Exploring the Impact of Influencer Marketing on Purchase Intention

Using influencer marketing, Fashion Nova developed from a startup to a global player in the fashion industry. Let by examples like this, recently many companies decided to invest in influencers endorsing their products to uplift their sales. Yet, little is known about how influencer marketing evokes purchase behavior among individuals. To answer this question, we want to conduct an interview-based study and a configurational approach, identifying factors and configurations of factors influencing individuals’ purchase behavior in response to influencer marketing. Theoretically, we base on the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) and adapt it to the context of influencer marketing. Thereby, we expect to contribute to theory by building a contextualized ELM for influencer marketing and identifying factors resulting in purchase behavior. Further, we expect to identify configurations of factors resulting in purchase behavior, which explain how the elaboration of influencer marketing influences purchase behavior, which can be used by firms

Gamification: Explaining Brand Loyalty in Mobile Applications

Gamification is one specific way to increase mobile app users’ brand loyalty. We propose that the frequency with which one uses immersion-, achievement- and social-related features relates to brand loyalty. To provide empirical evidence for this proposal, we obtained quantitative data from surveying 243 users on the mobile application Duolingo and conducted a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). We found that users need to frequently use immersion- and achievement-related features to result in high brand loyalty. On the contrary, we found users who infrequently use at least two gamification features have low brand loyalty. These findings extend the gamification literature by revealing an interaction between multiple gamification features and extend mobile application research by showing how gamification features relate to high and low brand loyalty. We also guide practitioners on how to identify users at risk to discontinue and reduce customer churn

Who is Stressed by Using ICTs? A Qualitative Comparison Analysis with the Big Five Personality Traits to Understand Technostress

The purpose of the current study is to reveal personality profiles that predispose to the experience of techno-stressors within an organizational setting. These insights are useful because techno-stressors lead to considerable costs and adverse health effects. We use the theoretical lens of the transaction-based model of stress to study the effect of the Big Five personality traits on techno-stressors. We distributed a self-rating questionnaire among 221 individuals and analyzed data using fuzzy set Qualitative Comparison Analysis. The results reveal that six different personality profiles lead to the experience of techno-stressors. The study contributes to research by revealing that personality traits need to be investigated in profiles when studying their role in technostress and that different profiles of the Big Five predispose to techno-stressors. The results are useful for practitioners as they allow the prevention of techno-stressors and negative consequences by detecting users who are at risk at an early stage

WHY DO INDIVIDUALS AVOID SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTIS-ING: A QUALITATIVE COMPARISON ANALYSIS STUDY

Companies spend billions of dollars in social media advertising, yet some social media users actively avoid social media advertising for instance by scrolling over ads. To understand that, this research builds upon the advertising avoidance model and applies a qualitative comparison analysis (QCA) to identify configurations of perceptions of avoidance. We reveal disruption, distraction, excessiveness and lack of incentive as perceptions that are necessary — yet not sufficient for evoking the avoidance of social media advertising. Furthermore, we reveal three distinct configurations of perceptions that are sufficient and lead to avoidance of social media advertising. This research contributes by uncovering the influence of configurations on social media advertising avoidance and companies can use these findings to reduce the effect of social media users actively avoiding social media advertising

Which Combinations of Techno-Stressors Harm Users and Organizations: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis

The purpose of the current study is to examine which combinations of techno-stressors lead users to be burned out or perform low due to their stressful use of information systems. Therefore, we take a configurational approach and investigate configurations of techno-stressors for job burnout and low job performance. We conduct a two-wave study, survey 166 employees and analyze the data by using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The results reveal four configurations leading to job burnout and one configuration leading to low job performance. The study contributes to technostress research by showing that techno-stressors need to be studied in configurations, by highlighting that job burnout and low job performance are caused by different configurations and by revealing that high as well as low levels of a techno-stressor can initiate the adverse reactions of users

Not Talking to Robo-Doc: A QCA Study Examining Patients’ Resistance to Chatbots for Anamnesis

The usage of chatbots in healthcare is rising, due to significant cost and time savings. A promising use case is the automation of the time-intensive anamnesis, however many patients are unwilling to share their personal health records with a chatbot. This paper examins patients’ resistance to using a chatbot for anamnesis. We base on status quo bias perspective and its provided influencing factors and use a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) to identify configurations, thus conjunctions of the factors that when working together lead to patients’ resistance of using a chatbot for anamnesis. The identified three configurations contribute to chatbot research, examining causes for resistance instead of acceptance and resistance research, identifying typologies of patients, who resist using a chatbot for anmanesis. We also provide useful insights for healthcare facilities thinking about the implementation of a chatbot for anamnesis

Decentralized Finance: A Configurational Perspective on UTAUT

Blockchain-based decentralized finance (DeFi) enables financial transactions without intermediaries. Among its most diffused applications is DeFi borrowing, which allows users to borrow money from other users. DeFi borrowing relies on sufficient users requesting money, making it essential for blockchain technology platform providers to understand why users intend to use DeFi borrowing. To explain this, we turn to the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). Given that existing studies differ in how the beliefs of UTAUT influence use intention, we explain previous findings by suggesting that multiple beliefs together, so-called configurations, lead to high and low use intention. Following a configurational approach on potential users of DeFi borrowing, we reveal three configurations resulting in high use intention and two configurations resulting in low use intention. We contribute by explaining DeFi borrowing use intention and resolving previous differing findings on UTAUT by taking a configurational perspective

Esports: Explaining Willingness to Pay for Streaming Services

Online multiplayer computer game competitions—so-called esports—attract millions of spectators around the world and show spectator numbers comparable to the Super Bowl. Despite that, game publishers, which often organize these large-scale competitions, still struggle to establish esports as a profitable business venture. One way they can do so involves how they position fee-based streaming services for watching esports online. To draw spectators to their streaming services, esports organizers need to focus on attracting spectators with a high willingness to pay (WTP), and the streaming services need to satisfy spectators’ motivations. Grounded in uses and gratifications theory and a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis, our results show that four different configurations of motivations relate to WTP for esports streaming services. We contribute by showing that 1) motivations form WTP in the esports context, 2) multiple interacting motivations explain WTP, and 3) spectators follow different rationales for their high WTP

Personality Profiles that Put Users at Risk of Perceiving Technostress

Some information systems research has considered that individual personality traits influence whether users feel stressed by information and communication technologies. Personality research suggests, however, that personality traits do not act individually, but interact interdependently to constitute a personality profile that guides individual perceptions and behavior. The study relies on the differential exposure-reactivity model to investigate which personality profiles of the Big Five personality traits predispose users to perceive techno-stressors. Using a questionnaire, data was collected from 221 users working in different organizations. That data was analyzed using fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis. Based on the results, six different personality profiles that predispose to perceive high techno-stressors are identified. By investigating personality traits in terms of profiles, it is shown that a high and a low level of a personality trait can influence the perception of techno-stressors. The results will allow users and practitioners to identify individuals who are at risk of perceiving techno-stressors based on their personality profile. The post-survey analysis offers starting points for the prevention of perceived techno-stressors and the related negative consequences for specific personality profiles

Engagement with Social Ads: Explaining the Influence of Herding in Social Media Advertising

Social media uses social ads that are enriched with social media likes (SMLs). Yet, existing research on advertising cannot explain how SMLs influence individuals’ engagement with social ads. We build upon herding literature and the theory of the strengths of ties and explain how the observation of social ads enriched with SMLs influences individuals’ intention to engage with the social ad. This paper explains the effect 1) of the pure number of SMLs of a social ad and 2) the effect of SMLs from strongly or weakly tied friends on individuals’ engagement with social ads. We thereby contribute to a better understanding why individuals click on social ads and provide practical implications for social media marketing campaigns