Informal Legacy and Exporting Among Sub-Saharan African Firms

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Larsen, Marcus M.; Witte, Caroline T.

Abstract: Around the world and especially in areas of widespread poverty, firms start thei ... Expand

Abstract: Around the world and especially in areas of widespread poverty, firms start their operations without registering with relevant authorities (i.e., in the informal economy). We explore whether firms that initiated their operations in the informal economy but later register have a higher propensity to export than firms that register at the time of their foundation. We reason that the experience of having operated informally provides formally registered firms with the advantage of low-cost and flexible exploration but also a domestic legitimacy liability. We suggest that these factors likely contribute to making foreign export markets more attractive after registration. Based on a comprehensive sample of sub-Saharan African firms, we find that, conditional on registration, firms with an informal legacy have a higher propensity to initiate exporting than firms that started their operations formally. We contribute with theoretical and policy-oriented insights on the dynamics of informality and exporting. Funding: The work of M. M. Larsen was supported by the Carlsbergfondet [Grant CF17_0384]. Collapse

Topics: financial performance logistics management business model anonymity innovation management

Methods: survey descriptive statistic regression analysis method statistical hypothesis test logistic regression

Theories: theory of abduction transaction cost economics

Popperian Falsificationism in IS: Major Confusions and Harmful Influences

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

Authors: Mao, Mingsong; Siponen, Mikko; Nathan, Marco

Abstract: The current relationship between Popper's philosophy of science and Information ... Expand

Abstract: The current relationship between Popper's philosophy of science and Information Systems (IS) is complex and often confused. On the one hand, many influential members of the IS community claim that much IS research follows Popper's falsificationism. On the other hand, many assumptions underlying Popper's falsificationism, including the nature of theories as exceptionless laws rejected by a singular unsupportive observation are inappropriate and misleading. Moreover, Popper also rejected all inductive inferences and inductive methods as unscientific which, alas, has led some influential IS scholars to dismiss inductive inferences in major IS methodologies. Such Popperian advice is harmful as virtually all statistical or qualitative IS research relies on inductive inferencesand there is nothing wrong with that. Finally, we offer a solution for how to deal with the scientific significance of the problem of induction. This solution is inductive fallibilism. This means recognizing that theories, rather than always being held as true or false simply, often contain varying inductive supportive and unsupportive evidence. Collapse

Topics: IT investment

Methods: case study qualitative interview single case study

Securing online accounts and assets: An examination of personal investments and protection motivation

2023 | International Journal of Information Management | Citations: 0

Authors: Ogbanufe, Obi

Abstract: This paper examines how personal investment influence the use of multi-factor au ... Expand

Abstract: This paper examines how personal investment influence the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA) for securing online accounts. We draw from the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) that accounts for intrapersonal factors that increase one’s understanding of their threat and coping mechanisms and, subsequently, their motivation to protect such investments. We integrate size of investment – the amount of time, effort, and other personal resources that an individual has put into their online account. Based on PMT’s framework, we develop a research model that examines the influence of investment size as an information source that initiates and builds threat and coping appraisals. The model is tested with a survey of 263 responses, and the result shows that investment size influences threat and coping appraisals, which in turn increases MFA protection motivation and use. These results highlight the importance of eliciting individuals’ personal investments in order to improve their protective security behaviors. Collapse

Topics: self efficacy electronic authentication IT security multi-factor authentication data security

Methods: survey structural equation modeling partial least squares path modeling correlation analysis survey design

Theories: protection motivation theory

Digital Transformation as Collective Social Action

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

Authors: Tana, Silviana; Breidbach, Christoph; Burton-Jones, Andrew

Abstract: Digital technologies are reshaping both organizations and our lives as members ... Expand

Abstract: Digital technologies are reshaping both organizations and our lives as members of society. The resulting changes are often referred to as "digital transformation" (DT)-a concept that has proven difficult to define and explain theoretically. This is especially true because the nature and scope of DT is evolving beyond clearly defined organizational boundaries. Today, information technology (IT) is becoming increasingly accessible and relevant for many more members of society, creating the potential for previously unseen transformations beyond organizations. Accordingly, new theoretical lenses are needed to explain how a broader set of social actors instigate and are affected by transformative change induced by IT. We conceptualize DT as collective social action, a novel lens that aims to expand the focus of DT research beyond organizations as its unit of analysis, with a complementary perspective centered on social actors, their actions, and their impact. We delineate a typology of digital transformation as collective social action that considers the locus of transformation (what?), types of social actor(s) (who?), and the underlying mechanisms (how?). Collectively, the four ideal types constitute a new theory to help apprehend, explain, and predict how DT as collective social action occurs within and outside formally defined organizational boundaries. Collapse

Topics: digital transformation information system use Reddit mobile application information exchange

Methods: theory development theoretical contribution design artifact

Theories: fuzzy set theory

Investigating the nonlinear and conditional effects of trust—The new role of institutional contexts in online repurchase

2023 | Information Systems Journal | Citations: 1

Authors: Zou, Haiyun (Melody); Qureshi, Israr; Fang, Yulin; Sun, Heshan; Lim, Kai H.; Ramsey, Elaine; McCole, Patrick

Abstract: Trust is paramount to developing and maintaining long-term relationships in all ... Expand

Abstract: Trust is paramount to developing and maintaining long-term relationships in all stages of the customer lifecycle, including the repurchase stage. This research goes beyond the simple finding documented in the extant trust literature that the effect of trust will diminish. It sheds light on the role of institutional contexts and develops a nuanced understanding of the boundary conditions under which trust operates in the repurchase stage, where knowledge-based trust becomes more predominant. Drawing on a different theoretical tenet, prospect theory, we find that customers exhibit distinctively different transaction intentions in the two perceptual conditions of high and low trust in institutional contexts. Specifically, the nonlinear relationship between trust and repeat online transaction intention is inverted U-shaped curvilinear when trust in institutional contexts is high, but is U-shaped when trust in institutional contexts is low. With data collected from both e-commerce and mobile banking contexts using two different measures of institutional contexts, we employed a new and advanced latent moderated structural (LMS) equations approach for analysis and provided robust results. Our findings largely confirm the hypotheses and offer theoretical, methodological, and practical implications. Collapse

Topics: electronic commerce decision making internet technology mobile system mobile payment

Methods: survey theory development data transformation confirmatory factor analysis SEM tool

Theories: prospect theory social exchange theory

Clean up Your Theory! Invest in Theoretical Clarity and Consistency for Higher-Impact Research

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: von Nordenflycht, Andrew

Abstract: This essay starts from a concern that many empirical researchers undermine their ... Expand

Abstract: This essay starts from a concern that many empirical researchers undermine their rigorous empirical work by coupling it to unclear and inconsistent theory. I suggest this is because we underestimate the difficulty of achieving theoretical clarity and consistency. I illustrate the problem in detail by cataloging common ways we violate clarity and consistency in the articulation of theoretical constructs and relationships and illustrating these violations with examples from unpublished manuscripts. In addition, I draw on the management literature on theory writing as well as on the dual-process theory of cognition and the philosophy of science to identify and unpack three challenges to clear and consistent theory: the taxing cognitive effort required to turn ambiguous, associative intuition into logical arguments; the impossibility of achieving perfect clarity; and the existence of trade-offs between clarity and other valued qualities of theory, particularly generalizability. The implication is that researchers need to invest not just in empirical rigor but also, in theoretical rigor. Funding: The author’s research is supported in part by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Collapse

Topics: productivity IT skill idea generation

Methods: theory development theoretical contribution

Theories: dual-system theory

The Philosopher's Corner: A Minimalist View of Theory: Why This Promises Advancement for the IS Discipline

2022 | ACM SIGMIS Database | Citations: 0

Authors: Niederman, Fred

Abstract: A minimalist view of theory will render it more accessible for a wider range of ... Expand

Abstract: A minimalist view of theory will render it more accessible for a wider range of research questions. More accessible theory will facilitate constant improvement between representations predicting particular relationships among entities of interest in IS and observations of those relationships in practice. This is needed in IS to direct research energy toward knowledge that can lead to more effective and helpful interventions for computing technology stakeholders. The paper also addresses a range of anomalies created by prevailing traditional views of theory, particularly regarding the distinction between theory existence and theory level of support. Discussion includes identifying barriers to conversion to this view of theory as well as criteria for evaluation of proposed new theory. Collapse

Topics: database system

Methods: theory development regression analysis method survey case study design artifact

Exploring technological instantiation of regulatory practices in entangled financial markets

2022 | Journal of Information Technology | Citations: 4

Authors: Currie, Wendy L; Seddon, Jonathan JM

Abstract: The literature on the sociology of financial markets and institutional theory pr ... Expand

Abstract: The literature on the sociology of financial markets and institutional theory promotes concepts of field, networks, performativity, agencement and financial entropy. This study builds a conceptual model of technological instantiation of regulatory practices in financial markets. We observe how asset management firms instantiate technology as a material and social artefact to regulate the actions and behaviour of human agents. The structural-agency divide reveals the coercive role of regulators who impose stringent compliance practices on financial organizations by embedding formal rules and regulations in the software. Socio-technical conditions show how human agents interpret and apply these rules to circumvent formal regulatory policies and practices. Context-specific analysis shows technological performativity and agencement co-exist in financial fields that are becoming more entangled and fragmented. Regulators respond with more complex mandates to reduce entropy in financial markets characterized by extreme volatility and instability. Collapse

Topics: electronic finance innovation management financial information system IT workforce network effect

Methods: qualitative interview case study design artifact theory development conceptual modelling

Theories: institutional theory institutional isomorphism theory

IoT-commerce - opportunities for customers through an affordance lens

2021 | Electronic Markets | Citations: 0

Authors: Bayer, Sarah; Gimpel, Henner; Rau, Daniel

Abstract: Retail commerce is influenced by digital technologies at large scale. After elec ... Expand

Abstract: Retail commerce is influenced by digital technologies at large scale. After electronic commerce and its evolution into mobile commerce, we now see that the Internet of Things (IoT), one of the most disruptive developments in recent times, is about to radically transform retail commerce from need recognition to post-purchase engagement and service. Extant literature mainly investigates technical features of IoT, missing out on a customer-centric perspective. Theoretically founded in Activity and Affordance Theories, this paper conceptualizes IoT-commerce, identifies opportunities for customers, and links them to the customer buying process. Based on an extensive literature review, twelve affordances are derived and evaluated with a sample of real-world IoT devices. All affordances offered by electronic and mobile commerce are still valid for IoT-commerce but extended by three affordances unique to IoT-commerce: context-aware services, natural interactions, and automated customer processes. Affecting all steps of the customer buying process, IoT-commerce is worth to be understood by researchers, customers, and companies. Collapse

Topics: internet of things mobile system electronic commerce affordance mobile business

Methods: theory development literature study theoretical contribution literature sample

Theories: theory of affordance activity theory

Eyes wide open: The role of situational information security awareness for security-related behaviour

2021 | Information Systems Journal | Citations: 0

Authors: Jaeger, Lennart; Eckhardt, Andreas

Abstract: Most contemporary studies on information security focus on largely static phenom ... Expand

Abstract: Most contemporary studies on information security focus on largely static phenomena in examining security-related behaviours. We take a more dynamic, situational and interactionist approach that proposes that security-related behaviours result from an interaction between the person and the perception of a threatening situation. We derive and define situational information security awareness based on situation awareness literature, and examine how individual-level (innate traits, experience) and system-level factors (design variations, warning signal) influence awareness, and how it influences subsequent threat and coping appraisals, and ultimately security-related behaviours in a multi-method phishing experiment including eye tracking and survey components with 107 employees. The results underscore the importance of situational information security awareness and show that past experience with phishing and a security warning increase awareness, while phishing emails' contextual relevance and misplaced salience decrease awareness. Situational information security awareness, in turn, increases perceived threat and perceived coping efficacy and, ultimately, actual behavioural responses to phishing attacks. Collapse

Topics: cybersecurity awareness phishing electronic mail email phishing IT security threat

Methods: oculometry experiment survey partial least squares regression statistical power analysis

Theories: protection motivation theory big five model