本文精选了信息系统领域国际顶刊《Journal of Management Information Systems》近期发表的论文，提供信息系统学研究领域最新的学术动态。

Optimization of Dynamic Product Offerings on Online Marketplaces: A Network Theory Perspective

原刊和作者：

Journal of Management Information Systems Volume40 Issue4

Meihua Zuo （Huizhou University）

Spyros Angelopoulos （Durham University）

Carol Xiaojuan Ou （Tilburg University）

Hongwei Liu （Guangdong University of Technology）

Zhouyang Liang （Guangdong University of Technology）

Abstract

The fierce competition among brands on online marketplaces makes the optimization of offerings within this context a significant challenge. To address this challenge, we draw upon network theory and model the degree of competition through consumers’ consideration sets. We use a large empirical dataset from one of the biggest online marketplaces to explore the dynamic relationship between network position and the degree of competition, and we depict the redistribution of market share of related offerings after adjusting their array. In doing so, we provide a theoretical reference on when and how brands should optimize their product offerings on online marketplaces. We further demonstrate that intra-brand cannibalization relations have a significantly greater impact on the degree of competition compared to inter-brand ones, while intra-brand cannibalization relations represent the main reason for fluctuations in the degree of competition. Hence, contrary to existing theoretical insights and practical intuitions, our findings demonstrate that brands should minimize the number and heterogeneity of their offerings within a market segment to increase their sales on online marketplaces.

Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/07421222.2023.2267314

Stigmergy in Open Collaboration: An Empirical Investigation Based on Wikipedia

原刊和作者：

Journal of Management Information Systems Volume40 Issue4

Lei (Nico) Zheng （University of Massachusetts Boston）

Feng Mai （Stevens Institute of Technology）

Bei Yan （Stevens Institute of Technology）

Jeffrey V. Nickerson （Stevens Institute of Technology）

Abstract

Participants in open collaboration communities coproduce knowledge despite minimal explicit communication to coordinate the efforts. Studying how participants coordinate around the knowledge artifact and its impacts are critical for understanding the open knowledge production model. This study builds on the theory of stigmergy, wherein actions performed by a participant leave traces on a knowledge artifact and stimulate succeeding actions. We find that stigmergy involves two intertwined processes: collective modification and collective excitation. We propose a new measure of stigmergy based on the spatial and temporal clustering of contributions. By analyzing thousands of Wikipedia articles, we find that the degree of stigmergy is positively associated with community members’ participation and the quality of the knowledge produced. This study contributes to the understanding of open collaboration by characterizing the spatial-temporal clustering of contributions and providing new insights into the relationship between stigmergy and knowledge production outcomes. These findings can help practitioners increase user engagement in knowledge production processes in order to create more sustainable open collaboration communities.

Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/07421222.2023.2229119

Thinking Fast and Thinking Slow: Digital Devices’ Effects on Cognitive Reflection

原刊和作者：

Journal of Management Information Systems Volume40 Issue2

Kathrin Figl （University of Innsbruck）

Ulrich Remus （University of Innsbruck）

Abstract

Informed by theoretical perspectives on working memory demands and devices’ potential to “prime” different types of cognitive processing, this paper investigates whether we tend to think “faster” and more intuitively, with less reflection when we use a smartphone instead of a personal computer (PC) or notebook. Three complementary experimental studies with a total of 823 participants reveal that the results of using such devices surface only when participants can select the smartphone as their preferred device. Controlling for potential confounding variables reveals no evidence of general differences between devices. Our findings caution against overemphasizing the importance of the type of device in thinking slow or fast and establish self-selection bias as an important factor in explaining such differences. This study contributes to clarifying the psychology of smartphone screens and how humans make choices when they are using these devices.

Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/07421222.2023.2196769

SocioLink: Leveraging Relational Information in Knowledge Graphs for Startup Recommendations

原刊和作者：

Journal of Management Information Systems Volume40 Issue2

Ruiyun Xu （Miami University）

Hailiang Chen （University of Hong Kong）

J. Leon Zhao （Chinese University of Hong Kong）

Abstract

While venture capital firms are increasingly relying on recommendation models in investment decisions, existing startup recommendation models fail to consider the uniqueness of venture capital context, including two-sided matching between investing and investee firms and a lack of information disclosure requirements on startups. Following the design science research paradigm and guided by the proximity principle from social psychology, we develop a novel framework called SocioLink by depicting and analyzing various relations in a knowledge graph via machine learning. Our experimental results show that SocioLink significantly outperforms state-of-the-art startup recommendation methods in both accuracy and quality. This improvement is driven by not only the inclusion of social relations but also the superiority of modelling relations via knowledge graph. We also develop a web-based prototype to demonstrate explainable artificial intelligence. This work contributes to the FinTech literature by adding an innovative design artifact—SocioLink—for decision support in the investment context.

Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/07421222.2023.2196771

Blood and Water: Information Technology Investment and Control in Family-owned Businesses

Journal of Management Information Systems Volume40 Issue2

Abhishek Kathuria （Indian School of Business）

Prasanna P. Karhade （CUHK Business School）

Xue (Nancy) Ning （University of Wisconsin-Parkside）

Benn R. Konsynski （Goizueta Business School）

Abstract

Family-owned businesses differ in their strategic intent and behavior as they serve as a reservoir of wealth and social status for their family owners. Family-owned businesses demonstrate relatively conservative strategic decision making that aspires long-term wealth preservation and enhancement. For family owners, investments in information technology (IT) raise a predicament as they are risky, yet a long-term imperative. We propose three hypotheses that build upon the thesis that family owners combine a deep understanding of the business with a strong influence on stakeholders within and beyond the firm’s boundaries to exert strategic control in the extended enterprise. First, family ownership negatively influences IT investment, because family owners are likely to avoid investments in IT that are frivolous, reduce information asymmetry, or leave auditable digital trails. Second, the negative influence of family ownership on IT investment is weakened when a career professional is appointed in the senior-most executive position of a family-owned business. This is because professional executives strive to utilize IT for control and performance benefits, and family owners desire to use IT to monitor and control the non-family professional executive. Third, family ownership weakens the negative influence of environmental hostility on the relationship between IT investment and firm performance, as family-owned businesses incur less dynamic adjustment costs and maintain better alignment between IT and business strategy. Empirical analysis, consisting of panel regression estimations, on archival data of publicly listed Indian firms in the years 2006 to 2018 provides support for our theory that highlights how IT for control acts as a noneconomic motivation for the strategic IT behavior of firms. In doing so, we bring family ownership into the theoretical foreground for future IS scholarship. We contribute to theory and practice by advancing the nature of ownership and executive management as sources of heterogeneity in IT investment and its business value.

Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/07421222.2023.2172770