Gamified monetary reward designs: Offering certain versus chance-based rewards

2023 | Information Systems Journal | Citations: 0

Authors: Adam, Martin; Reinelt, Annika; Roethke, Konstantin

Abstract: To motivate visitors to engage with websites, e-tailers widely employ monetary r ... Expand

Abstract: To motivate visitors to engage with websites, e-tailers widely employ monetary rewards (e.g., vouchers, discounts) in their website designs. With advances in user interface technologies, many e-tailers have started to offer gamified monetary reward designs (MRDs), which require visitors to earn the monetary reward by playing a game, rather than simply claiming the reward. However, little is known about whether and why gamified MRDs engage visitors compared to their non-gamified counterpart. Even less is known about the effectiveness of gamified MRDs when providing certain or chance-based rewards, in that visitors do or do not know what reward they will gain for successfully performing in the game. Drawing on cognitive evaluation theory, we investigate gamified MRDs with certain or chance-based rewards and contrast them to non-gamified MRDs with certain rewards in user registration systems. Our results from a multi-method approach encompassing the complementary features of a randomised field experiment (N = 651) and a randomised online experiment (N = 330) demonstrate differential effects of the three investigated MRDs on user registration. Visitors encountering either type of gamified MRD are more likely to register than those encountering a non-gamified MRD. Moreover, gamified MRDs with chance-based rewards have the highest likelihood of user registrations. We also show that MRDs have distinct indirect effects on user registration via anticipated experiences of competence and sensation. Overall, the paper offers theoretical insights and practical guidance on how and why gamified MRDs are effective for e-tailers. Collapse

Topics: website electronic mail electronic commerce gamification website design

Methods: experiment randomized field experiment survey experimental task mixed method

Theories: cognitive evaluation theory self determination theory

Brand Crisis and Customer Relationship Management on Social Media: Evidence from a Natural Experiment from the Airline Industry

2023 | Information Systems Research | Citations: 0

Authors: Al Balawi, Ramah; Hu, Yuheng; Qiu, Liangfei

Abstract: In this study, we investigate the effect of a brand crisis on the customer relat ... Expand

Abstract: In this study, we investigate the effect of a brand crisis on the customer relationship management (CRM) efforts of brands on social media. Despite the opportunities social media offers to brands to connect and engage with customers, it is still unclear how a brand crisis can change a brand’s social CRM efforts. Social media platforms can amplify the negative consequences of a brand crisis. However, the unique and public nature of social media platforms can offer new means for brands to handle a brand crisis and publicly manage their customer relationships. Compared with traditional CRM, social media enables brands to communicate with their customers publicly, which can strengthen their relationships with customers and maintain higher levels of customer engagement. Leveraging a natural experiment setting, we investigate the impact of the United Airlines crisis on three dimensions of social CRM efforts: informativeness, timeliness, and attentiveness. Contrary to traditional CRM efforts and recommendations, we find that the brand crisis increases informativeness efforts but reduces timeliness and attentiveness efforts.History: Yong Tan, Senior Editor; Beibei Li, Associate Editor.Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2022.1159. Collapse

Topics: social media Twitter customer service customer satisfaction customer relationship management

Methods: mediation analysis longitudinal research robustness check natural experiment experimental group

The Roles of Opinion Leaders in Elevating Online Health Discussion: Evidence from Reddit

2023 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Alazazi, Massara; Wang, Bin

Abstract: Social networking sites and online communities are used by billions of people g ... Expand

Abstract: Social networking sites and online communities are used by billions of people globally. It is important to understand the participation in these collaborative platforms and the roles different participants play. In this study, we examine the roles both local and global opinion leaders play and their influence on the community using content related to Covid mental health from Reddit. We employed social network analysis to identify opinion leaders based on their network position and connections, and we used sentiment analysis and econometric models to examine their impact on online health community participation. Our study reveals that global opinion leaders have more influence on thread participation than local opinion leaders. In addition, negative emotions expressed encourage more participants' involvement in online health community discussion. Collapse

Topics: electronic health Reddit covid 19 social network website

Methods: sentiment analysis social network analysis regression analysis method econometric modeling statistical hypothesis test

Impressionable or Immune? Examining the Influence of Marquee Sellers in B2B Secondary Market Platforms for IT Products

2023 | Information Systems Research | Citations: 0

Authors: Alhauli, Abdullah; Elmaghraby, Wedad J.; Gopal, Anandasivam

Abstract: Although digital platforms have become mainstream, there still remain some unans ... Expand

Abstract: Although digital platforms have become mainstream, there still remain some unanswered questions pertaining to managing platform ecosystems. One such unexplored question pertains to the effect of marquee sellers on the platform—marquee sellers arguably attract other sellers and buyers to the platform, thereby enhancing the platform’s value. In this paper, we study how adding a marquee seller to a business-to-business (B2B) secondary-market platform for IT products affects other sellers, in terms of the prices they obtain for comparable products. Using proprietary data on B2B secondary-market auctions obtained from a platform provider, we show that the entry of a marquee seller has a positive effect on the prices obtained by other sellers on the platform, reflecting a reference-price effect. We further show that this positive effect on final prices is moderated by the extent to which bidders are active on multiple seller sites on the same platform and the extent to which bidders participate in the marquee seller site. We explain these effects using theory in multihoming and involvement, in terms of how reference prices are set. Our work extends the platforms literature by considering the specific influence of a marquee seller on other sellers, thereby informing platform owners on the implications of the advice to add more marquee sellers to platforms. We also contribute to the literature on secondary markets for durable, used IT products, which are instrumental in reducing electronic waste and mitigating the environmental damage done by electronic products in landfills.History: Raghu Santanam, Senior Editor; Pallab Sanyal, Associate Editor.Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2022.1137. Collapse

Topics: Apple iPhone business-to-business willingness to pay network effect mobile system

Methods: robustness check descriptive statistic statistical hypothesis test post-hoc analysis ordinary least square

Theories: involvement theory

Is it possible to establish the link between drug busts and the cryptocurrency market? Yes, we can

2023 | International Journal of Information Management | Citations: 1

Authors: Almaqableh, Laith; Wallace, Damien; Pereira, Vijay; Ramiah, Vikash; Wood, Geoffrey; Veron, Jose Francisco; Moosa, Imad; Watson, Alastair

Abstract: Following the rampant increase in Bitcoin prices, there has been a proliferation ... Expand

Abstract: Following the rampant increase in Bitcoin prices, there has been a proliferation of cryptocurrencies, which have become a major way of doing business across national boundaries. This paper investigates the link between cryptocurrency markets and drug trafficking activities. More specifically, we explore the impact of the announcement of 24 major drug busts on the systematic risk and return of the world cryptocurrency market. We deploy an event study methodology to estimate the abnormal returns associated with drug trafficking activities in the cryptocurrency market. We find that the relationship between the two is quite strong in the case of some cryptocurrencies, albeit weaker in others. However, we show that drug bust news tends to create uncertainty, and accordingly impart risk into cryptocurrency markets. This study confirms the predictions of convenience theories of crime as to the relative attractiveness of cryptocurrencies to criminals, and the extent to which not only general, but also their own future interests, sacrificed readily on the altar of accessibility. We highlight how when social and regulatory foundations are weak, criminal behaviour may overwhelm virtual spaces, margin­ alizing more orthodox businesses, no matter how altruistic the intentions of their founders. Collapse

Topics: cryptocurrency Bitcoin criminality price management Ethereum

Methods: event study longitudinal research robustness check literature study econometric modeling

On Predicting ESG Ratings Using Dynamic Company Networks

2023 | ACM Transactions on Management Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Ang, Gary; Guo, Zhiling; Lim, Ee-Peng

Abstract: Environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations play an increasingly i ... Expand

Abstract: Environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations play an increasingly important role due to the growing focus on sustainability globally. Entities, such as banks and investors, utilize ESG ratings of companies issued by specialized rating agencies to evaluate ESG risks of companies. The process of assigning ESG ratings by human analysts is however laborious and time intensive. Developing methods to predict ESG ratings could alleviate such challenges, allow ESG ratings to be generated in a more timely manner, cover more companies, and be more accessible. Most works study the effects of ESG ratings on target variables such as stock prices or financial fundamentals of companies, but few works study how different types of company information can be utilized to predict ESG ratings. Previous works also largely focus on using only the financial information of individual companies to predict ESG ratings, leaving out the different types of inter-company relationship networks. Such inter-company relationship networks are typically dynamic, i.e., they evolve across time. In this paper, we focus on utilizing dynamic inter-company relationships for ESG ratings prediction, and examine the relative importance of different financial and dynamic network information in this prediction task. Our analysis shows that utilizing dynamic inter-company network information, based on common director, common investor and news event-based knowledge graph relationships, can significantly improve ESG rating prediction performance. Robustness checks over different time-periods and different number of time-steps in the future further validate these insights. Collapse

Topics: shapley additive explanation knowledge graph database system missing data network effect

Methods: machine learning econometric modeling longitudinal research Granger causality robustness check

Human vs. Automated Sales Agents: How and Why Customer Responses Shift Across Sales Stages

2023 | Information Systems Research | Citations: 0

Authors: Adam, Martin; Roethke, Konstantin; Benlian, Alexander

Abstract: Customers in sales processes increasingly encounter automated sales agents (ASAs ... Expand

Abstract: Customers in sales processes increasingly encounter automated sales agents (ASAs) that complement or replace human sales agents (HSAs). Yet, little is known about whether, how, and why customers respond to ASAs in contrast to HSAs across successive decision stages of the same sales process. Even less is known about customer responses to HSA-ASA combinations, where both agents assume distinct roles and focus on complementary tasks that are traditionally performed by only one single sales agent. Against this backdrop, this paper explores the influence of increasingly common sales representative (rep) types (i.e., ASA, HSA, and HSA-ASA) on customer decisions across sales stages. Drawing on information processing theory and the literature on hedonic-utilitarian decision making, we investigate customer responses to text-based ASAs from vendor companies in two common early stages of email sales processes (i.e., sales initiation stages) when customers successively decide whether to indicate their initial interest in an offer and then, whether to provide their contact information. Specifically, we conducted two complementary multi-decision experiments, namely (1) a randomized field experiment in a high-stakes sales initiation setting (n = 325) and (2) a subsequent randomized online experiment to complement the real-world insights (n = 408). Our core findings reveal reversing effect patterns of sales rep types across stages: although customers are more likely to indicate their initial interest to HSAs (versus ASAs) because of HSAs’ higher levels of social presence, they are less likely to provide contact information to HSAs because of HSAs’ lower levels of performance expectancy and effort expectancy. We also show that HSA-ASA combinations can be reasonable options for single ASAs, yet contextual features of the sales setting may affect differential customer responses to HSA-ASA combinations (versus ASAs) in each sales stage. Taken together, we uncover shifting effect patterns in customer responses to sales rep types across successive sales stages and shed light on the consecutive underlying mechanisms that explain these shifts. These findings have significant implications for vendor companies seeking to allocate HSAs and/or ASAs effectively across various decision stages in sales processes and beyond. History: Wonseok Oh, Senior Editor and Khim Yong Goh; Associate Editor. Funding: This work was supported by the Center for Responsible Digitality (ZEVEDI) and the German Research Foundation (DFG) [Grant 471168026]. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2022.1171. Collapse

Topics: electronic mail social presence decision making recommender system information system use

Methods: experiment randomized field experiment regression analysis method experimental task field experiment

Theories: information processing theory

Single-Sourcing vs. Multisourcing: An Empirical Analysis of Large Information Technology Outsourcing Arrangements

2023 | Information Systems Research | Citations: 0

Authors: Bapna, Ravi; Gupta, Alok; Ray, Gautam; Singh, Shweta

Abstract: As the information technology (IT) services landscape matures, clients are incre ... Expand

Abstract: As the information technology (IT) services landscape matures, clients are increasingly adopting multisourcing arrangements that involve multiple vendors. Although a large body of information systems (IS) literature addresses issues of whether to outsource (to a single vendor), what types of contracts to use, and how to achieve optimal relational governance, little is known about the antecedents and consequents of the single versus multisourcing decision. Moreover, while conceptual and analytical models of single-sourcing versus multisourcing have been developed, there is no empirical IS research using a large-scale data set with rigorous econometric analysis that examines the antecedents and consequents of multisourcing in the IT context. This paper fills this void, using the transaction cost economic lens and a data set of 49,057 large IT outsourcing arrangements that spans multiple industries and dates back 25 years. We find that there is a curvilinear relationship between number of IT services in an IT outsourcing arrangement and the likelihood of multisourcing. This relationship increases as the number of IT services increases to up to five services and then decreases. For managers who plan to multisource IT outsourcing arrangements, this research provides guidance to minimize exchange hazards through a better understanding of the relationship between sourcing choice, client IT outsourcing capabilities, the competitiveness of the vendor landscape, and the number of IT services in an IT outsourcing arrangement. We provide empirical evidence that the choice between single-sourcing and multisourcing is material to the performance of outsourcing contracts as an incorrect sourcing choice is likely to result in negative contract outcomes. History: Paul A. Pavlou, Senior Editor; Ning Su, Associate Editor. Collapse

Topics: outsourcing system integration IS management service desk data center

Methods: XGBoost robustness check machine learning k-nearest neighbor statistical hypothesis test

Theories: transaction cost economics game theory

Value Implications of Sourcing Electronic Health Records: The Role of Physician Practice Integration

2023 | Information Systems Research | Citations: 0

Authors: Bardhan, Indranil R.; Bao, Chenzhang; Ayabakan, Sezgin

Abstract: Should hospitals source electronic health records (EHR) systems from a single ve ... Expand

Abstract: Should hospitals source electronic health records (EHR) systems from a single vendor or multiple vendors to deliver high-value care? We study hospitals’ EHR sourcing strategies based on their degree of integration with physician practices and its impact on the value of healthcare delivered. We propose a novel framework to define healthcare value as the extent to which a hospital effectively expends clinical resources to deliver services that improve patient outcomes. Drawing on modular systems and transaction cost economics theories, we propose a moderated-mediation model that explores the pathways through which EHR sourcing strategies can create value in healthcare. We test our research hypotheses on a large, longitudinal sample of U.S. hospitals and observe that hospitals with EHR configurations closer to single sourcing strategies exhibit greater health information sharing compared with hospitals with multisourced EHR systems. Furthermore, we find that hospital-physician practice integration moderates the impact of single sourcing on health information sharing, which in turn, improves value. Specifically, tighter integration between hospitals and physician practices can create greater value if it is aligned with hospitals’ EHR sourcing strategies. As the healthcare industry moves toward value-based payment reform, our findings provide a useful roadmap to practitioners and policy makers to improve the performance of hospitals and healthcare providers. History: Rajiv Kohli, Senior Editor; Sunil Wattal, Associate Editor. Funding: I.R. Bardhan thanks the Foster Parker Centennial Professorship and the Dean’s Research Excellence Grant at the McCombs School of Business at UT Austin for generous financial support. C. Bao thanks the Spears Fellowship at Oklahoma State University for financial support. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2022.1183. Collapse

Topics: information exchange healthcare data health information system accounting database system

Methods: longitudinal research survey robustness check econometric modeling design artifact

Theories: transaction cost economics general systems theory institutional theory

Save Our Souls: Study of Twitter Use during India’s COVID-19 Pandemic

2023 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Bhattacharyya, Samadrita; Mojumder, Probal

Abstract: Twitter is a commonly used social platform for communication during disasters. ... Expand

Abstract: Twitter is a commonly used social platform for communication during disasters. Tweets by citizens during disasters to share information, seek, and offer help create a body of spontaneous, decentralized, emergent social media communication. Users' exploit Twitter's reach-enabling technological functionalities (hashtags (#), mentions (@), and 'reply-to') to draw attention to the messages. Set in context of the second wave of COVID-19 in India, that saw a surge in citizen-driven tweets seeking healthcare resources from fellow citizens and officials (i.e., SOS tweets), our paper empirically analyses the effects of Twitter's reach-enabling functionalities on online responses (i.e., retweets and replies) to these SOS tweets. We investigate the effects of inclusion of hashtags, mentions, and 'reply to' SOS tweets. We also examine the moderating effect of how the effects of the reach-enabling functionalities change as the social platform gets crowded with SOS tweets. The study offers various academic and practical implications. Collapse

Topics: Twitter pandemic social media Python societal evaluation criteria

Methods: propensity score method machine learning propensity score matching econometric modeling robustness check