Data Science for Social Good

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

Authors: Abbasi, Ahmed; Chiang, Roger; Xu, Jennifer

Abstract: Data science has been described as the fourth paradigm of scientific discovery. ... Expand

Abstract: Data science has been described as the fourth paradigm of scientific discovery. The latest wave of data science research, pertaining to machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), is growing exponentially and garnering millions of annual citations. However, this growth has been accompanied by a diminishing emphasis on social good challenges-our analysis reveals that the proportion of data science research focusing on social good is less than it has ever been. At the same time, the proliferation of machine learning and generative AI has sparked debates about the sociotechnical prospects and challenges associated with data science for human flourishing, organizations, and society. Against this backdrop, we present a framework for "data science for social good" (DSSG) research that considers the interplay between relevant data science research genres, social good challenges, and different levels of sociotechnical abstraction. We perform an analysis of the literature to empirically demonstrate the paucity of work on DSSG in information systems (and other related disciplines) and highlight current impediments. We then use our proposed framework to introduce the articles appearing in the JAIS special issue on data science for social good. We hope that this editorial and the special issue will spur future DSSG research and help reverse the alarming trend across data science research over the past 30-plus years in which social good challenges are attracting proportionately less attention with each passing day. Collapse

Topics: societal evaluation criteria digital dashboard productivity social media pandemic

Methods: word embedding literature study literature sample longitudinal research design science

From Groups to Communities: A Resource Mobilization Theory Perspective on the Emergence of Communities

2023 | Information Systems Frontiers | Citations: 1

Authors: Angelopoulos, Spyros; Canhilal, Kubra S.; Hawkins, Matthew A.

Abstract: Groups and communities have been key topics in the information systems (IS) rese ... Expand

Abstract: Groups and communities have been key topics in the information systems (IS) research agenda. While communities are assumed to emerge at the intersection of overlapping groups and their practices, prior research has mainly focused on their dynamics and evolution. This has resulted to limited empirical support regarding the emergence of communities. We address that lacuna by tracing the emergence of communities through the prism of resource mobilization theory. In doing so, we make use of a unique longitudinal dataset and incorporate Topic Modelling, Bipartite Network Analysis, and Community Detection. We show that new communities are formed at the intersection of overlapping groups and practices. In addition, we contribute to the IS literature by demonstrating that their emergence occurs due to resource mobilization that gives rise to a shared mindset. We also reveal that multiple resources are incorporated into the practices of an emerging community. By combining large datasets and innovative computational approaches, we help IS theory and practice to move away from traditional "what" questions towards the more insightful "how" ones. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our work and delineate an agenda for future research on the topic. Collapse

Topics: accounting identity theft database system

Methods: longitudinal research theoretical contribution theory development network analysis topic model

Theories: information systems theory

Exploring the Interactions between Social Movement Activists and Target Organizations on Social Media

2023 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Bakhshi, Fateme; Faik, Isam

Abstract: Social movements are recognized as significant agents of change in modern socie ... Expand

Abstract: Social movements are recognized as significant agents of change in modern societies. Their influence is increasingly channeled through social media platforms to mobilize support and direct collective action toward targeted organizations. However, targeted organizations also resort to social media channels to counter the actions of social movements that are directed at them. There is little research on organizations' responses to movement's actions on social media. This study endeavors to explore the dynamics of interactions between social movement activists and their target organizations by utilizing narrative network analysis. Drawing on framing theory, this research endeavors to elucidate how social movement actors employ various frames. Specifically, we examine the Twitter accounts of various Canadian banks and activists targeting them for their investments in fossil fuels. We analyze the narrative networks and counter-networks to develop a theoretical understanding of how the social media interactions between activists and target organizations evolve over time. Collapse

Topics: social media Twitter web page design thinking

Methods: narrative network analysis network analysis computational algorithm event log

Theories: framing theory

DLT-based Regulatory Systems Dynamics

2023 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Beck, Roman; Jain, Geetika

Abstract: In this research, we examine the interplay between ‘actors’ and ‘agents’ in Dist ... Expand

Abstract: In this research, we examine the interplay between ‘actors’ and ‘agents’ in Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) systems. We identify regulatory interactions between off-chain agents setting the rules, as well as on-chain code as actors regulating the behavior of DLT users. We theorize about the relationship between agents and actors that mutually regulate each other in certain ways through the DLT system and identify the significant dimensions related to the trifecta in which the soft system agent sphere regulation of DLT is likely to interact with the hard system actor sphere regulation by DLT. By proposing the trifecta between DLT design, DLT protocol, and DLT use, we explain the relationship between these three and the role of DLT protocol as a mediator between DLT design and DLT use. Our research sheds light on the dynamics within DLT systems and the regulating forces at play from a systems’ thinking perspective.e. Collapse

Topics: blockchain IT governance distributed ledger technology peer-to-peer model information technology infrastructure

Methods: theory development design artifact structured literature research literature sample system dynamics

Theories: structuration theory

Blockchain technology and gender equality: A systematic literature review

2023 | International Journal of Information Management | Citations: 0

Authors: Di Vaio, Assunta; Hassan, Rohail; Palladino, Rosa

Abstract: This study examines the literary corpus on the role and potential of blockchain ... Expand

Abstract: This study examines the literary corpus on the role and potential of blockchain technology in promoting gender equality through the lens of new technology-oriented corporate governance models. It investigates if and how corporate governance models can include blockchain technology to add value to gender equality and inclusion processes, in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5. A bibliometric analysis of a database—containing 127 articles, 4 United Nations reports, 3 European institutions’ reports, 1 International Labour Office report, 1 World Economic Forum report, and 4 industry reports useful to our analysis—was conducted from 1990 to 2021, to provide a map of the knowledge generated and circulated by the literature. This study offers insights into publication activities, essential topics, citation trends, and the status of collaborations between contributors to previous research and aggregated contributions to the area of blockchain technology studies. Furthermore, the study offers a retrospective analysis of the content published in the blockchain technology field. The findings indicate that field research has focussed primarily on blockchain’s economic and financial attributes but not on social potential. This study emphasises the implementation of blockchain technology to manage gender equality and inclusion processes by orienting corporate governance models towards social and sustainable values. Collapse

Topics: blockchain database system information system use corporate governance business process management

Methods: bibliometric analysis literature sample qualitative content analysis VOSviewer literature study

Theories: institutional theory

Models as Social Actors in the Diffusion of AI Innovations: A Multilayer, Heterogeneous, Dynamic Network Perspective

2023 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Gao, Kaige; Yoo, Youngjin; Schecter, Aaron

Abstract: Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a crucial facet of contemporary tec ... Expand

Abstract: Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a crucial facet of contemporary technological innovation, influencing diverse domains. Consequently, understanding the diffusion and evolution of AI innovations is vital. Scholarly publications have commonly served as proxies for studying these AI innovations. However, previous studies on publication diffusion have largely overlooked the role of models, which is particularly integral for AI innovations as they bridge upstream datasets and downstream applications. Moreover, models form an interdependent network due to their combinational evolution. This paper addresses this gap, examining how the location, movement, and speed of model movement in that model network affect the dissemination of AI research. Using a four-layer network-author collaborations, paper citations, model dependencies, and keyword co-occurrences-we examine 345,383 AI papers from 2000345,383 AI papers from to 2022 This research aims to contribute to the diffusion of innovation literature and dynamic network analysis, offering several novel insights and advancements. Collapse

Topics: artificial intelligence innovation management diffusion of innovation website

Methods: co-citation analysis literature sample longitudinal research mathematical model statistical hypothesis test

Towards Artificial Intelligence Augmenting Facilitation: AI Affordances in Macro-Task Crowdsourcing

2023 | Group Decision and Negotiation | Citations: 0

Authors: Gimpel, Henner; Graf-Seyfried, Vanessa; Laubacher, Robert; Meindl, Oliver

Abstract: Crowdsourcing holds great potential: macro-task crowdsourcing can, for example, ... Expand

Abstract: Crowdsourcing holds great potential: macro-task crowdsourcing can, for example, contribute to work addressing climate change. Macro-task crowdsourcing aims to use the wisdom of a crowd to tackle non-trivial tasks such as wicked problems. However, macro-task crowdsourcing is labor-intensive and complex to facilitate, which limits its efficiency, effectiveness, and use. Technological advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) might overcome these limits by supporting the facilitation of crowdsourcing. However, AI’s potential for macro-task crowdsourcing facilitation needs to be better understood for this to happen. Here, we turn to affordance theory to develop this understanding. Affordances help us describe action possibilities that characterize the relationship between the facilitator and AI, within macro-task crowdsourcing. We follow a two-stage, bottom-up approach: The initial development stage is based on a structured analysis of academic literature. The subsequent validation & refinement stage includes two observed macro-task crowdsourcing initiatives and six expert interviews. From our analysis, we derive seven AI affordances that support 17 facilitation activities in macro-task crowdsourcing. We also identify specific manifestations that illustrate the affordances. Our findings increase the scholarly understanding of macro-task crowdsourcing and advance the discourse on facilitation. Further, they help practitioners identify potential ways to integrate AI into crowdsourcing facilitation. These results could improve the efficiency of facilitation activities and the effectiveness of macro-task crowdsourcing. Collapse

Topics: crowdsourcing artificial intelligence affordance user experience usability

Methods: qualitative interview literature study literature sample personal interview natural language processing

Theories: theory of affordance

Social aspects in organisational cyber-security effectiveness - Of British coal mines, resilience and emergence

2023 | International Conference on Business Informatics | Citations: 0

Authors: Hofmann, Tom Fabian; Paula, Danielly de; Uebernickel, Falk

Abstract: Cyber-security, which plays a key role in all areas of the digital world, from ... Expand

Abstract: Cyber-security, which plays a key role in all areas of the digital world, from the power grid to healthcare, is mainly addressed from an analytical, engineering perspective. This research looks at social factors impacting real-life cyber-security, and their possible effects, such as resilience and emergence. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 participants from a broad range of international organisations. Their analysis shows that social factors are indeed relevant to cyber-security. Tension within social structures in organisations (e.g., employee-supervisor relationship, and peer pressure within teams) can significantly impact cyber-security effectiveness. The study concludes that cyber-security should be addressed through social-technical system design, in recognition of the fundamental interdependence of social and technical aspects. As a corollary, organisational cyber-security needs to be treated as a so-called wicked problem, for which a reductionist engineering approach is futile. The complexity and ambiguity of cyber-security's socio-technical challenges calls for adequate principles, ways of thinking and methods. Collapse

Topics: IT security database system human centered design privacy

Methods: qualitative interview conceptual modelling network analysis personal interview design methodology

Theories: sociotechnical systems theory general systems theory complex adaptive system socio technical theory

I You! -Emojis as Emotional-Political Signifiers in Finnish Election Campaign Discussion Online

2023 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Kannasto, E.; Laaksonen, S.; Knuutila, A.

Abstract: Social media platforms and the forms of vernacular expression they support invi ... Expand

Abstract: Social media platforms and the forms of vernacular expression they support invite citizens to emotionally react to political content. This study focuses on the affective networks of emoji use in the Facebook comment threads on 18 politicians' public pages before the Finnish 2019 parliamentary elections. We aim to provide a more systematic study of the affective practices emerging from the use of emojis in specific contexts of online communication, such as in relation to particular political actors. We analyze the data using computational methods and network analysis and complement these methods with qualitative analysis. The results indicate that emojis are used to connect with ideological coalitions across the parties and to reinforce connections with political actors. Particular emojis become distinctive emotional-political signifiers whose connotations have departed from their original denotations and are formed and shared in specific communities in relation to specific political candidates and parties. Collapse

Topics: Facebook usability personalization Python enterprise architecture

Methods: network analysis cluster analysis computational algorithm

Theories: semiotic theory theory of affordance

Guest Editorial: Big data-driven theory building: Philosophies, guiding principles, and common traps

2023 | International Journal of Information Management | Citations: 0

Authors: Kar, Arpan Kumar; Angelopoulos, Spyros; Rao, H. Raghav

Abstract: While data availability and access used to be a major challenge for information ... Expand

Abstract: While data availability and access used to be a major challenge for information systems research, the growth and ease of access to large datasets and data analysis tools has increased interest to use such resources for publishing. Such publications, however, seem to offer weak theoretical contributions. While big data-driven studies increasingly gain popularity, they rarely introspect why a phenomenon is better explained by a theory and limit the analysis to data descriptive by mining and visualizing large volumes of big data. We address this pressing need and provide directions to move towards theory building with Big Data. We differentiate based on inductive and deductive approaches and provide guidelines how may undertake steps for theory building. In doing so, we further provide directions surrounding common pitfalls that should be avoided in this journey of Big-Data driven theory building. Collapse

Topics: big data social media misinformation online community user experience

Methods: theory development robustness check natural language processing exploratory data analysis artificial neural network

Theories: transaction cost economics