Online Prosocial Microlending Decision Making: A Natural Experiment of Ebola Outbreak

2016 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Ding, Yi; Xu, Haifeng; Yang, Lusi; Tan, Bernard C Y

Abstract: In 2014, a devastating Ebola virus epidemic burst in West Africa, which tremendo ... Expand

Abstract: In 2014, a devastating Ebola virus epidemic burst in West Africa, which tremendously impaired the economies in the affected areas. During this crisis, in addition to traditional donations, some new forms of prosocial behaviors, such as online prosocial microlending, were adopted to help people in and near the affected areas. In this study, we extend the spotlight and gradient model to investigate people’s online prosocial microlending decision making after natural disasters, which is both financial (rational) and prosocial (irrational) in nature. By leveraging the Ebola outbreak in 2014, we design a natural experiment to compare lender’s online prosocial microlending behavior before and after the disaster. We find that the average amount of online prosocial microlending in unaffected areas increases after the natural disaster and the increase is negatively related to the distance between the borrower and the affected areas. Collapse

Topics: natural hazard decision making website

Methods: experimental group Student's t-test parametric test natural experiment difference in differences

Theories: cognitive attention theory

The Role of Online Peer-to-Peer Lending in Crisis Response: Evidence from Kiva

2016 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Yang, Lusi; Wang, Zhiyi; Ding, Yi; Hahn, Jungpil

Abstract: Online peer-to-peer (P2P) lending, a new form of microfinance, has been touted a ... Expand

Abstract: Online peer-to-peer (P2P) lending, a new form of microfinance, has been touted as to its prominent potential for reducing world poverty. Although a growing body of IS research has been devoted to examining online P2P lending, how such platforms actually make a difference in curbing poverty has yet to be fully explored. The Ebola outbreak of 2014 provides us a unique empirical opportunity to explore such broader impacts of online P2P lending. Leveraging this event as a natural experiment, we investigate how the demand and supply sides of P2P lending platforms react to an unpredictable crisis. Employing a difference-in-difference identification strategy with data from Kiva.org, we conduct country- and loan-level estimations. Preliminary results show upward trends on both demand and supply sides of P2P lending; borrowers request more financial capital and lenders are more active in their lending behaviors in the post-crisis period. We extend online P2P lending literature by investigating the influences of “off-platform” shocks on within-platform behaviors. Collapse

Topics: peer-to-peer lending crowdsourcing digital platform decision making application programming interface

Methods: experimental group regression analysis method difference in differences natural experiment propensity score matching

An alternative measure of the ICT-Opportunity Index

2010 | Information & Management | Citations: 0

Authors: Emrouznejad, Ali; Cabanda, Emilyn; Gholami, Roya

Abstract: We developed an alternative approach for measuring information and communication ... Expand

Abstract: We developed an alternative approach for measuring information and communication technology (ICT), applying Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) using data from the International Telecommunications Union as a sample of 183 economies. We compared the ICT-Opportunity Index (ICT-OI) with our DEA-Opportunity Index (DEA-OI) and found a high correlation between the two. Our findings suggest that both indices are consistent in their measurement of digital opportunity, though differences still exist in different regions. Our new DEA-OI offers much more than the ICT-OI. Using our model, the target and peer groups for each country can be identified. Collapse

Topics: decision making IT policy information technology infrastructure communication service infrastructure

Methods: descriptive statistic trade-off analysis method data envelopment analysis

Global Diffusion of the Internet VI: The Internet in Togo

2005 | Communications of the Association for Information Systems | Citations: 5

Authors: Bernstein, Adam; Goodman, Seymour E.

Abstract: The Global Diffusion of the Internet (GDI) framework is used to examine Internet ... Expand

Abstract: The Global Diffusion of the Internet (GDI) framework is used to examine Internet diffusion in Togo along six dimensions: Pervasiveness, Geographical Dispersion, Sectoral Absorption, Connectivity Infrastructure, Organizational Infrastructure, and Sophistication of Use. The Internet in Togo originated in the private sector in 1996. In the years that followed, the Togolese Internet grew at a slower rate than the Internet in many other countries over the same period of time. After examining how each dimension evolved, this study concludes, amongst many suggestions, that the Togolese government should encourage more telecommunication infrastructure development by allowing private companies to utilize Togo Telecom’s network. Collapse

Topics: internet technology technology diffusion health information system information technology capability IT project

Methods: qualitative interview longitudinal data analysis