Liang

Are all signals equal? Investigating the differential effects of online signals on the sales performance of e-marketplace sellers

Purpose – In the competitive e-marketplace today, sellers are using an increasing number of signals to entice customers to make online purchases. However, how differential these signals are in terms of their capacity to improve sales performance has not yet been investigated. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on signaling theory and grounded in the context of China’s largest e-marketplace, Taobao, this study investigated the different effects of five commonly used signals on the sales performance of e-marketplace sellers. Findings – The authors find that warranty has the highest effect on sales performance, followed by overall rating, mean detailed seller rating, percent of positives, and web site quality. Originality/value – First, this study builds on signaling theory and contributes to the e-marketplace literature by providing new insights into how specific signals differentially affect sales performance in the e-marketplace (with evidence from a large-scale em...

Effect of Feedback on Creativity in Social Learning Contexts

Social learning enables learners to interact with one another, which is a critical way to foster creativity. Although online social networking technologies have been widely adopted, few empirical studies have been conducted to illustrate the effect of online social interactions on creativity in the context of learning. In this research-in-progress, we attempt to fill this gap by investigating how feedback from others in an online social learning context affects learners creativity. Different from previous studies on the direct effect of feedback on creative performance, we go a step further to explore the underlying mechanism in an online social learning context and propose that feedback sign affects creative performance through the learners perception of feedback accuracy and intrinsic motivation. Moreover, we examine the characteristics of feedback providers and recipients that influence learners mental reactions to feedback sign. Our study is based on the stimulus-organism-response model and the feedback process model. A lab experiment will be used based on an online social learning platform. Undergraduate students will be recruited as participants.

Relational Capital and Performance: Assessing the Mediating Role of Supply Chain Agility and the Moderating Role of Environmental Contexts

It is widely considered that relational capital serves as an important factor to foster collaboration in supply chain context. However, current knowledge on relational capital mechanisms which affects firm performance remains unclear. According to resource-based view, this article proposes a model to examine how relational capital affect firm performance through enhancing supply chain agility. In addition, the moderating effects of environmental contexts (i.e. munificence, complexity, and dynamism) are taken into consideration when discussing the relationship between relational capital and supply chain agility. Survey data show that supply chain agility fully mediates the association between relational capital and performance. Meanwhile, different kinds of environmental contexts play various moderating roles. Implications and suggestions for future research are provided.

Distraction or Connection? An Investigation of Social Media Use at Work

The use of social media in the workplace is controversial. In order to develop a good understanding of social media use at work, this study examines the effects of social media use from both positive and negative sides. Based on two-factor theory, this study proposes that social media use at work engenders distraction and perceived relatedness, which in turn influence job performance. This study further draws on resource matching theory to posit that the perceptual load of the job moderates the effects of social media use at work on distraction and perceived relatedness. A survey will be conducted to collect data and test the research hypotheses. In theoretical terms, this study is expected to contribute to information systems research by investigating both positive and negative outcomes of social media usage. In practical terms, this study sheds light on the usage and management of social media in the workplace.

Understanding affective commitment in social virtual worlds: The role of cultural tightness

Abstract Understanding how cultural differences affect the formation of users’ affective commitment (ACO) to social virtual world (SVW) services is a critical but understudied issue. Using a novel, norm-based cultural approach, we introduce cultural tightness (CT) to capture cultural differences in users’ collective environment and postulate a model that investigates the contingent effects of CT on the relationships between ACO and its drivers. A two-level analysis of survey data gathered from 400 field users of an influential SVW service and secondary data of CT reveals that the effects of satisfaction, calculative commitment, and subjective norm on ACO are contingent on CT.

Distraction or not? Investigating the relationship between mobile social network engagement and task performance

As mobile social network has become an important component of peoples daily life, it poses a significant challenge on knowledge workers limited attention. However, studies on how mobile social network affects knowledge workers attention management are lagging. In this research-in-progress, we attempt to fill the research gap by developing a research model to understand the underlying mechanism. Based on the resource allocation theory, we propose that mobile social network engagement affects focused attention, and the effect varies upon the social network content. Extending the unconscious thought theory, we propose that focused attention affects task performance, and task types moderate this relationship. A laboratory experiment will be conducted to test the proposed hypotheses. This study has both theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, this study is effective in understanding how mobile social network usage affects knowledge workers focused attention and task performance. Practically, this study sheds light upon how to manage the use of mobile social network in the workplace.

Why people resist to internet finance: From the perspective of process virtualization theory

With the advancements of information technology, internet finance as a IT-enabled virtualization of business process has gain a fast-growing marketplace. However, little is known about why there is still a widely reluctance to use internet finance. Based on process virtualization theory and user resistance literature, we postulate a research model of user’s resistance to internet finance by integrating the process characteristic factors, external influence and internal influence of user. Finally, we discuss the potential contributions and limitations of the study, as well as ideas about related future research. Throughout the study, we use the process virtualization theory as a means of integrating discussion and survey approach is chosen to collect data and empirically test the model in future research. The potential theoretical contributions are mainly made to user resistance literature and internet finance implementation. Meanwhile this study provides explanations of why certain users tend to resist to internet fiance while others not.