Information Systems Research - An INFORMS Journal

Information Systems Research (ISR) has published a new article in Articles in Advance:   “SKILL-BIASED TECHNICAL CHANGE, AGAIN? ONLINE GIG PLATFORMS AND LOCAL EMPLOYMENT” Xue Guo, Georgia State University Aaron Cheng, London School of Economics and Political Science Paul A. Pavlou, University of Miami Problem This research investigates the impact of online gig platforms like TaskRabbit on the employment of incumbent service workers, particularly focusing on the housekeeping occupations. It also examines how these platforms influence workers across different skill levels, highlighting the varying effects on low-skilled and middle-skilled workers. Relevance Amidst competing narratives about the gig economy’s influence on labor markets, this study provides critical insights into the role of online gig platforms in redistributing existing workforce and creating new employment opportunities. It also informs policymakers and industry practitioners navigating the gig economy and stimulating local entrepreneurial endeavors. Theoretical foundations This study builds on existing literature on gig platforms and Skill-biased Technological Change (SBTC), theorizing how these platforms reshape workforce composition and skill distribution. Methodology This study exploits TaskRabbit’s staggered expansion across U.S. cities at different times, employing a range of causal inference methods including Difference-in-Differences (DiD), heterogeneity-robust DiD models, Generalized Synthetic Control (GSC) method, and comprehensive robustness checks. Results The analysis reveals a significant decline in the number of incumbent housekeeping workers following TaskRabbit’s entry, driven primarily by a reduction in middle-skilled workers (e.g., first-line managers, supervisors) wose tasks are more susceptible to automation by TaskRabbit’s algorithms. In contrast, low-skilled workers (e.g., janitors, cleaners) were less affected due to the manual nature of their tasks. Interestingly, instead of being displaced through layoffs or shifts to industries, middle-skilled workers are more likely to transition to self-employment within the housekeeping sector. Contributions This study reconciles competing predictions regarding the labor effects of gig platforms. Moving beyond the simplistic binary view of the labor effect of technology as either complementarity or substitutive, this study unpacks nuanced mechanisms of how gig platforms facilitate a workforce shift toward self-employment and local entrepreneurial opportunities.   Keywords Gig Platforms, Employment, Skill-Biased Technical Change, Difference-in-Differences, Generalized Synthetic Control   Link to article: https://lnkd.in/eKvjuNnq   Suprateek Sarker, Editor-in-chief   Tanya Beaulieu, Social Media Manager

Information Systems Research (ISR) has published a new article in Articles in Advance:   "Return of the Movie Night? Analyzing the Impact of Netflix Subscriptions on Offline Movie Spending"   Sihan Fang, SJTU Hyeokkoo Eric Kwon, NTU Anand Gopal, NTU Yongjin Park, CityU HK Problem Online video services like Netflix have become very popular. However, it is not clear how their popularity affects the demand for offline movies. We study if the spending on offline movies reduces as a result of Netflix subscription in Korea, and find that offline movie spending intriguingly increases post-subscription but shifts towards providing more hedonic and social value to the average consumer.   Relevance Our work thus speaks to policies in some countries where platforms have been restricted, given concerns about disruption of the offline movie industry. In contrast, we show how the two services are differentiated, by highlighting the specific social and hedonic aspects of the services they provide.   Theoretical foundation We use theory in technology substitution, disruption, and expectation disconfirmation in formulating our hypotheses.   Methodology We use secondary data from a Wallet app that tracks all forms of spending for consumers over a period of time. The data identifies all transactions, the dates of transactions, as well as their categories, allowing us to isolate consumer spending patterns before and after they acquire Netflix subscription.   Results Our work provides three key findings. First, Netflix subscription is associated with an increase in offline movie spending – streaming video alone may not satisfy the social and hedonic needs associated with watching movies. Second, we see an increase in spending per movie event - consumers shift spending to value-added movie services (such as IMAX) or watching movies with company. Movie spending is combined with dinner and entertainment post-subscription, indicating higher social interactions. Finally, the effect on movie spending is higher for certain segments, such as lower income and younger people, that tend to be driven by social and hedonic benefits. For these customers, offline movies retain value.   Contributions Our work contributes to the literature on technology substitution and disruption. By showing that online video streaming and offline movies can actually co-exist in the marketplace, we tackle questions of whether streaming services will disrupt traditional movies. Our work actually shows how coexistence may be driven by the demand for hedonic and social value for the customer.   Keywords Subscription-based Services, Offline Movie Spending, Hedonic Value, Quasi-Experimental Design, Social Value   Link to article: https://lnkd.in/eyx_5kc2   Suprateek Sarker, Editor-in-chief   Tanya Beaulieu, Social Media Manager

Information Systems Research (ISR) has published a new article in Articles in Advance:   Article Title "Player-versus-Player Game Design and Pricing: A Tournament Design Perspective"   Authors Haowen Deng, School of Management, Fudan University Yifan Dou, School of Management, Fudan University Zenan Wu, School of Economics, Sustainability Research Institute, Peking University Cheng Zhang, School of Management, Fudan University   Problem How can PvP game developers make the most value out of free players who never pay?   Relevance In PvP games, many players gear up to win in battles—a strategy known as "pay-to-win." While this boosts revenue, it risks alienating non-paying players. This paper explores how game developers can maintain profitability while engaging experiences for all players.   Theoretical foundations Product line design, versioning models, tournament design.   Methodology We employed a game-theoretical model to uncover the mechanism behind PvP games. Unlike traditional methods that assume each new user adds the same value, our approach allows the game developer to decide whether new players enhance the experience or, in some cases, even make it less enjoyable for existing players.   Results When the game developer can flexibly adjust how often players win in battles, players who are unwilling to pay can be made to pay in kind by letting the payers win more frequently. By doing this, the developer can attract a larger audience by offering multiple free versions that appeal to various tastes without hurting the profits from paid versions.   Contributions Our study sheds new light on the value of free users and explains why offering various free versions is possible and profitable when the developer can strategically design the pay-to-win balance.   Keywords online games, tournament design, versioning, network effects   Link to article: https://lnkd.in/egD6RKiZ   Suprateek Sarker, Editor-in-chief   Tanya Beaulieu, Social Media Manager

Information Systems Research (ISR) has published a new article in Articles in Advance: Article Title "An Experimental Evaluation of Gender Differences in Responses to Major-Donor Funding Schemes for Crowdfunded Social Ventures"   Authors Sofia Bapna, Carlson School of Management, University of MN  Gordon Burtch, Questrom School of Business, Boston University    Problem We examine what type of major-donor contribution scheme used in the context of crowdfunding is most likely to attract smaller donors. In particular, we identify whether and to what degree male and female donors differ in their response to alternative major-donor contribution schemes that are commonly used in practice.   Relevance Social ventures (organizations that seek to address social or societal problems) fundraising through crowdfunding compete for contributions. Thus, they often involve major donors to influence the contributions of smaller donors. Our study can help social ventures maximize the benefit of a hard-earned major-donor contribution by steering the major-donor to contribute through the scheme that is most effective at influencing subsequent contributions. Methodology We collaborated with Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft, an Austrian government agency that funds innovation. They were interested in identifying the best scheme through which they could fund social projects (as major donors). To answer this question, they worked with us, implemented a new funding program (funding of up to € 75,000 to each company that qualified), and executed a randomized field experiment. We also leveraged publicly available data from a published that (Amer. Econ. J.: Econ. Policy) field experiment to replicate our findings in an independent sample. This replication helps generalize our findings to fundraising that occurs outside the context of crowdfunding. Results When informed that a major donor has kicked off a crowdfunding campaign with an initial contribution, women are 50% more interested in contributing relative to when no major-donor was mentioned, and 35% more interested in contributing relative to when they were informed that the major-donor’s contribution is conditional on the combined donations from others reaching a certain threshold. Unlike females, males appear to be agnostic to major donor involvement. Contributions Our study suggests that social ventures will be more successful at attracting contributions from female donors if a major donor kicks off the campaign with an initial contribution. Keywords crowdfunding, rewards-based crowdfunding, lead donors, major donors, matched funding, seed funding, randomized field experiment, social ventures   Link to article: https://lnkd.in/e873mHF3   Suprateek Sarker, Editor-in-chief   Tanya Beaulieu, Social Media Manager

Information Systems Research (ISR) has published a new article in Articles in Advance:   Article Title "Fashionable Consumer Technology, IT Fashion, and Consumer Behavior"   Authors Varun Grover, Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas Xinhui Zhan, Price College of Business, University of Oklahoma Heshan Sun, Price College of Business, University of Oklahoma Dan (Claire) Jiang   Problem Information technology and fashion, which were traditionally viewed as an unlikely pairing, have become increasingly intertwined. We label this unique phenomenon as "consumer IT fashion" — the collective enthusiasm in society for consumer technology. This study addresses two questions: what is IT fashion and how do individual consumers perceive IT fashion? How does IT fashion influence consumers’ behaviors?   Relevance As fashionable technology continues to emerge, it is crucial to understand how consumers perceive IT fashion and its impact on consumer behavior. Our paper offer insights for marketing, product design, and consumer education.   Theoretical foundations Drawing on the fashion literature, we develop a research model of IT fashion at the individual-level to describe how IT fashion influences consumer perceptions and behaviors.   Methodology Two empirical studies were conducted. We introduce new measures that can be applied to further research on IT fashion.   Results Consumer IT fashion is a salient and complex social phenomenon that impacts individuals within society. We perceive how the society views the technology (conceptualized as Perceived Societal-Level IT Fashion), assess how fashionable we personally find it (conceptualized as Perceived Fashionableness of IT). These perceptions influence whether we want to use this fashionable technology to make us feel connected to others (conceptualized as External Symbolic Values) or express our own style (conceptualized as Internal Symbolic Values), ultimately leading to the adoption, but not necessarily their willingness to pay a premium of the fashionable technology.   Contributions This paper offers a novel research framework for understanding consumer IT fashion, introducing new constructs and measures that can be utilized in future research. For practitioners, the findings highlight the importance of both social influence and symbolic value in driving tech adoption. For policy makers, it provides insights into how societal trends can shape technology diffusion and consumer behavior.   Keywords IT fashion, fashionable consumer technology, perceived societal-level IT fashion, perceived fashionableness of IT, symbolic values, empirical study   Link to article: https://lnkd.in/eXEnqQMZ   Suprateek Sarker, Editor-in-chief   Tanya Beaulieu, Social Media Manager

Information Systems Research (ISR) has published a new article in Articles in Advance:   Article Title Customer Engagement Prediction on Social Media: A Graph Neural Network Method   Authors Tengteng Ma, University of South Florida Yuheng Hu, University of Illinois at Chicago Yingda Lu, University of Illinois at Chicago Sid Bhattacharyya, University of Illinois at Chicago   Problem Predicting customer engagement on social media platforms is a challenging task due to the dynamic and complex nature of online interactions. Traditional methods often fall short in capturing the relationships between users, posts, and brands, which are crucial for accurate engagement forecasting. This study introduces a novel graph neural network framework that leverages the rich relational data inherent in social media to enhance the effectiveness of engagement predictions.   Relevance Predicting customer engagement on social media is vital for effective marketing and brand management. As social media's role in consumer interactions grows, understanding engagement patterns allows brands to optimize their content and strategies, leading to higher engagement, better resource allocation, and increased brand loyalty. This research provides a tool for data-driven digital marketing.   Theoretical foundations The study is grounded in customer engagement theories, particularly the concepts of user similarity, brand loyalty, and brand affinity, which are operationalized through theory-driven meta-paths in a heterogeneous customer-brand network.   Methodology The research proposes a deep learning model that leverages heterogeneous network data from social media platforms. The model uses customer engagement theory guided meta-paths combined with graph neural networks to predict engagement. The methodology is innovative in its integration of domain-specific knowledge into the deep learning framework.   Results The proposed model significantly outperforms traditional methods in predicting customer engagement on social media, demonstrated by substantial improvements in key performance metrics. Additionally, the attention mechanism enables the model to effectively assess the significance of various engagement driving factors, thereby revealing the key influences on different users' engagement behaviors.   Contributions This study integrates theoretical insights to a deep learning approach. It contributes to the fields of social media marketing and machine learning by providing an interpretable model that can be applied to improve marketing strategies and customer targeting. Keywords: Customer engagement, Social media, Graph neural network, Attention mechanism   Link to article: https://lnkd.in/edKj9e3p   Suprateek Sarker, Editor-in-chief   Tanya Beaulieu, Social Media Manager

Information Systems Research (ISR) has published a new article in Articles in Advance:   Article Title “Untangling the Performance Impact of E-marketplace Sellers’ Deployment of Platform-based Functions: A Configurational Perspective"   Authors Jicheng Zeng, Hong Kong Baptist University Yulin Fang, The University of Hong Kong Huifang Li, University of Science and Technology of China Youwei Wang, Fudan University Kai H. Lim, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.   Problem This study explores how e-marketplace sellers can strategically deploy platform-based functions (PBFs) to supercharge their sales performance. By adopting a novel configurational perspective, it unravels the intricate interplay among PBFs, reputation, and product positioning strategies.   Relevance In today's booming e-commerce landscape, mastering the art of leveraging platform functions is pivotal for sellers to gain a competitive edge and thrive in cutthroat online marketplaces.   Research Gap While previous studies examined individual PBFs or overall repertoire traits, our research pioneers a holistic understanding of how specific PBF combinations synergistically drive high performance.   Methodology Employing qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), a set-theoretic technique, we dissect the "configurations" of causal conditions underpinning sellers' sales success. QCA enables reliable analyses of how causal conditions contribute to an outcome of interest.   Key Findings: Sellers should strategically configure PBFs aligned with their product strategies and reputation levels for optimal performance impact. Counterintuitively, reputable high-priced product sellers may underperform by overemphasizing pricing and marketing functions. After-sales functions exhibit intricate complementary, substitutive, and independent relationships with seller reputation. High and low sales configurations exhibit an asymmetric relationship.   Contributions:  Illuminates inconsistencies in prior findings by unveiling how PBF combinations, rather than individual functions, drive performance. Elucidates reputation's nuanced interplay with assurance mechanisms like after-sales service, acting as complements or substitutes contextually. Enriches competitive dynamics discourse by decoding the interdependencies among actions, reputation, and positioning fueling performance. Offers prescriptive guidance with tailored high-performance PBF combinations for sellers across varied price points, product ranges, and reputation levels.   Keywords platform-based functions, sales performance, configurational approach, seller reputation, product positioning, e-marketplace, qualitative comparative analysis   Link to article: https://lnkd.in/exAczEDV   Suprateek Sarker, Editor-in-chief   Tanya Beaulieu, Social Media Manager

Information Systems Research (ISR) has published a new article in Articles in Advance:   Article Title: "Win by Hook or Crook? Self-injecting Favorable Online Reviews to Fight Adjacent Rivals"   Authors Le Wang (https://lnkd.in/eTW6W4cP), School of Economics and Finance, Xi’an Jiaotong University, China Xin (Robert) Luo, Anderson School of Management, University of New Mexico, USA Liangfei Qiu, Warrington College of Business, University of Florida, USA Feng Xu, School of Management, University of Michigan at Dearborn, USA Xueying Wang, School of Economics and Finance, Xi’an Jiaotong University, China   Problem Does rivalry, like competition, fuel online self-injecting behaviors or inhibit online self-injecting behaviors? How does the effect of rivalry on firms’ online self-injecting behaviors vary with hotel heterogeneity? Relevance Our empirical evidence offers critical managerial implications for online platforms, sellers, and consumers to reduce unethical behavior by cultivating the perception of rivalry. Theoretical foundations Drawing on the collective regulatory focus framework and deterrence theory, we posit that rivalry-induced deterrence triggers a shift in mindset from promotion focus to prevention focus, which leads to the formation of mutual forbearance in self-injecting behaviors.   Methodology A series of regression models using two stage least square estimation were performed. We used multiple instrumental variables to account for the potential endogeneity issues.   Results The presence of an additional rival leads to a 3.2% decrease in self-injecting intensity. Furthermore, self-injecting intensity increases by 0.095% for every 1% rise in that of the rivals and increases by 0.041% for a 1% rise in that of the non-rival competitors. firm reputation strengthens the negative relationship between the number of rivals and self-injecting intensity and weakens the positive relationship between a hotel’s self-injecting and its rival’s self-injecting intensity.   Contributions Literature has long assumed that unethical behaviors are fueled by competition. Under this premise, rivalry and competition are often treated interchangeably. This study challenges this prevailing notion by introducing a conceptual distinction between rivalry and competition. This study identifies rivalry as a hitherto undiscovered inhibitor of online self-injecting behaviors and provides an opportunity to quantify the effect of rivalry on unethical behaviors such as self-injecting intensity studied in this paper.   Keywords Rivalry, Competition, Unethical behavior, Review manipulation, Self-injecting favorable reviews Link to article: https://lnkd.in/eYDuaP3R   Suprateek Sarker, Editor-in-chief   Tanya Beaulieu, Social Media Manager

Information Systems Research (ISR) is pleased to announce the new September issue, Volume 35, Issue 3 is now available online. https://lnkd.in/ea8U33Kh   Suprateek Sarker, Editor-in-Chief

Information Systems Research (ISR) has published a new article in Articles in Advance:   Article Title "Does David Make A Goliath? Impact of Rival's Expertise Signals on Online User Engagement"   Authors  Ayushi Tandon, PhD, Mahindra University - School Of Management, India Swanand Deodhar, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, India Abhas Tandon Abhinav Tripathi   Problem We examine the antecedents of user engagement in online competitive settings wherein users compete with each other. Specifically, we examine in mobile gaming competition how information signals about a rival's expertise influence the given user's engagement.   Relevance Mobile gaming market is set to hit $173 billion by 2026 as smartphones become our constant companions. However, with a flood of new games, especially competitive ones, keeping players engaged is a challenge.   Theoretical foundations Our research uses status as the foundational theoretical construct. More specifically, we draw from the prior work suggesting that status is a shown relative signal while performance is an absolute signal of the rival's expertise. This distinction in representation, we argue, influences user engagement differently.   Methodology Our study uses a randomized field experiment wherein a 2-player mobile game interface was altered to include status and past performance as signals of rival expertise. Additionally, we conducted an online survey to further ascertain that the two signals are indeed viewed as relative and absolute indicators of expertise.   Results Status and past performance signal differentially impact user engagement. While high-status rivals deter engagement, high past-performance rivals do not. Conversely, when competing against moderate past-performance rivals, users depicted a stronger reliance on current performance of rivals.   Contributions Our research broadens the pool of antecedents influencing user engagement. Moreover, we contribute to the existing literature on status by empirically demonstrating the distinct impacts and underlying mechanisms of relative and absolute indicators of expertise on user engagement.   Keywords User engagement, Mobile games, Status effect, Past performance, Field experiments Link to article: https://lnkd.in/eQA-jae6   Suprateek Sarker, Editor-in-chief   Tanya Beaulieu, Social Media Manager