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

Value Creation Tradeoff in Business Ecosystems: Leveraging Complementarities While Managing Interdependencies

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Agarwal, Shiva; Kapoor, Rahul

Abstract: Complementary assets play an important role in shaping an innovation’s commercia ... Expand

Abstract: Complementary assets play an important role in shaping an innovation’s commercialization success. In this paper, we broaden the locus of complementarities to examine the role of complementary technologies residing in the business ecosystems that are becoming an important source of value creation for innovating firms. We argue that, on one hand, complementary technologies help innovations create more value for their users. On the other hand, they can also limit the focal innovation’s value creation by exposing them to performance bottlenecks as the underlying technological architecture of the ecosystem evolves. We further extend the notion of specialization of complementary assets to ecosystems by considering complementary technologies that are specialized to a focal ecosystem and those that are available across multiple ecosystems. We highlight that, although the complementary technologies that are specialized to an ecosystem facilitate greater value creation, they are more likely to subject the focal innovation to performance bottlenecks. Evidence from 244,034 apps launched by software developers for Apple’s iPhone ecosystem during 2008–2015 offers strong support for our framework. In summary, the study sheds light on the value creation tradeoff for firms innovating in business ecosystems—the opportunities associated with leveraging complementarities and the challenges associated with managing technological interdependencies. Funding: S. Agarwal was funded by the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin [Research Excellence Grant]. Collapse

Topics: mobile application innovation management value creation Apple iPhone iOS

Methods: statistical hypothesis test instrumental variables estimation cross sectional research proportional hazards model robustness check

Towards More Convenient Services: A Text Analytics Approach to Understanding Service Inconveniences in Digital Platforms

2023 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Amat-Lefort, N.; Barnes, S.

Abstract: In today's fast-paced world, where time is our most valuable asset, convenience ... Expand

Abstract: In today's fast-paced world, where time is our most valuable asset, convenience is on the rise. This trend has led to a huge growth in digital on-demand services, which target convenience-oriented consumers. Using big data and text analytics, we examine the impact of service inconveniences on customer satisfaction in the context of on-demand food delivery. Building on the Model of Service Convenience and Attribution Theory, we analyze 235,147 user-generated reviews via a combination of keyword-assisted topic modelling and cumulative link model analysis. We introduce the concept of Remote support inconvenience and identify the key topics related to each inconvenience. We find that all service inconveniences negatively influence satisfaction (especially cancelled orders and remote support incidences), and the effects are exacerbated when moderated by stability or controllability attributions. These insights contribute to our theoretical understanding of service inconvenience and can help platforms identify and improve critical areas of their services. Collapse

Topics: user satisfaction customer satisfaction mobile application user-generated content crowdsourcing

Methods: natural language processing topic model exploratory data analysis ANOVA parametric test

Theories: attribution theory

How commitment and platform adoption drive the e-commerce performance of SMEs: A mixed-method inquiry into e-commerce affordances

2023 | International Journal of Information Management | Citations: 0

Authors: Ballerini, Jacopo; Herhausen, Dennis; Ferraris, Alberto

Abstract: To cope with the digital transition exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, manage ... Expand

Abstract: To cope with the digital transition exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, managers of manufacturing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) need to adopt innovative practices to face uncertain scenarios and create longterm value, identified as transformational entrepreneurship practices. Among emerging digital technologies, digital platforms are shaping and outgrowing the e-commerce channel representing a potential opportunity for manufacturing SMEs to embrace digital transformation. Drawing on affordance theory, this research uses a mixed method approach to investigate how manufacturing SMEs’ e-commerce commitment and digital platform adoption stimulate the actualization of three e-commerce affordances: consumer knowledge generation, inter­ nationalization, and customer diversification. Based on survey responses from 165 manufacturing SME man­ agers, we find that direct selling through owned websites actualizes consumer knowledge generation and internationalization, indirect selling actualizes customer diversification and internationalization, and agency selling through third-party platforms actualizes all three affordances. The relationship between e-commerce commitment and ecommerce performance is mediated by consumer knowledge generation and internationali­ zation but not by customer diversification. A fsQCA analysis outlines seven configurations actualizing these ecommerce affordances by pairing different ecommerce approaches with degrees of e-commerce commitment. Finally, an analysis of open-ended questions from 24 respondents complements the study and deeply interprets the seven unique configurations outlined. Collapse

Topics: electronic commerce affordance user experience entrepreneurship usability

Methods: survey qualitative interview structural equation modeling data transformation personal interview

Theories: theory of affordance

How “What you think you know about cybersecurity” can help users make more secure decisions

2023 | Information & Management | Citations: 0

Authors: Fard Bahreini, Amir; Cavusoglu, Hasan; Cenfetelli, Ronald T.

Abstract: The increasing use of information technology artifacts in daily life makes secur ... Expand

Abstract: The increasing use of information technology artifacts in daily life makes security a shared responsibility of both users and companies. In recent years, increasing a user’s objective (i.e., actual) security knowledge and providing applications with more secure default settings appear among the most ubiquitous tools companies use to broaden their efforts to help users make more secure decisions. Examining both solutions matters because they are widely used, cost effective, and understood by many security practitioners. Additionally, default settings and users’ objective knowledge provide anchors for decision-making. However, human errors and insecure default settings are increasing and raising further questions about the efficacy of such efforts. Using the theory of bounded ra­ tionality, we investigated the role of objective, subjective (i.e., self-assessed) security knowledge, and default settings security level on the overall decision security. We found that objective security knowledge can lead to secure decisions when paired with high subjective security knowledge. In the absence of the latter, objective security knowledge is unable to lead to better security decisions. Furthermore, subjective security knowledge reduces the extent to which users fully accept default security settings, thereby mitigating bias toward insecure default settings. Collapse

Topics: mobile application data security decision making self efficacy mobile application market

Methods: survey descriptive statistic structural equation modeling literature study post-hoc analysis

Theories: theory of bounded rationality

Extended Generativity Theory on Digital Platforms

2023 | Information Systems Research | Citations: 2

Authors: Fürstenau, Daniel; Baiyere, Abayomi; Schewina, Kai; Schulte-Althoff, Matthias; Rothe, Hannes

Abstract: The assumption that generativity engenders unbounded growth has acquired an almo ... Expand

Abstract: The assumption that generativity engenders unbounded growth has acquired an almost taken-for-granted position in information systems and management literature. Against this premise, we examine the relationship between generativity and user base growth in the context of a digital platform. To do this, we synthesize the literature on generativity into two views, social interaction (expansion of ecosystem boundaries) and product view (expansion of product boundaries), that jointly and individually relate to user base growth. Both views help us explain how opening a platform relates to the emergence and resolution of conflicting expectations in a platform ecosystem that result in new functions and expanded use. We adopt a panel vector autoregressive approach combining data from six large transaction platforms that engaged with open-source developer communities. We found that the dominant narrative of generativity engendering growth, although generally supported by our analysis, obscures the fact that the inverse is also true; that is, growth can lead to expansion of product boundaries (inverse generativity) and that generativity can be bounded; that is, growth can stabilize ecosystem boundaries (bounded generativity). Against this background, we propose an extended generativity theory that presents generativity and growth in an integrative view and raises awareness about the limitations of the “unbounded growth” claim. We conclude that there is value in separating the two views of generativity conceptually and analytically, along with their relationship to user base growth, and we call for research on the pathways through which generativity produces growth. History: Ola Henfridsson, Senior Editor; Robert Wayne Gregory, Associate Editor. Collapse

Topics: digital platform innovation management open source electronic commerce accounting

Methods: longitudinal research Granger causality time series analysis Student's t-test parametric test

The Future of Digital Platform Design - The Case of the EU Platform Regulation Discourse

2023 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 1

Authors: Heimburg, Vincent; Schmitt, Julian; Wiesche, Manuel

Abstract: Digital platform research focuses on the mechanisms in digital platform ecosyst ... Expand

Abstract: Digital platform research focuses on the mechanisms in digital platform ecosystems and the dynamics between platform owners, complementors, and end-users. Recent studies are beginning to look beyond the boundaries of narrow platform ecosystems. The development of the European Union's DigitalMarkets Act (DMA) is a revelatory case to study this wider perspective. Hundreds of actors participated in discourses on the regulation, which aims to regulate so-called gatekeeper platforms that are allegedly powerful, unfair to platform users, and incontestable for competitors. By means of a critical discourse analysis, we coded 1720 contributions on the proposed and adopted DMA between June 2020 and July 2022. We identify 72 positions and 14 narratives along five discourses. Our study creates a better understanding of a wider perspective of platform ecosystem structure that goes beyond the triangle of platform owner, complementors, and end users. Collapse

Topics: digital ecosystem closed platform value creation participatory design electronic market

Methods: qualitative coding design methodology qualitative content analysis memoing grounded theory

The Influence of User Feedback on Complementary Innovation in Platform Ecosystems: NLP Evidence on the Value of Multihoming

2023 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Hoffmann, Philipp; Shmagina, Veronika; Halckenhaeusser, André; Lueker, Nele

Abstract: We study how user feedback affects innovation of multihomed applications within ... Expand

Abstract: We study how user feedback affects innovation of multihomed applications within and across platform ecosystems. Therefore, we conduct a quantitative NLP based case study. Our sample consists of 10 multihomed applications with more than 325,000 user reviews on Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android platform between January and March 2021. We analyze how user reviews translate into functional feature releases of the selected applications within and across platforms. We report three findings. First, we find that about 61% of the functional feature improvements on both platforms were previously demanded by users in the form of user feedback. Second, we show that user feedback of iOS users is more likely to be incorporated compared to Android users’ feedback. Finally, we observe that about 10% of feature releases are inspired by cross-platform feedback, providing initial evidence that user feedback from multihoming applications might stimulate cross-platform innovation and enhance the applications’ quality and innovativeness. Collapse

Topics: innovation management Android iOS mobile application mobile application market

Methods: natural language processing case study word2vec NLTK theoretical contribution

Chatbot commerce—How contextual factors affect Chatbot effectiveness

2023 | Electronic Markets | Citations: 0

Authors: Hsu, Pei-Fang; Nguyen, Tuan (Kellan); Wang, Chen-Ya; Huang, Pei-Ju

Abstract: The emergence of Chatbots has attracted many firms to sell their merchandise via ... Expand

Abstract: The emergence of Chatbots has attracted many firms to sell their merchandise via chats and bots. Although Chatbots have received tremendous interest, little is understood about how different usage contexts affect Chatbots’ effectiveness in mobile commerce. Due to differences in their nature, not all shopping contexts are suitable for Chatbots. To address this research gap, this study examines how contextual factors (i.e., intrinsic task complexity that embraces shopping task attributes and group shopping environment, and extrinsic task complexity that entails information intensity) affect user perceptions and adoption intentions of Chatbots as recommendation agents in mobile commerce. Applying the lenses of cognitive load theory (CLT) and common ground theory (CGT), we perform an experiment and apply quantitative analytical approaches. The results show that Chatbots are more suitable in the context of one-attribute, information-light, and group-buying tasks, whereas traditional Apps are suitable for multi-attribute, information-intensive, and single-buying scenarios. These findings make important theoretical contributions to the IT adoption literature as well as to CLT and CGT theory by contextualizing the evolving state of Chatbot commerce and providing guidelines for designing better Chatbot user experiences, thereby enhancing user perceptions and adoption intentions. Collapse

Topics: mobile application task complexity electronic commerce technology adoption recommender system

Methods: chatbot experiment qualitative interview chi squared test survey

Theories: cognitive load theory

Enhancing brand love, customer engagement, brand experience, and repurchase intention: Focusing on the role of gamification in mobile apps

2023 | Decision Support Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Hsu, Chia-Lin

Abstract: Advances in and increased access to mobile technology have prompted businesses t ... Expand

Abstract: Advances in and increased access to mobile technology have prompted businesses to embrace gamified appli­ cations, particularly to enhance customer engagement. Thus, it is important to highlight not only the antecedents and consequences of customer engagement but also the critical role of gamification. This study aims to examine the causal relationships among brand identification, self-expressiveness, brand love, gamification, customer engagement, brand experience, and repurchase intention in the context of Nike Run Club, a gamified running app available at the Apple and Google Play stores. It also explores the mediating effect of consumer engagement on the association that brand love and gamification have with brand experience and repurchase intention. Addi­ tionally, it analyzes the moderating effects of gamification on the relationship between brand love and customer engagement. The hypotheses are empirically tested by analyzing data collected from 526 respondents on a Nike Run Club app. Results confirm that both brand identification and self-expressiveness significantly and positively influence brand love, which in turn significantly and positively affects customer engagement and, subsequently, brand experience and repurchase intention. Further, this study demonstrates that customer engagement acts as a mediator to improve brand experience and to motivate the customer to repurchase the brand. In addition to showing the impact of gamification on brand love, brand experience, and repurchase intention, this study reveals the moderating effect of gamification on the relationship between brand love and customer engagement. These findings offer deeper insights into brand identification, self-expressiveness, and gamification as significant influencing factors, which can be helpful to brand managers in enhancing brand love and customer engagement. Additionally, this study demonstrates that gamification is the most effective approach to increasing brand love, strengthening customer engagement, and improving brand experiences and repurchase intention. Collapse

Topics: gamification mobile application marketing management consumer behavior affordance

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