How negative emotions spread on social media: the case of celebrity suicides

2023 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Nouri, Ehsan; Saraf, Nilesh; Goh, Jie Mein; Dasgupta, Srabana; Cyr, Dianne

Abstract: Social Media can spread messages, emotions, and behaviors among large audiences ... Expand

Abstract: Social Media can spread messages, emotions, and behaviors among large audiences. Particularly, the consequences of emotion propagation become alarming when negative and shocking events like celebrity suicides happen and influence many vulnerable users. Analyzing social media discussions enables us to understand the mechanisms by which negative emotions spread, and also design effective health interventions. Here we investigate the suicide events of four celebrities and the subsequent Twitter discussions that appeared in the form of cascades -chains of retweets. By using a state-of-the-art BERTbased language model to identify emotion scores, we find that sadness and fear are the leading emotions expressed in each event and that the speed, size, and lifetime of dialogues vary depending on their emotional composition. Further analysis aims to provide new theoretical explanations. Collapse

Topics: Twitter social media user behavior Reddit social network

Methods: BERT language model natural language processing transformer model econometric modeling

The Effectiveness of Highlighting Different Communication Orientations in Promoting Mobile Communication Technology at Work vs. at Home: Evidence from a Field Experiment

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

Authors: Phang, Chee Wei; Fang, Zheng; Liao, Chengcheng

Abstract: With the development of mobile communication technologies, people can now engag ... Expand

Abstract: With the development of mobile communication technologies, people can now engage in seamless communications with family members and coworkers at both home and work. When promoting a new mobile communication technology (e.g., the 5G network), firms may be tempted to emphasize how the technology can strengthen communication both within and across the two domains with the hope of improving purchase rates. Yet research has suggested that people may perceive mobile communication differently depending on whether those they are communicating with others who belong to the same domain. Thus, the promotion of the technology to potential users should perhaps consider users' location domain and their communication targets. Through a field experiment, we show that when promoting mobile communication technology in the home domain, highlighting prevention-focused communication promotes greater purchase rates. However, at work, when coworkers are the target of communication, highlighting promotion-focused communication works better. These findings can not only help practitioners design more effective promotional messages in promoting mobile communication technologies but also contribute to the understanding of nuanced differences in the nature of mobile communication that make it more appealing to users in different within-and cross-domain communication scenarios. Collapse

Topics: communication service infrastructure mobile system broadband cellular network technology adoption global navigation satellite system

Methods: survey field experiment experiment statistical hypothesis test randomized field experiment

Theories: regulatory focus theory work family border theory

Determining the optimal release time of movies: A study of movie and market characteristics

2023 | Decision Support Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Sharma, Megha; Basu, Sumanta; Chakraborty, Soumyakanti; Bose, Indranil

Abstract: The over-the-top (OTT) industry has witnessed remarkable growth in recent years ... Expand

Abstract: The over-the-top (OTT) industry has witnessed remarkable growth in recent years with a sharp increase in the number of subscribers, leading to increased competition among OTT platforms to acquire movie rights. Conse­ quently, the gap between the theatrical and OTT releases has been diminishing over the last few years. An early release of a movie on an OTT platform fetches a higher distribution fee for a movie distributor (MD), however, it reduces the MD’s revenue from the theatrical release. Therefore, it becomes critical for the MD to determine the optimal release time and distribution fee combination. In this paper, we analytically solve the MD’s decision problem and provide a detailed analysis of how the optimal release time varies with changes in platform characteristics such as the proportion of ad revenue and the platform’s risk profile, movie characteristics such as success factor and suitability for OTT, and market characteristics such as broadband penetration, piracy rate and customers’ preferences for viewing channels. We compare our results with the actual release times of 243 movies released during 2015–2022. We find that the optimal release time increases with ad revenue proportion, broadband penetration, and piracy rate, whereas the optimal fee reduces non-linearly with release time and depends on OTT’s risk profile. Our findings also indicate that the optimal release time reduces for movies that do not provide any additional utility for theater goers, and as customers’ preference towards OTT increases. Our work provides much-needed guidelines for professionals dealing with movie releases on OTTs. Collapse

Topics: digital service Netflix Disney+ decision support system Hulu

Methods: parametric test mathematical model ANOVA paired t-test artificial neural network

Unifying Algorithmic and Theoretical Perspectives: Emotions in Online Reviews and Sales

2023 | Management Information Systems Quarterly | Citations: 2

Authors: Yu, Yifan; Yang, Yang; Huang, Jinghua; Tan, Yong

Abstract: Emotion artificial intelligence, the algorithm that recognizes and interprets v ... Expand

Abstract: Emotion artificial intelligence, the algorithm that recognizes and interprets various human emotions beyond valence (positive and negative polarity), is still in its infancy but has attracted attention from industry and academia. Based on discrete emotion theory and statistical language modeling, this work proposes an algorithm to enable automatic domain-adaptive emotion lexicon construction and multidimensional emotion detection in texts. Using a large-scale dataset of China's movie market from 2012 to 2018, we constructed and validated a domain-specific emotion lexicon and demonstrated the predictive power of eight discrete emotions (i.e., surprise, joy, anticipation, love, anxiety, sadness, anger, and disgust) in online reviews on box office sales. We found that representing overall emotions through discrete emotions yields higher prediction accuracy than valence or latent emotion variables generated by topic modeling. To understand the source of the predictive power from a theoretical perspective and to test the cross-culture generalizability of our prediction study, we further conducted an experiment in the U.S. movie market based on theories on emotion, judgment, and decision-making. We found that discrete emotions, mediated by perceived processing fluency, significantly affect the perceived review helpfulness, which further influences purchase intention. Our work shows the economic value of emotions in online reviews, generates insight into the mechanism of their effects, and has managerial implications for online review platform design, movie marketing, and cinema operations. Collapse

Topics: online review Python user-generated content microblog marketing management

Methods: computational algorithm word2vec parametric test product review experiment

Theories: psychological theory

Online-to-Offline Platforms: Examining the Effects of Demand-Side Usage on Supply-Side Decisions

2023 | Information & Management | Citations: 0

Authors: Wan, Xing; Jha, Ashish Kumar; Kazantsev, Nikolai; Boh, Wai Fong

Abstract: This study explores the impact of demand-side usage of digital platforms on oper ... Expand

Abstract: This study explores the impact of demand-side usage of digital platforms on operational decision-making by supply-side firms. The positive impact of digital platforms on product sales is established in the literature. However, this study focuses on the perspective of supply-side firms, examining the effect of increasing reliance on digital platforms on supply-side firms’ decisions. The study shows that greater demand-side usage of onlineto-offline (O2O) digital platforms is associated with more efficient operational decisions of supply-side firms. Benefits of leveraging O2O platforms include information transparency and resource pooling. The study further examines the extent to which benefits from participating in O2O digital platforms are affected by inter-firm relationships in which a supply-side firm is embedded. The study uses a panel data model to test hypotheses with data on China’s movie theaters that join O2O platforms. It found that movie theaters with greater demandside usage of O2O digital platforms see better resource utilization and product concentration. Furthermore, it shows that more vertically integrated firms can better reap the benefits from demand-side usage of digital platforms. In contrast, more horizontally integrated firms can less strategically leverage the benefits from demand-side usage of O2O platforms. Collapse

Topics: digital platform information system use decision making mobile application consumer behavior

Methods: qualitative interview robustness check personal interview statistical hypothesis test data modeling

Return of the Movie Night? Analyzing the Impact of Netflix Subscriptions on Offline Movie Spending

2022 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Fang, Sihan; Gopal, Anand; Kwon, Hyeokkoo Eric; Park, Yongjin

Abstract: The subscription-based business model is disruptive in the copyright industries ... Expand

Abstract: The subscription-based business model is disruptive in the copyright industries. More than a digitalized distribution channel, it fundamentally transforms both supply and demand sides regarding content provision and consumption. However, there is scant evidence about how and why it affects the local traditional industry. This study investigates the impact of the subscription-based business model on offline activity consumption in the motion picture industry. Leveraging a unique dataset with individuals' every transaction record and a difference-in-differences approach, we conclude that Netflix subscription increases offline movie consumption. We support that individuals have unmet hedonic and social demands with the imperfect disruptive technology. They, therefore, attend more hedonic and social activities, including movies, dining, entertainment, to satisfy their unmet needs. In addition, the identified effect is more pronounced for individuals with higher hedonic (i.e., younger people) and social (i.e., lower-income and residents of smaller towns) needs. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. Collapse

Topics: digital service Netflix streaming service video streaming service mobile application

Methods: experimental group robustness check longitudinal research difference in differences quasi experiment

The Fickle Crowd: Reinforcement and Contradiction of Quality Evaluations in Cultural Markets

2022 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Kim, Minjae; DellaPosta, Daniel

Abstract: We clarify conditions under which two seemingly contradictory yet widely observe ... Expand

Abstract: We clarify conditions under which two seemingly contradictory yet widely observed tendencies occur in cultural markets where amateur connoisseurs evaluate products—reinforcement of previous consensus and contradiction of that same consensus. We start from prior work’s insight that achieving “distinction” requires that evaluators display tastes demonstrating higher skills of discernment and standards that are acknowledged as legitimate by others. Based on this, we argue that evaluators reinforce prior evaluations of products to demonstrate that they share the same quality standards as their peers, but they selectively contradict prior evaluations by downgrading widely acclaimed products, because doing the latter makes the evaluator appear to have even more sophisticated tastes than their peers. We test this account using 1.66 million reviews from an online platform where amateur connoisseurs publicly evaluate beers. Our analyses support an endogenous model explaining why and when evaluators may contradict existing evaluations even though a group plausibly sharing the same quality standards may have established such evaluations in the first place. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2021.1556. Collapse

Topics: logistics management collaborative filtering accounting anonymity website

Methods: computational algorithm descriptive statistic robustness check theory development hierarchical linear modeling

Product Meaning in Digital Product Innovation

2022 | Management Information Systems Quarterly | Citations: 11

Authors: Wang, Gongtai; Henfridsson, Ola; Nandhakumar, Joe; Yoo, Youngjin

Abstract: Digital product innovation involves a meaning-making process. Designers of digit ... Expand

Abstract: Digital product innovation involves a meaning-making process. Designers of digital innovations often challenge established product meanings as they digitize physical products, such as cars, toothbrushes, and water bottles. A significant problem for product designers, however, is striking the right balance between the newness and comprehensibility of product meanings. Failure to do so may result in a digital product innovation that is too conventional or difficult to relate to or understand. Yet, the extant digital product innovation literature pays little, if any, attention to product meaning. To fill this void, this study examines a digital product innovation project in which product designers created a digital theater with product meanings beyond those of the traditional movie theater. Our theory, grounded in in-depth data collection and analysis, explains how product designers attribute meanings to their products in the process of digital innovation by enacting two meaning-making loops: a reinforcing loop that makes the product meaning comprehensible, and a differentiating loop that captures emerging product meanings. The two loops come together via meaning sedimentation, through which a new core product meaning is created. Our study contributes to the digital product innovation literature by shedding light on the essential role of meaning-making in innovation and offers an explanatory process theory. Collapse

Topics: innovation management digital innovation digital product digital entertainment computer graphic

Methods: qualitative interview design artifact literature study archival research field study

Theories: cognitive theory theory of meaning

When Reinforcing Processes Generate an Outcome-Quality Dip

2021 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Denrell, Jerker; Liu, Chengwei

Abstract: When does market success indicate superior merit? We show that when consumer cho ... Expand

Abstract: When does market success indicate superior merit? We show that when consumer choices between products with equal prices depend on quality but also on past popularity, more popular products are not necessarily of higher quality. Rather, a medium level of popularity may be associated with lower quality than lower levels of popularity. Using a formal model, we show that this kind of nonmonotonic association occurs when reinforcing processes are strong. More generally, a dip can occur when outcomes depend on both quality and resources and the latter are allocated bimodally, with some being given a lot of resources and most receiving little. Empirically, we illustrate that such a dip occurs in the association between movie theater sales and ratings. The presence of a dip in the outcome-quality association complicates learning from market outcomes and evaluation of individuals and new ventures, challenges the legitimacy of stratification systems, and creates opportunities for sophisticated evaluators who understand the dip. Collapse

Topics: resource allocation online review database system website social influence

Methods: Internet Movie Database review simulation computational algorithm descriptive statistic product review

Investigating the Effects of Dimension-Specific Sentiments on Product Sales: The Perspective of Sentiment Preferences

2021 | Journal of the Association for Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Jiang, Cuiqing; Wang, Jianfei; TANG, Qian; Lyu, Xiaozhong

Abstract: While the literature has reached a consensus on the awareness effect of online ... Expand

Abstract: While the literature has reached a consensus on the awareness effect of online word-of-mouth (eWOM), this paper studies its persuasive effect-specifically, dimension-specific sentiment effects on product sales. We examine the sentiment information in eWOM along different product dimensions and reveal different persuasive effects on consumers' purchase decisions based on consumers' sentiment preference, which is defined as the relative importance that consumers place on various dimension-specific sentiments. We use an aspect-level sentiment analysis to derive dimension-specific sentiment and PVAR (panel vector auto-regression) models, and estimate their effects on product sales using a movie panel dataset. The findings show that three dimension-specific sentiments (star, genre, and plot) are positively related to movie sales. Regarding consumers' sentiment preferences, we find a positive relationship to movie sales that is stronger for plot sentiment, relative to star sentiment for low-budget movies. For high-budget movies, we find a positive relationship to movie sales that is stronger for star sentiment, relative to plot or genre sentiment. Collapse

Topics: online word of mouth word of mouth online review big data knowledge representation

Methods: sentiment analysis product review robustness check natural language processing topic model

Theories: attitude theory