Does the Source Matter? How Referral Channels and Personal Communication Tools Affect Consumers’ Referral Propensity

Many companies are using social sharing buttons to make it easier for consumers to refer a website or app to other potential consumers. Although these buttons are ubiquitous online, it remains unclear whether consumer referral propensity (i.e. the likelihood of consumers referring other consumers) varies across the channels through which consumers arrive at the website. In particular, we test whether referral propensity is higher for consumers themselves acquired through social referrals and compare them with consumers accessing the website through other commonly used channels, such as search engines and online advertisements. In addition, we examine whether the communication tool (i.e. social networking websites or instant messaging clients) through which the referral is transmitted affects consumers’ referral decisions. Our results indicate that consumers acquired through social referrals are more likely to make a referral and that the communication tools do not differ in their influence on consumers’ referral propensity.

From private digital platforms to public data spaces: implications for the digital transformation

Technological developments such as Cloud Computing, the Internet of Things, Big Data and Artificial Intelligence continue to drive the digital transformation of business and society. With the advent of platform-based ecosystems and their potential to address complex challenges, there is a trend towards greater interconnectedness between different stakeholders to co-create services based on the provision and use of data. While previous research on digital transformation mainly focused on digital transformation within organizations, it is of growing importance to understand the implications for digital transformation on different layers (e.g., interorganizational cooperation and platform ecosystems). In particular, the conceptualization and implications of public data spaces and related ecosystems provide promising research opportunities. This special issue contains five papers on the topic of digital transformation and, with the editorial, further contributes by providing an initial conceptualization of public data spaces' potential to foster innovative progress and digital transformation from a management perspective

Technology as a Source of Power: Exploring How ICT Use Contributes to the Social Inclusion of Refugees in Germany

Since the beginning of the recent global refugee crisis, researchers have been tackling many of its associated aspects, investigating how we can help to alleviate this crisis, in particular, using ICTs capabilities. In our research, we investigated the use of ICT solutions by refugees to foster the social inclusion process in the host community. To tackle this topic, we conducted thirteen interviews with Syrian refugees in Germany. Our findings reveal different ICT usages by refugees and how these contribute to feeling empowered. Moreover, we show the sources of empowerment for refugees that are gained by ICT use. Finally, we identified the two types of social inclusion benefits that were derived from empowerment sources. Our results provide practical implications to different stakeholders and decision-makers on how ICT usage can empower refugees, which can foster the social inclusion of refugees, and what should be considered to support them in their integration effort

ICT Support for Refugees and Undocumented Immigrants

Immigrant integration has become a primary political concern for leaders in Germany and the United States. The information systems (IS) community has begun to research how information and communications technologies can assist immigrants and refugees, such as by examining how countries can facilitate social-inclusion processes. Migrants face the challenge of joining closed communities that cannot integrate or fear doing so. We conducted a panel discussion at the 2019 Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS) in Cancun, Mexico, to introduce multiple viewpoints on immigration. In particular, the panel discussed how technology can both support and prevent immigrants from succeeding in their quest. We conducted the panel to stimulate a thoughtful and dynamic discussion on best practices and recommendations to enhance the discipline’s impact on alleviating the challenges that occur for immigrants in their host countries. In this panel report, we introduce the topic of using ICT to help immigrants integrate and identify differences between North/Central America and Europe. We also discuss how immigrants (particularly refugees) use ICT to connect with others, feel that they belong, and maintain their identity. We also uncover the dark and bright sides of how governments use ICT to deter illegal immigration. Finally, we present recommendations for researchers and practitioners on how to best use ICT to assist with immigration

A VALUE-BASED APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING THE PERSONAL RELEVANCE OF DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION FEATURES

Individuals adopt und use personal communication tools (PCTs) such as instant messaging clients or social networking sites with diverse features to communicate with others. To understand individual communication behaviors, it is important to understand which values user obtain when they use spe-cific PCT features such as sending text, video, voice messages and pictures. However, even though PCTs are used extensively, it remains unclear why individual features are used. There is little IS re-search on the criteria according to which users decide between these PCT features. Therefore, this study investigates why individuals use different PCT features. In so doing, we reveal linkages between the features and the personal values that users try to derive while using them. We draw on the means-end chain approach, which provides a conceptual framework for identifying product attributes, their consequences and associated values. To obtain these factors, we conducted laddering interviews with PCT users. The results show that users seek to obtain different types of values such as utilitarian, he-donic and emotional values when choosing between PCT features and audience sizes. This study con-tributes to value-based IT usage literature and provides implications for PCT providers by revealing the values users attain by communicating via PCT features

Temporary Agency Work in Elderly Care in Germany : A qualitative study of deciding factors and their significance for organizations.

Over the last two decades, more and more elderly care nurses, specialists and untrained, have chosen to go into temporary agency work rather than insitutionalized care. This qualitative study investigated the factors that attract elderly care nurses to temporary employment and possible adjustments organizations can make, to enhance their competitiveness over agencies. A structured literature review and the Job Demand-Resource Theory were used as the backdrop for qualitative interviews with temporary agency nurses, temporary agents and leaders of elderly care homes. The factors that attract elderly care nurses in Germany to temporary agency work are expectations of greater flexibility, higher salaries and a different balance of demands and resources. The expected flexibilities are however limited and higher salaries arequestionable. Temporary agency nurses are engaging in a form of job crafting behavior that has larger implications for the field. Organizations might enhance their competitiveness with changes to internal structures, in large part changes to internal communication, and external changes the organizations might supportIn den letzten zwei Jahrzehnten haben sich immer mehr Altenpfleger*innen, sowohl Fachkräfte als auch Ungelernte, dafür entschieden, in der Zeitarbeit statt der stationären Pflege zu arbeiten. Diese qualitative Studie untersuchte die Faktoren, die Altenpfleger*innen zur Zeitarbeit bewegen, und mögliche Anpassungen, die Unternehmen vornehmen können, um ihre Wettbewerbsfähigkeit gegenüber Agenturen zu verbessern. Eine strukturierte Literaturrecherche und die Job Demand-Resource Theorie dienten als Grundlage für qualitative Interviews mit Zeitarbeitspflegekräften, Disponent*innen von Zeitarbeitsagenturen und Leiter*innen von Altenpflegeheimen. Die Faktoren, die Altenpflegeri*innen in Deutschland zur Zeitarbeit bewegen, sind die Erwartung größerer Flexibilität, höhere Gehälter und ein anderes Gleichgewicht von Anforderungen und Ressourcen. Die erwartete Flexibilität ist jedoch begrenzt und die finanziellen Vorteile sind fraglich. Zeitarbeitskräfte üben eine Form des Job Crafting aus, die weitreichende Auswirkungen auf die Pflege als Profession und Arbeitsfeld hat. Unternehmen könnten ihre Wettbewerbsfähigkeit durch Änderungen der internen Strukturen, größtenteils eine Anpassung der Kommunikation, und durch externe Veränderungen, die sie unterstützen könnten, verbessern

Temporary Agency Work in Elderly Care in Germany : A qualitative study of deciding factors and their significance for organizations.

Over the last two decades, more and more elderly care nurses, specialists and untrained, have chosen to go into temporary agency work rather than insitutionalized care. This qualitative study investigated the factors that attract elderly care nurses to temporary employment and possible adjustments organizations can make, to enhance their competitiveness over agencies. A structured literature review and the Job Demand-Resource Theory were used as the backdrop for qualitative interviews with temporary agency nurses, temporary agents and leaders of elderly care homes. The factors that attract elderly care nurses in Germany to temporary agency work are expectations of greater flexibility, higher salaries and a different balance of demands and resources. The expected flexibilities are however limited and higher salaries arequestionable. Temporary agency nurses are engaging in a form of job crafting behavior that has larger implications for the field. Organizations might enhance their competitiveness with changes to internal structures, in large part changes to internal communication, and external changes the organizations might supportIn den letzten zwei Jahrzehnten haben sich immer mehr Altenpfleger*innen, sowohl Fachkräfte als auch Ungelernte, dafür entschieden, in der Zeitarbeit statt der stationären Pflege zu arbeiten. Diese qualitative Studie untersuchte die Faktoren, die Altenpfleger*innen zur Zeitarbeit bewegen, und mögliche Anpassungen, die Unternehmen vornehmen können, um ihre Wettbewerbsfähigkeit gegenüber Agenturen zu verbessern. Eine strukturierte Literaturrecherche und die Job Demand-Resource Theorie dienten als Grundlage für qualitative Interviews mit Zeitarbeitspflegekräften, Disponent*innen von Zeitarbeitsagenturen und Leiter*innen von Altenpflegeheimen. Die Faktoren, die Altenpflegeri*innen in Deutschland zur Zeitarbeit bewegen, sind die Erwartung größerer Flexibilität, höhere Gehälter und ein anderes Gleichgewicht von Anforderungen und Ressourcen. Die erwartete Flexibilität ist jedoch begrenzt und die finanziellen Vorteile sind fraglich. Zeitarbeitskräfte üben eine Form des Job Crafting aus, die weitreichende Auswirkungen auf die Pflege als Profession und Arbeitsfeld hat. Unternehmen könnten ihre Wettbewerbsfähigkeit durch Änderungen der internen Strukturen, größtenteils eine Anpassung der Kommunikation, und durch externe Veränderungen, die sie unterstützen könnten, verbessern

Do All Roads Lead to Rome? Exploring the Relationship between Social Referrals, Consumers’ Stickiness and Referral Propensity on Video-on-Demand Websites

Content website providers have two main goals: They seek to attract consumers and to keep them on their websites as long as possible. To reach potential consumers, they can utilize several online channels, such as paid search results or advertisements on social media, all of which usually require a substantial marketing budget. However, with rising user numbers of online communication tools, website providers increasingly integrate social sharing buttons on their websites to encourage existing consumers to facilitate referrals to their social networks. While little is known about this social form of guiding consumers to a content website, this study proposes that the way in which consumers reach a website is related to their stickiness to the website and their propensity to refer content to others. By using a unique clickstream data set of a video-on-demand website, this study compares consumers referred by their social network to those consumers arriving at the website via organic search or social media advertisements in terms of stickiness to the website (e.g., visit length, number of page views, video starts) and referral likelihood. The results show that consumers referred through social referrals spend more time on the website, view more pages, and start more videos than consumers who respond to social media advertisements, but less than those coming through organic search. Concerning referral propensity, the results indicate that consumers attracted to a website through social referrals are more likely to refer content to others than those who came through organic search or social media advertisements. This study offers direct insights to managers and recommends an increase in their efforts to promote social referrals on their web-sites