Hua Lu , Xin (Robert) Luo , Shuang (Sara) Ma , Runyu Chen
{"title":"Unveiling the paradox of NFT digital scarcity: Impacts of digital scarcity on online trading and social behaviors","authors":"Hua Lu , Xin (Robert) Luo , Shuang (Sara) Ma , Runyu Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.im.2025.104205","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.im.2025.104205","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Embracing the scarcity principle, we explore the effect of digital scarcity in nonfungible tokens (NFTs) on users’ online trading behaviors and social interactions (e.g., considering them as gifts). Using a dataset obtained from the NFTGo platform, we find that digital scarcity facilitates social behaviors but hinders trading behaviors. Notably, the influences of digital scarcity are more pronounced when there is less uncertainty (e.g., higher consistency of rarity evaluation and stronger impact of influencers). This research not only enriches the NFT literature with fresh insights into social and trading behaviors, but also extends the scarcity principle to the digital realm.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56291,"journal":{"name":"Information & Management","volume":"62 7","pages":"Article 104205"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144604110","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yunting Wang , Ran (Alan) Zhang , Min Zhang , Xitong Guo
{"title":"Good becomes better? Temporarily acquired virtual badges and the signaling effects on online healthcare platforms","authors":"Yunting Wang , Ran (Alan) Zhang , Min Zhang , Xitong Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.im.2025.104204","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.im.2025.104204","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Online healthcare platforms (OHPs) have become increasingly popular among physicians and patients. To facilitate patients’ demand for physicians’ services, some OHPs introduce non-financial, gamification designs such as temporarily acquired virtual badges. These badges are awarded periodically based on physicians’ recent performance, subject to acquisition, retention, and loss. However, the impact of such strategies on patients is unclear and is understudied. We fill this gap by examining the signaling effects of temporarily acquired virtual badges on patients’ subsequent participation in online consultations. We find that the acquisition and retention of such badges can improve patients’ participation in online consultations. In addition, we identify factors that moderate these effects, including physicians’ seniority and altruism. Our findings provide theoretical explanations and practical implications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56291,"journal":{"name":"Information & Management","volume":"62 7","pages":"Article 104204"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144653634","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Momentum effects in crowdsourcing contest platforms","authors":"Tengjian Zou , Zike Cao","doi":"10.1016/j.im.2025.104206","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.im.2025.104206","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Members of a crowdsourcing contest platform usually participate in multiple contests over time. Their performance in these contests can create a performance trajectory, producing positive or negative momentum. Although such momentum is a pervasive phenomenon in practice, it has largely been overlooked in the crowdsourcing contest literature. The broader literature on momentum posits that it can affect individuals’ cognition and change their behavior. We leverage insights from this literature to investigate how momentum influences contestants’ performance and the underlying mechanisms. We show that contestants’ momentum is positively associated with their contest performance by motivating contestants to engage in more learning activities (including learning from others and learning from own experience) between contests and exert more effort during contests. By adopting momentum theory as a novel theoretical lens, our study enriches the crowdsourcing contest literature by showing that momentum is a novel and impactful determinant of individuals’ contestant performance. Besides, whereas classical momentum theory asserts that motivation explains the positive relationship between momentum and performance, we extend the boundary of momentum theory by showing that contestants’ motivation manifests in their learning activities and effort in the context of crowdsourcing contest platforms. Taken together, our study offers important practical implications for the design and governance of crowdsourcing contest platforms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56291,"journal":{"name":"Information & Management","volume":"62 7","pages":"Article 104206"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144595641","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jia Jin , Qingsong Liu , Yufeng Yang , Baojun Ma , Yu Pan
{"title":"How social crowding impacts mobile shopping: A perspective from information processing","authors":"Jia Jin , Qingsong Liu , Yufeng Yang , Baojun Ma , Yu Pan","doi":"10.1016/j.im.2025.104197","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.im.2025.104197","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This research investigates how social crowding affects mobile purchase behavior through a scenario-based questionnaire, field research, and eye-tracking experiment, from the perspective of information processing. We find that social crowding reduces consumers’ purchase intentions, mediated by focused attention. This impact is more pronounced for search products compared to experience products, highlighting the moderating role of product type. Eye-tracking results show that under high social crowding, total fixation counts decrease only for search products and mediate the effect of social crowding on mobile consumption, supporting the idea that reduced focused attention impedes information processing and lowers purchase intentions across product types.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56291,"journal":{"name":"Information & Management","volume":"62 7","pages":"Article 104197"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144308188","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Li Ji , Xingyu Chen , Ling Jiang , Justin T. Huang
{"title":"Within- and cross-group spillover effects in influencer marketing: The heterogeneity between micro- and macro-influencers","authors":"Li Ji , Xingyu Chen , Ling Jiang , Justin T. Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.im.2025.104202","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.im.2025.104202","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The meteoric growth of social media has driven firms to leverage influencers in their advertising campaigns, with a preference for those possessing a larger follower base. However, existing research has predominantly examined the role of influencer popularity in isolation, neglecting the interdependencies among influencers within a firm’s campaign. In contrast, this study categorizes influencers into two groups—macro- and micro-influencers—based on their popularity, and examines the effect of within- and cross-group spillovers on influencers’ conversion performance. Leveraging data from a real marketing campaign comprising 163 promotional videos of 111 influencers over a 38-month period and utilizing a fixed-effects panel data regression, we found that both within- and cross-group spillovers are significant solely among micro-influencers. Based on these findings, we discuss the theoretical implications for advertising planning and managerial implications for marketing managers seeking to optimize their influencer marketing expenditure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56291,"journal":{"name":"Information & Management","volume":"62 7","pages":"Article 104202"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144481067","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Toward multilevel research on private information disclosure: A systematic review and future agenda","authors":"Mingxin Zhang, Reeva Lederman, Ofir Turel","doi":"10.1016/j.im.2025.104201","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.im.2025.104201","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Through a systematic literature review, we unravel current theorizing on private information disclosure (PID). We note that existing models of PID have mainly taken an individual-level perspective. In line with current understanding of privacy management, we posit that PID should be more systematically understood as a multilevel phenomenon, for two reasons. First, the disclosed information sometimes concerns multiple stakeholders beyond oneself. Second, disclosing private information can often be affected by hierarchically structured (nested) humans within social units. To this end, we propose a multilevel theoretical framework together with future recommendations, aimed at inspiring future multilevel PID research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56291,"journal":{"name":"Information & Management","volume":"62 7","pages":"Article 104201"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144314301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Wen Zhang , Xuan Zhang , Qiang Wang , Jian Li , Zhenzhong Ma
{"title":"Stop it or not? Effect of platform’s governance on firms’ online review manipulation","authors":"Wen Zhang , Xuan Zhang , Qiang Wang , Jian Li , Zhenzhong Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.im.2025.104200","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.im.2025.104200","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>E-commerce firms engaged in online review manipulation mislead online consumers in their purchasing decision-making and undermine the credibility of the platform they are using. Although researchers have proposed various measures to combat review manipulation, few studies have considered platforms’ revenues from an economic perspective and explored how platforms affect the review manipulation of two asymmetrical firms. To fill this research gap, this paper develops a three-player game model to systematically explore the impact of review manipulation governance imposed by a platform on itself and on two asymmetrical firms offering substitutable commodities on the same platform. The results reveal that governance helps firms avoid situations in which they should engage in manipulation due to competitive pressures. Furthermore, even in the presence of governance, both firms may become trapped in a prisoner’s dilemma. Even if the platform imposes review manipulation governance, both firms and the platform can benefit from manipulation. We also consider the temporal effects of governance on the platform’s revenue and validate whether it is beneficial for the platform to impose review manipulation governance in the long run. Quantitative analysis is conducted to elucidate the benefits that can be attained by the three parties under different circumstances. This analysis holds practical significance for e-commerce platforms and firms seeking to impose appropriate measures pertaining to review manipulation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56291,"journal":{"name":"Information & Management","volume":"62 7","pages":"Article 104200"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144338542","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Optimal revenue model for Q&A platforms: Paid or free viewership?","authors":"Haiyang Feng , Muzi Li , Wenfan Zhao , Nan Feng","doi":"10.1016/j.im.2025.104198","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.im.2025.104198","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper examines the conditions under which a paid viewership model generates more profits for Q&A platforms compared to a free viewership model. We find that when the unit cost of answer quality is low, the platform should adopt the free viewership model to attract more viewers. Otherwise, the paid viewership model is more profitable, as it incentivizes both askers and answerers to engage more actively. While the answerer consistently benefits more under the paid viewership model, active askers are better off only when the viewership fee remains low.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56291,"journal":{"name":"Information & Management","volume":"62 7","pages":"Article 104198"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144308189","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"How Do IT Service Vendors Build Organizational Resilience in Response to Major Exogenous Shocks?","authors":"Fang Su , Ji-Ye Mao , Bing Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.im.2025.104196","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.im.2025.104196","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Organizational resilience is crucial for information technology (IT) service vendors, as they are highly vulnerable to major exogenous shocks. Extant resilience studies in the information systems (IS) field focus on the resilience of IS or the resilience of organizations that utilize IS. However, neither perspective adequately addresses how IT service vendors build organizational resilience in response to exogenous shocks. Using the feedback loop, this study investigates how IT service vendors interact with their environment to build resilience. Through an in-depth case study of two Chinese IT offshoring vendors, we found that IT service vendors can build organizational resilience through outside-in and inside-out processes to form a new stable state after experiencing major exogenous shocks: (1) In the outside-in process, vendors absorb external resources to build new capabilities. The combination of developing resilient IT portfolios with the collective interpretation of business domains facilitates the process. (2) In the inside-out process, vendors establish and improve client relationships by demonstrating their solutions and experiences. Our findings unpack the resilience development process, enrich the understanding of resilience in IS research, and extend the literature on IT service vendors’ risk management and organizational resilience.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56291,"journal":{"name":"Information & Management","volume":"62 7","pages":"Article 104196"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144291176","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yinan Qi , Kexin Hou , Min Zhang , Tianlong Pu , Hangfei Guo
{"title":"Digitalization and financial performance: A supply chain perspective","authors":"Yinan Qi , Kexin Hou , Min Zhang , Tianlong Pu , Hangfei Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.im.2025.104199","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.im.2025.104199","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Digitalization is widely regarded as a strategic approach to gaining competitive advantage. However, some firms have suffered from the digitalization paradox, meaning that investments in digitalization cannot always achieve the expected performance improvement. This study examines how the digitalization of a firm affects its financial performance and the moderating effect of digitalization proximity between the firm and its supplier. The results suggest an inverted U-shaped relationship between a firm’s digitalization and financial performance. Furthermore, the positive moderating role of digitalization proximity in this nonlinear relationship suggests that alignment with suppliers in digitalization allows a firm to materialize the benefits of digitalization. This study provides evidence of the complex relationship between digitalization and financial performance. It empirically demonstrates the importance of aligning with supply chain partners for digitalization to enhance performance benefits. It also offers practical guidance for managers in navigating the evolving digital landscape.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56291,"journal":{"name":"Information & Management","volume":"62 7","pages":"Article 104199"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144291175","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}