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

Responsible innovation with digital platforms: Cases in India and Canada

2023 | Information Systems Journal | Citations: 6

Authors: Ahuja, Suchit; Chan, Yolande E.; Krishnamurthy, Rashmi

Abstract: Marginalized communities globally encounter grand challenges such as lack of acc ... Expand

Abstract: Marginalized communities globally encounter grand challenges such as lack of access to education, healthcare, and sustained livelihoods. Several initiatives to address these complex, global problems have resulted in fragmented solutions. Recognizing this, there have been several calls for the study of responsible innovation (RI) to address grand challenges. Digital platforms such as AirBnB, Uber and so forth have now become commonplace and are known to generate economic value but also face criticism for being exploitative and exclusive. Only a handful of studies show how similar platforms can innovate responsibly to serve marginalized communities by generating simultaneous economic and social value. To address this gap, our study examines the cases of two platforms that orchestrated ecosystems consisting of individuals from marginalized communities, government agencies, and other entities to provide physical, digital and societal solutions based on principles of RI. We contribute to the RI and IS literatures to show how RI solutions can be fostered through digital platforms to address grand challenges. The article provides empirical evidence of all four dimensions of the RI framework—anticipation, reflexivity, inclusion, and responsiveness - and their operationalization through digital platforms. This research lays the foundation for future studies at the intersection of RI and digital platforms literature. The study also provides practice insights on developing digital platform solutions for marginalized communities to address grand challenges and is useful to policymakers to formulate appropriate interventions. It pushes the theoretical and practice boundaries of our understanding of RI and digital platforms. Collapse

Topics: digital platform mobile application social media innovation management business model

Methods: qualitative interview theory development case study triangulation archival research

Theories: theory of economic development

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

Toward Business Models for a Meta-Platform: Exploring Value Creation in the Case of Data Marketplaces

2023 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Abbas, Antragama Ewa; Ofe, Hosea; Zuiderwijk, Anneke; De Reuver, Mark

Abstract: Investigating meta-platforms has been a continuing concern within information sy ... Expand

Abstract: Investigating meta-platforms has been a continuing concern within information system literature due to the increasingly complex constellations of platforms in ecologies of ecosystems. A meta-platform is a platform built on top of two or more platforms, hence connecting their respective ecosystems. One promising case to benefit from meta-platforms is data marketplaces: a particular type of platform that facilitates responsible (personal and non-personal) data sharing among companies. Given that business models for meta-platforms are largely unexplored in this emerging case, how they can create value for data marketplaces remain speculative. As a starting point toward business model investigations, this paper explores value creation of a meta-platform in the case of data marketplaces. We interviewed fourteen data-sharing consultants and six meta-platform experts. We identify three potential value creation archetypes of a meta-platform. The discovery aggregator archetype emphasizes searching and dispatching value, while the brokerage one focuses on promoting and supporting value. Finally, the one-stop-shop archetype creates value by standardizing, regulating, sharing, and experimenting. This study is among the first that explore value creation archetypes for a meta-platform, thus identifying core value as a base for further business model investigations. Collapse

Topics: value creation business model digital platform information technology infrastructure decision making

Methods: qualitative interview theory development personal interview longitudinal research

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

Institutional pressures and RegTech challenges for banking: The case of money laundering and terrorist financing in Lebanon

2023 | Journal of Information Technology | Citations: 0

Authors: Bakhos Douaihy, Houanyda; Rowe, Frantz

Abstract: As banks face heightened levels of regulatory challenges, many of them, especial ... Expand

Abstract: As banks face heightened levels of regulatory challenges, many of them, especially those in developing countries, are struggling to maintain their reputations. This paper addresses the following questions: How do commercial banks in developing countries like Lebanon respond to institutional pressures for compliance concerning anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-financing of terrorism (CFT)? How do Regulatory Technology (RegTech) solutions contribute to solving their compliance problems in this domain and why may the potential of RegTech be limited in the Lebanese context? To answer these questions, we conducted a field study among Lebanese commercial banks and their vendors. Based on thematic analysis, findings reveal the importance of technology for enhancing compliance of Lebanese banks with international regulations, especially US ones, thereby avoiding sanctions. Thus, the adoption of RegTech is mainly due to coercive pressures, whereas the choice of RegTech solutions is highly dependent on mimetic and normative forces, and happens later. Results also show that manual processes are insufficient for compliance due to the huge number of regulations and transactions. Hence, RegTech for AML/CFT is notably adopted for the efficient screening of clients and monitoring of their transactions. These solutions enhance decision-making processes for compliance teams, which become effective when the banks ensure an adequate interaction between employees and the new technologies. However, RegTech presents several additional challenges that have to be overcome for effective compliance such as finding the right vendors and ensuring data quality. Moreover, the geopolitical context in developing countries like Lebanon limits the potential of RegTech for AML/CFT. Collapse

Topics: decision making terrorist incident criminality IS discipline electronic finance

Methods: qualitative interview field study qualitative content analysis literature study theoretical contribution

Theories: institutional theory technology acceptance theory

Equity Crowdfunding and Access to Capital for User Entrepreneurs: Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment

2023 | Management Information Systems Quarterly | Citations: 0

Authors: Bapna, Sofia; Ganco, Martin

Abstract: We examine whether equity crowdfunding democratizes access to funding for nontr ... Expand

Abstract: We examine whether equity crowdfunding democratizes access to funding for nontraditional user entrepreneurs. User entrepreneurs start by creating a product to serve their own unmet needs with no expectations of monetary profit, then later decide to commercialize the product through entrepreneurship. In contrast, traditional (producer) entrepreneurs take a more profit-driven path to entrepreneurship and start by identifying an opportunity that has commercial potential. Through a randomized field experiment, we randomly reveal to some investors that a firm producing a product used by musicians is founded by a musician and conceal this founder-related information from other investors. Revealing the information suggests that the firm is a user innovator firm and concealing it suggests that the firm is a traditional producer firm. We find that investors are significantly more interested in the traditional producer firm. Through an additional field experiment, we identify that the bias against user entrepreneurs is statistical (based on a response to limited information) rather than taste based (based on an idiosyncratic dislike). Our findings suggest that user entrepreneurs can mitigate investor bias by displaying signals of quality such as those regarding firm growth and broad product appeal. Collapse

Topics: electronic mail crowdfunding crowdsourcing logistics management entrepreneurship

Methods: experiment survey expert panel regression analysis method field experiment

Workarounds as generative mechanisms for bottom-up process innovation—Insights from a multiple case study

2023 | Information Systems Journal | Citations: 0

Authors: Bartelheimer, Christian; Wolf, Verena; Beverungen, Daniel

Abstract: Workarounds are goal-driven deviations from the standard operating procedures pe ... Expand

Abstract: Workarounds are goal-driven deviations from the standard operating procedures performed to overcome obstacles constraining day-to-day work. Despite starting as temporary fixes, they can become established across an organisation and trigger the innovation of processes and IT artefacts that can resolve misfits permanently. Although prior research has elicited antecedents and types of workarounds, it is not known how workarounds diffuse in an organisation and, thereby, innovating co-workers' activities, IT artefacts, and organisational structures. The results of our multiple two-year case study provide unique empirical insights into the diffusion of workarounds and how they can act as generative mechanisms for bottom-up process innovation. Collapse

Topics: business process management innovation management business process innovation organization structure business process redesign

Methods: design artifact case study business process modeling qualitative interview qualitative coding

Theories: socio technical theory structuration theory

The Evaluation of Founder Failure and Success by Hiring Firms: A Field Experiment

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Botelho, Tristan L.; Chang, Melody

Abstract: Organizations tout the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship. Yet, when ... Expand

Abstract: Organizations tout the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship. Yet, when hiring it remains unclear how they evaluate entrepreneurial human capital—namely, job candidates with founder experience. How hiring firms evaluate this experience—and especially how this evaluation varies by entrepreneurial success and failure—reveals insights into the structures and processes within organizations. Organizations research points to two perspectives related to the evaluation of founder experience: Former founders may be advantaged, due to founder experience signaling high-quality capabilities and human capital, or disadvantaged, due to concerns related to fit and commitment. To identify the dominant class of mechanisms driving the evaluation of founder experience, it is important to consider how these evaluations differ, depending on whether the founder’s venture failed or succeeded. To isolate demand-side mechanisms and hold supply-side factors constant, we conducted a field experiment. We sent applications varying the candidate’s founder experience to 2,400 software engineering positions in the United States at random. We find that former founders received 43% fewer callbacks than nonfounders and that this difference is driven by older hiring firms. Further, this founder penalty is greatest for former successful founders, who received 33% fewer callbacks than former failed founders. Our results highlight that mechanisms related to concerns about fit and commitment, rather than information asymmetry about quality, are most influential when hiring firms evaluate former founders in our context. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2022.1592. Collapse

Topics: IT career human resource management entrepreneurship systems development innovation management

Methods: qualitative interview field experiment theory development experiment experimental design

Theories: lemon market theory

Team Performance: Nature and Antecedents of Nonnormal Distributions

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Bradley, Kyle J.; Aguinis, Herman

Abstract: Team research typically assumes that team performance is normally distributed: t ... Expand

Abstract: Team research typically assumes that team performance is normally distributed: teams cluster around average performance, performance variability is not substantial, and few teams inhabit the upper range of the distribution. Ironically, although most team research and methodological practices rely on the normality assumption, many theories actually imply nonnormality (e.g., performance spirals, team composition, team learning, punctuated equilibrium). Accordingly, we investigated the nature and antecedents of team performance distributions by relying on 274 performance distributions including 200,825 teams (e.g., sports, politics, firefighters, information technology, customer service) and more than 500,000 workers. First, regarding their overall nature, only 11% of the distributions were normal, star teams are much more prevalent than predicted by normality, the power law with an exponential cutoff is the most dominant distribution among nonnormal distributions (i.e., 73%), and incremental differentiation (i.e., differential performance trajectories across teams) is the best explanation for the emergence of these distributions. Second, this conclusion remained unchanged after examining theory-based boundary conditions (i.e., tournament versus nontournament contexts, performance as aggregation of individual-level performance versus performance as a team-level construct, performance assessed with versus without a hard left-tail zero, and more versus less sample homogeneity). Third, we used the team learning curve literature as a conceptual framework to test hypotheses and found that authority differentiation and lower temporal stability are associated with distributions with larger performance variability (i.e., a greater proportion of star teams). We discuss implications for existing theory, future research directions, and methodological practices (e.g., need to check for nonnormality, Bayesian analysis, outlier management). Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2022.1619. Collapse

Topics: team productivity customer service anonymity systems development virtual teamwork

Methods: meta analysis statistical hypothesis test Bayesian analysis descriptive statistic chi squared test