Showing papers by "Christian Matt published in 2016"

Options for Formulating a Digital Transformation Strategy

Abstract: CIOs and other senior executives face the challenge of how to handle the opportunities and risks of digital transformation. To help managers address this challenge more systematically, we describe how three German media companies successfully approached digital transformation. Based on their experiences, we provide a list of 11 strategic questions and possible answers managers can use as guidelines when formulating a digital transformation strategy.

Global Differences in Online Shopping Behavior: Understanding Factors Leading to Trust

Abstract: Trust underlies much of the online shopping behavior. We compare trust in online shopping in four countries: (1) the United States, a mature online market; (2) Germany; (3) China, the fastest growi...

Product fit uncertainty and its effects on vendor choice: an experimental study

Abstract: Recommender systems and other Internet-enabled technologies have changed the surrounding conditions of pre-purchase evaluations on the Internet. In some cases consumers can now sample entire products prior to a purchase – hereby removing all uncertainty about whether a product fits their taste. While previous research has mainly focused on vendor and product quality uncertainty, it is still not clear how declining product fit uncertainty affects consumers. To close this gap, we conducted a laboratory experiment to analyze the effects on consumers’ vendor selection. We find that full elimination of product fit uncertainty is beneficial for vendors, as it increases both the number of purchases and consumer loyalty. Interestingly, if product fit uncertainty is only partially eliminated, consumers do not necessarily show differential behavior for different levels of remaining product fit uncertainty. This has important implications for online vendors that consider the implementation of additional means to reduce product fit uncertainty.

Sweet Idleness, but Why? How Cognitive Factors and Personality Traits Affect Privacy-Protective Behavior

Abstract: According to media and research, users have a high interest in protecting their personal data. Although privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) can help secure users' privacy, only very few make use of PETs -- even if some of these are gratis. Given the overall impact for individuals, good answers are needed, which we seek in both cognitive and personality factors. By drawing on protection motivation theory (PMT) and the five-factor model (FFM), we seek to explain individuals' intention to use PETs. Our results support the suitability of the PMT in the PET context. In particular, perceived response efficacy has a strong effect on individuals' intention to use PETs. Most personality factors have no or somewhat unexpected influences, but due to the measurements' brevity further research with extended personality scales is needed to validate these results.

Online Trust: An International Study of Subjects' Willingness to Shop at Online Merchants, Including the Effects of Promises and of Third Party Guarantees

Abstract: Significant differences exist among consumers' online shopping behavior in different international markets. This paper compares consumer behavior in four different markets: (1) The US, the largest and most mature market, (2) Germany, a similarly advanced western market (3) China, the fastest growing online market, but one where consumers are plagued by incidents of counterfeits, forgeries, and spoiled or defective items, and (4) Singapore, an advanced market, culturally similar in some ways to China, but with a strong legal system. We performed laboratory experiments simultaneously in all four countries. We used three experimental treatments: (1) No assurances of product quality or authenticity, (2) promises of quality and authenticity, and (3) promises backed up by third party assurances. We examined subjects' responses for all three treatments, and for vendors' with different degrees of riskiness. We confirmed that significant differences exist in consumer behavior, but these differences were not always what we expected. Chinese consumers do appear to have trust in their best online vendors. US consumers appear to treat online shopping very similarly to the way they treat shopping in physical venues.

Daten als Geschäft – Rollen und Wertschöpfungsstrukturen im deutschen Markt für persönliche Daten

Abstract: Individuen hinterlassen online immer mehr Spuren in Form von personlichen Daten. Fur Unternehmen sind diese Daten ein wertvolles Gut, das in speziellen und nach ausen hin intransparent erscheinenden Markten angeboten und nachgefragt wird. Der vorliegende Artikel beleuchtet die Wertschopfung in diesen Markten aus einer strukturellen Perspektive.

Human vs. Algorithmic Recommendations in Big Data and the Role of Ambiguity

Abstract: Based on big data, decisions can increasingly be drawn from data-driven analytics and algorithmic decision support. However, it remains unclear whether recommendations issued by computer algorithms are equally accepted by individuals as human advices. This is particularly intriguing given that big data entails various forms of ambiguous decision situations in which individuals cannot assess the underlying database or possible consequences. We conceptually introduce ambiguity in the light of big data and conduct an experiment to identify whether individuals prefer algorithmic to human recommendations and how outcome and data ambiguity affect individuals’ adoption behavior of algorithmic decision support. We find a preference for human recommendations, independently from the level of inherent ambiguity. However, areas that are more data-driven have a higher potential to overcome resistance to algorithmic decision support. Our results imply that developers of algorithmic decision support should provide high levels of transparency in areas which currently lack support.

Connectivity is Ubiquitous, But is It Beneficial? A Numerical Approach to Assess Individuals' Valuations of Smart Home Systems

Abstract: Digitization of everyday products and individual compositions of complex systems foster technological home networks. Thereby, users decide which smart home systems (SHS) they wish to connect themselves. Despite this phenomenon's increasing relevance, previous research has not yet analyzed how individuals buy and combine systems for home network integration. Existing approaches do not consider the additional utility from connecting systems within home networks. Thus, we extend network effect theory with a user-centered view and formalize SHS valuation based on utility effects created by users' independent decisions to connect. Our model presents a comprehensive and outright way of system valuation and selection, and accounts for current connectivity benefits in home networks. Based on combinatory optimization, we derive optimal home network compositions and underline the influences of network size and density. These findings on decision behavior are critical for providers to assess the utility of their products and to tweak system configurations accordingly.

Führung und Privatheit in der digitalen Arbeitswelt

Abstract: Durch die Digitalisierung wachst die Menge an generierten Daten in Unternehmen immer weiter an. Das Unternehmen, seine Produktions- und Arbeitsprozesse sowie das Verhalten der Mitarbeiter werden dadurch zunehmend transparent. Eine derartige Entwicklung bietet Chancen fur die Fuhrung genauso wie fur den einzelnen Mitarbeiter. Doch besonders mit Blick auf das Thema Privatheit wird deutlich, dass der Trend hin zu mehr Transparenz auch Risiken bergen kann. Daher gilt es, die potentiellen Auswirkungen einer erhohten Transparenz auf den unterschiedlichen Unternehmensebenen zu identifizieren und gegeneinander abzuwagen.

Options for Formulating a Digital Transformation Strategy

Abstract: CIOs and other senior executives face the challenge of how to handle the opportunities and risks of digital transformation. To help managers address this challenge more systematically, we describe how three German media companies successfully approached digital transformation. Based on their experiences, we provide a list of 11 strategic questions and possible answers managers can use as guidelines when formulating a digital transformation strategy.

Negative externe Effekte bei der Nutzung mobiler Endgeräte – Zur Rolle der Privatsphäre Dritter im Entscheidungskalkül des Nutzers

Abstract: Mobile Endgerate mit Kamerafunktion erlauben es ihren Nutzern, bildliche Daten der Umgebung und somit auch von Dritten zu erfassen. Dies impliziert jedoch negative externe Effekte, da die Erfassung Dritter ein Eindringen in deren Privatsphare darstellen kann. Bisherige Forschung hat sich vor allem darauf konzentriert, wie sich ein wahrgenommenes Eindringen in die eigene Privatsphare auf das individuelle Technologienutzungsverhalten auswirkt. Da die Privatsphare Dritter bei der Nutzung mobiler Endgerate jedoch ebenfalls betroffen sein kann, ist es notwendig, deren Rolle im Entscheidungskalkul des Nutzers zu analysieren. Dieser Research-in-Progress Beitrag erweitert auf Basis der Communication Privacy Management Theory die bestehende Privatsphare-Literatur um das Konzept der Privatsphare Dritter. Der Beitrag liefert theoretische und methodische Grundlagen fur die Untersuchung, wie sich die Wahrnehmung eines Eindringens in die Privatsphare Dritter auf die individuelle Nutzungsintention der Technologienutzer auswirkt.

Media meets retail – re-evaluating content quality in the context of b2c e-commerce

Abstract: In the increasingly competitive Internet business landscape, content is more and more employed for marketing purposes. While online retailers are raising investments in content to promote their online shops, media companies are starting to monetize their content by building own e-commerce platforms. The rationale behind these content-driven commerce approaches is to create a satisfying online shopping experience and, thus, to foster customer loyalty. However, whether content is a suitable means to these ends has not yet been proven. One obstacle is that there is no measurement instrument that captures all relevant characteristics of content on a website. We seek to fill this gap by developing a unified content quality scale in the context of B2C e-commerce. In this paper, we report on the first two of five steps in the scale development process and provide an initial proposal for a formativeformative second-order content quality construct. In contrast to previous measures, our scale considers hedonic characteristics of content and thus contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the concept. Furthermore, both media companies and online retailers can benefit from this scale by applying it to evaluate the effects of their content-driven commerce approaches on customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Vertrauensbildung durch soziale Empfehlungen

Abstract: Mobile Endgerate stellen Funktionen bereit, die es Unternehmen ermoglichen, ihren Kunden passgenaue, standortspezifische Dienstleistungen anzubieten. Im Vergleich zum klassischen Onlinehandel oder zu Einkaufen in Ladengeschaften werden Vertragsabschlusse uber mobile Endgerate von den Konsumenten jedoch weiterhin als riskanter wahrgenommen. Empfehlungssysteme konnen Konsumenten bei der Suche nach Produkten und bei ihrer Kaufentscheidung unterstutzen. Wir fokussieren uns auf soziale Empfehlungssysteme und untersuchen, inwieweit diese geeignet sind, um das Vertrauen der Nutzer und die Kaufwahrscheinlichkeit uber mobile Endgerate zu erhohen. Am Beispiel einer standortbezogenen Versicherungs-App vergleichen wir hierfur Empfehlungen aus dem sozialen Umfeld der Nutzer mit anbieterbasierten Empfehlungen und messen Auswirkungen auf das wahrgenommene Vertrauen und den Kaufabschluss. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen, dass anbieterbasierte Empfehlungen kompetenter eingeschatzt werden als soziale Empfehlungen. Die Empfehlungssysteme unterscheiden sich hingegen nicht im Hinblick auf die wohlwollende Absicht und Integritat. Es zeigt sich weiterhin, dass soziale Empfehlungen in einem risikoarmeren Kontext bevorzugt werden, wahrend dies in einem risikoreicheren Kontext nicht der Fall ist.

The Strategic Role of Communication Standards for Media Companies

Abstract: Standards setting has gone from being a technical concern for individual companies to being a factor with important strategic implications for cooperation and competition among market players. The strategic issues raised by this development include the formation of competitive advantages by promoting standards or preventing their diffusion. In Sect. 1 of this chapter, we discuss the economic interpretation of standards from a descriptive perspective by drawing on the closely related issue of positive network effects, which induce a self-enhancing cycle and lead to a widespread adoption of the standard. In Sect. 2, we highlight standards setting as a competitive weapon for media companies. Standards act not only as a precondition for compatibility across technologies and systems, but can also be used to generate incompatibility and customer lock-in effects. Thus, we examine standardization strategies and tactics for horizontal competitors in the digital media industry. In Sect. 3, we view standards as a strategic instrument for cost reduction in media companies by describing a normative decision model for the economic selection of standards, referred to as the standardization problem.