committee of the University of Hong Kong [Grant 201905159007], and the Ministry of Education of Singapore [Grants 2018-T1-002-097 and MOE2017-T2-1-127]. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2022.1155. Collapse

Topics: mobile application smartphone mobile system mobile fitness app health information system

Methods: experiment survey parametric test ANOVA data transformation

Theories: cognitive theory

Medium Minimization Effect of Medium-type Reward in the Online Referral Reward Programs: A General Evaluability Perspective

2023 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Lu, Shouwang; Li, Meng Xiang; Wang, Kanliang

Abstract: Medium-type reward is a token that people receive as an immediate reward for th ... Expand

Abstract: Medium-type reward is a token that people receive as an immediate reward for their effort and can be traded for a desired outcome, and has been widely used in various promoting campaigns. However, our understanding of its impact remains limited. This research focuses on the effect of medium-type reward on individuals' referral intention in online reward referral programs. Based on general evaluability theory, we propose the medium minimization effect, i.e., individuals have higher referral intention when the numerical value of medium-type reward is small (vs. large) and that the effect will be attenuated when the reward strategy does not care whether referral is successful or the actual reward is uncertain. Results of three experimental studies support our hypotheses. Findings put forward new insights into the medium effect, as well as its potential mechanism, and individuals' referral behavior, and can help firms optimize the design of online reward referral program systems. Collapse

Topics: mobile application electronic commerce decision making

Methods: parametric test ANOVA experiment survey literature study

The Effects of Digital Nudging on User Satisfaction in Online Customization

2023 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Lu, Shouwang; Wang, Kanliang

Abstract: As an emerging technological means to influence user, digital nudging is being ... Expand

Abstract: As an emerging technological means to influence user, digital nudging is being used by more and more custom manufacturers. This research explores the influence of digital nudging design in online customization system on user satisfaction. I propose that for novices, the adoption of digital nudging can reduce the design effort and increase their satisfaction; for experts, the adoption of digital nudging will reduce users' feeling of accomplishment and reduce satisfaction. In addition, the influence of overt digital nudging (ODN) is stronger than that of covert digital nudging (CDN). We designed 3 experiments to investigate them. This research can extend the understanding of the study on user customization satisfaction and the effect of digital nudging and provide guidance for manufacturers to optimize the design of customization systems. Collapse

Topics: user satisfaction decision making IT skill participatory design knowledge type

Methods: experiment analysis of covariance survey parametric test Student's t-test

Situational Contingencies in Susceptibility of Social Media to Phishing: A Temptation and Restraint Model

2023 | Journal of Management Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Qahri-Saremi, Hamed; Turel, Ofir

Abstract: User susceptibility to phishing messages on social media is a growing informatio ... Expand

Abstract: User susceptibility to phishing messages on social media is a growing information security concern. Contingency factors that can influence this susceptibility and the theoretical mechanisms through which they operate need more scholarly attention. To bridge this gap, we present a temptation and restraint (TR) model (a specific manifestation of the dual–system theory) of social media phishing susceptibility, which explains it as an outcome of a struggle between users' temptation toward engaging with a social media phishing message and their cognitive and behavioral restraint against it. The balance in this struggle is a function of various situational contingencies. First, via a Delphi study, we identify four key situational contingency factors in the context of social media that can influence this balance: (1) poor sleep quality, (2) social media ostracism, (3) source likability, and (4) fear appeals. Next, via five randomized controlled experiments using an ostensible social media paradigm with social media users, we show that the TR model explains (a) why and how users engage with social media phishing messages, and (b) when users are more or less susceptible to it based on key situational contingency factors. Our findings offer a nuanced perspective on social media phishing susceptibility, elucidate the fundamental roles of situational contingencies in the genesis of social media phishing victimization, and delineate important directions for future research in this area Collapse

Topics: social media phishing armed conflict decision making user behavior

Methods: experiment regression analysis method delphi study analysis of covariance mixed method

Theories: big five model dual-system theory