What Encourages Purchase of Virtual Gifts in Live Streaming: Cognitive Absorption, Social Experience and Technological Environment

Live streaming has become extraordinarily popular worldwide. As a new form of social media, live streaming enables two levels of real-time interactions (i.e., between viewers and the streamer, and among viewers) and is monetized in a new way-viewers’ purchase of virtual gifts. The new monetization model has achieved a great success, yet there is a lack of understanding about what encourages viewers to purchase virtual gifts in live streaming. To explain such purchase behavior, this study develops a model which investigates the roles of viewers’ holistic experience with the system (i.e., cognitive absorption) and their social experiences (i.e., para-social interaction and virtual crowd experience), as well as how these experiences are developed within the technological environment of live streaming (i.e., interactivity, deep profiling and design aesthetics). The model was validated by using survey data collected from China. We also discuss implications for research and practice emerging out of this study

Protecting Oak Flat: Narratives Of Survivance As Observed Through Digital Activism

abstract: American Indians are increasingly using social media/social network platforms as a tool to influence policy through social change. The activist group Apache Stronghold represents a case of American Indians utilising social media tools to protect Oak Flat and influence federal Indian policy. Oak Flat is sacred Apache land located in Superior, Arizona. United States legislators transferred Oak Flat to the mining company Resolution Copper as part of the omnibus National Defense Authorization Act of 2015. Qualitative analysis of social media content and advocacy tactics – specifically through use of timeline and digital ethnography – of Apache Stronghold from 2015-2016 reveal the interrelated nature of on-the-ground efforts, online efforts, solidarity efforts, and legislative support efforts. In sum, these efforts express narratives of survivance, healing, and a future orientation, as a unique dimension of social change.The final version of this article, as published in Australasian Journal of Information Systems, can be viewed online at: http://journal.acs.org.au/index.php/ajis/article/view/156

Religion and brand activism: Faith-based segments in the UK and their engagement in boycotting behaviour.

At present, brand activism has become an emerging marketing strategy for companies who aim to distinguish themselves in a fragmented marketplace by publicly addressing social and political issues. In a bid to foster loyalty and nurture lifelong customers, brands are aligning their values with meaning causes to spark change and inspire action. However, several brands have faced criticism or faced boycotts because of their decisions to support contentious causes. The contrasting positions adopted by brands such as Huda Beauty and McDonald's Israel amid the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict serve as a notable example. Existing works have focused on consumer motives for, responses to, and the effectiveness of brand boycotting. Also examined is the role of consumer affinity and animosity play in the context of boycotting campaigns. In addition to this, social media has simplified the process for activists to connect with a broader audience and garner more substantial support for their causes. With this said, the impact of religious animosity on people's attitudes toward macro boycotts is said to be culturally dependent. Yet, little research was located on the boycotting behaviour of faith-based segment in secular societies like the UK. Thus, the purpose of the paper is to examine the impact religion (and religious commitment) has on faith-based segments when boycotting brands. The objectives of the paper are threefold. First, to uncover individual motives and expectations (i.e., from personal views to social expectations). Second, identify their engagement and participation (i.e., communication, product, purchase and response) in boycotts online and offline. Third, to understand how faith-based segment perceive or measure the success of their boycotts (i.e., business impact vs. society impact). The study will encompass followers of Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, and Sikhism, and includes respondents with no religious affiliation. variations will be assessed among religion and religiosity group, with the latter being measured through two dimensions (i.e., intrinsic and extrinsic). The implication of this research enables companies to understand the mechanism of consumer boycotting behaviour in instances of brand activism

Enhancing value co-creation behaviour in digital peer-to-peer platforms: an integrated approach

The rising number of digital peer-to peer (P2P) platforms, e.g. Airbnb and HomeAway, has shaken up the hospitality industry by creating a specific context that leverages peer value co-creation behaviour (VCCB), but which, despite growing interest, remains under-explored. The purpose of this study is to further the understanding of peer VCCB in P2P digital platforms by investigating their antecedents and outcomes. Data are drawn from 24 interviews with managers, four focus groups with users of P2P platforms, and a survey using a sample of 712 peers. The main findings show that peers’ identification, resource-sharing and experience are predictors of their VCCB, which, in turn, influences their motivation, relationships, loyalty and active participation in the platform. The study’s implications propose guidelines to managers of P2P platforms on how to enhance peers’ perceived quality, identification, resource-sharing and experience to increase their VCCB and active participation

How advocacy and interactivity facilitate customer value co-creation behaviour in Instagram: a micro-perspective of unplanned and voluntary usage of hedonic social networking sites

Our study offers a new conceptual model of value co-creation in hedonic social network sites, and it validates an adaptation of the Coleman bathtub to social interaction in Instagram. Few papers have studied empirically interactive platforms for value co-creation in the focal context of a service ecosystem under service-dominant logic. We use a CB-SEM methodological approach to quantitatively test the hypothesised connections between constructs in our structural model. The analysis of the statistical results allows us to validate the direct, indirect and total effects between the latent variables in the model. Furthermore, it empirically shows, for the studied sample of Instagrammers, the dual nature of interactivity, both networked and perceived; how customer participation behaviour relates to customer relationships with other Instagrammers; the resource integration patterns of social capital and the choreography of relational value; and finally as well as the positive impact of increased advocacy levels on customer participation behaviour during the unplanned and voluntary usage of Instagram.Nuestro estudio ofrece un nuevo modelo conceptual de cocreación de valor en redes sociales hedónicas, y valida la adaptación del bote de Coleman a la interacción social en Instagram. Pocos estudios se han realizado para investigar empíricamente las plataformas interactivas para la cocreación de valor en el contexto de un ecosistema de servicios bajo la lógica dominante del servicio. Utilizamos el enfoque metodológico del modelo de ecuaciones estructurales basado en la covarianza para comprobar cuantitativamente las relaciones causales hipotéticas entre constructos en nuestro modelo estructural. El análisis de los resultados estadísticos nos permite validar los efectos directos, indirectos y totales entre las variables latentes del modelo. Además, se demuestra empíricamente para la muestra de instagrammers la naturaleza dual de la interactividad, en la interactividad en red y en la percepción de la interactividad; cómo el comportamiento participativo del cliente influye en las relaciones personales con otros instagrammers; los patrones de integración de recursos del capital social y la coreografía del valor relacional; y finalmente el impacto positivo que tienen los niveles de adopción aumentados sobre el comportamiento ciudadano del cliente durante el uso no planificado y voluntario de Instagram.El nostre estudi ofereix un nou model conceptual de cocreació de valor en xarxes socials hedòniques, i valida l'adaptació del pot de Coleman a la interacció social a Instagram. Pocs estudis s'han realitzat per investigar empíricament les plataformes interactives per a la cocreació de valor en el context d'un ecosistema de serveis sota la lògica dominant del servei. Utilitzem l'enfocament metodològic del model d'equacions estructurals basat en la covariància per comprovar quantitativament les relacions causals hipotètiques entre constructes en el nostre model estructural. L'anàlisi dels resultats estadístics ens permet validar els efectes directes, indirectes i totals entre les variables latents del model. A més, es demostra empíricament per a la mostra d'instagramers la naturalesa dual de la interactivitat, en la interactivitat en xarxa i en la percepció de la interactivitat; com el comportament participatiu del client influeix en les relacions personals amb altres instagramers; els patrons de integració de recursos del capital social i la coreografia de la valor relacional; i finalment l'impacte positiu que tenen els nivells d'adopció augmentats sobre el comportament ciutadà del client durant l'ús no planificat i voluntari d'Instagram

“Envisioning Digital Sanctuaries”: An Exploration of Virtual Collectives for Nurturing Professional Development of Women in Technical Domains

Work and learning are essential facets of our existence, yet sociocultural barriers have historically limited access and opportunity for women in multiple contexts, including their professional pursuits. Such sociocultural barriers are particularly pronounced in technical domains and have relegated minoritized voices to the margins. As a result of these barriers, those affected have suffered strife, turmoil, and subjugation. Hence, it is important to investigate how women can subvert such structural limitations and find channels through which they can seek support and guidance to navigate their careers. With the proliferation of modern communication infrastructure, virtual forums of conversation such as Reddit have emerged as key spaces that allow knowledge-sharing, provide opportunities for mobilizing collective action, and constitute sanctuaries of support and companionship. Yet, recent scholarship points to the negative ramifications of such channels in perpetuating social prejudice, directed particularly at members from historically underrepresented communities. Using a novel comparative muti-method, multi-level empirical approach comprising content analysis, social network analysis, and psycholinguistic analysis, I explore the way in which virtual forums engender community and foster avenues for everyday resilience and collective care through the analysis of 400,267 conversational traces collected from three subreddits (r/cscareerquestions, r/girlsgonewired & r/careerwoman). Blending the empirical analysis with a novel theoretical apparatus that integrates insights from social constructivist frameworks, feminist data studies, computer-supported collaborative work, and computer-mediated communication, I highlight how gender, care, and community building intertwine and collectively impact the emergent conversational habits of these online enclaves. Key results indicate six content themes ranging from discussions on knowledge advancement to scintillating ethical probes regarding disparities manifesting in the technical workplace. Further, psycholinguistic and network insights reveal four pivotal roles that support and enrich the communities in different ways. Taken together, these insights help to postulate an emergent spectrum of relationality ranging from a more agentic to a more communal pattern of affinity building. Network insights also yield valuable inferences regarding the role of automated agents in community dynamics across the forums. A discussion is presented regarding the emergent routines of care, collective empowerment, empathy-building tactics, community sustenance initiatives, and ethical perspectives in relation to the involvement of automated agents. This dissertation contributes to the theory and practice of how virtual collectives can be designed and sustained to offer spaces for enrichment, empowerment, and advocacy, focusing on the professional development of historically underrepresented voices such as women

Nathan Cummings Foundation 2010 Annual Report

Contains board chair's message, president's report, descriptions of programs and initiatives, shareholder activities report, and lists of board members and staff. Grants list for 2010 included in financial statements