Showing papers by "DePaul University published in 2011"
TL;DR: In this paper, a conceptual model that identifies tie strength, homophily, trust, normative and informational interpersonal influence as an important antecedent to eWOM behavior in SNSs was developed and tested.
Abstract: As more and more marketers incorporate social media as an integral part of the promotional mix, rigorous investigation of the determinants that impact consumers’ engagement in eWOM via social networks is becoming critical. Given the social and communal characteristics of social networking sites (SNSs) such as Facebook, MySpace and Friendster, this study examines how social relationship factors relate to eWOM transmitted via online social websites. Specifically, a conceptual model that identifies tie strength, homophily, trust, normative and informational interpersonal influence as an important antecedent to eWOM behaviour in SNSs was developed and tested. The results confirm that tie strength, trust, normative and informational influence are positively associated with users’ overall eWOM behaviour, whereas a negative relationship was found with regard to homophily. This study suggests that product-focused eWOM in SNSs is a unique phenomenon with important social implications. The implications for research...
1,693 citations
TL;DR: An overview of the multifaceted notion of context is provided, several approaches for incorporating contextual information in recommendation process are discussed, and the usage of such approaches in several application areas where different types of contexts are exploited are illustrated.
Abstract: Context-aware recommender systems (CARS) generate more relevant recommendations by adapting them to the specific contextual situation of the user. This article explores how contextual information can be used to create more intelligent and useful recommender systems. It provides an overview of the multifaceted notion of context, discusses several approaches for incorporating contextual information in recommendation process, and illustrates the usage of such approaches in several application areas where different types of contexts are exploited. The article concludes by discussing the challenges and future research directions for context-aware recommender systems.
1,370 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors revisited the demographic diversity variable and team performance relationship using meta-analysis and took a significant departure from previous meta-analyses by focusing on specific demographic variables (e.g., functional background, organizational tenure) rather than broad categories such as highly job related, less job related).
657 citations
TL;DR: This work investigated whether software metrics obtained from source code and development history are discriminative and predictive of vulnerable code locations, and predicted over 80 percent of the known vulnerable files with less than 25 percent false positives for both projects.
Abstract: Security inspection and testing require experts in security who think like an attacker. Security experts need to know code locations on which to focus their testing and inspection efforts. Since vulnerabilities are rare occurrences, locating vulnerable code locations can be a challenging task. We investigated whether software metrics obtained from source code and development history are discriminative and predictive of vulnerable code locations. If so, security experts can use this prediction to prioritize security inspection and testing efforts. The metrics we investigated fall into three categories: complexity, code churn, and developer activity metrics. We performed two empirical case studies on large, widely used open-source projects: the Mozilla Firefox web browser and the Red Hat Enterprise Linux kernel. The results indicate that 24 of the 28 metrics collected are discriminative of vulnerabilities for both projects. The models using all three types of metrics together predicted over 80 percent of the known vulnerable files with less than 25 percent false positives for both projects. Compared to a random selection of files for inspection and testing, these models would have reduced the number of files and the number of lines of code to inspect or test by over 71 and 28 percent, respectively, for both projects.
521 citations
TL;DR: For instance, the authors found that women score higher on most measures of the traits, motivations, and values that predict helping others, and women are more likely to help family and friends.
Abstract: Psychological research has found that women score higher on most measures of the traits, motivations, and values that predict helping others, and women are more likely to help family and friends. H...
320 citations
TL;DR: This article examined the potential link of Facebook group participation with viral advertising responses and found that college-aged Facebook group members engage in higher levels of self-disclosure and maintain more favorable attitudes toward social media and advertising in general than do nongroup members.
Abstract: This study examines the potential link of Facebook group participation with viral advertising responses. The results suggest that college-aged Facebook group members engage in higher levels of self-disclosure and maintain more favorable attitudes toward social media and advertising in general than do nongroup members. However, Facebook group participation does not exert an influence on users’ viral advertising pass-on behaviors. The results also identify variations in predictors of pass-on behaviors between group members and nonmembers. These findings have theoretical and managerial implications for viral advertising on Facebook.
307 citations
TL;DR: The current systematic review of the literature on PTG among children and adolescents included 25 studies that tested associations between PTG and conceptually-relevant variables found to be associated with PTG in adults and hypothesized to play similar roles in young people, including environmental characteristics, distress responses, social processes, psychological processes, positive outcomes, and demographic variables.
299 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a cross-cultural study on electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) in social networking sites (SNSs) is presented, where social relationship variables between the United States and China are examined as potential predictors of eWOM communication in the emerging online social channels.
Abstract: Understanding electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) in social networking sites (SNSs) is crucial as consumers have potential to reach global audiences quickly and easily. This article presents the first cross-cultural study on eWOM in SNSs by examining social relationship variables between the United States and China. Specifically, social capital, tie strength, trust, and interpersonal influence were examined as potential predictors of eWOM communication in the emerging online social channels. The results suggest that national culture plays a significant factor that affects consumers’ engagement in eWOM in SNSs in the two countries. Theoretical and managerial implications for global Internet marketers were presented and discussed.
295 citations
TL;DR: The authors analyzed the full texts of approximately 23,000 earnings press releases issued between 1998 and 2003 and examined whether the language used in these earnings press release provides a signal about expected future firm performance and whether the market responds to this signal.
Abstract: Earnings press releases are the primary mechanism by which managers announce quarterly earnings and make other concurrent disclosures to investors and other stakeholders. A largely unexplored element of earnings press releases is the language that managers use throughout the press release, which we argue provides a unifying framework for these disclosures and an opportunity for managers to signal, both directly and more subtly, their expectations about future performance. We analyze the full texts of approximately 23,000 earnings press releases issued between 1998 and 2003 and examine whether the language used in these earnings press releases provides a signal about expected future firm performance and whether the market responds to this signal. Using categories derived from linguistic theory, we count words characterized as optimistic and pessimistic and construct a measure of managers’ net optimistic language for each earnings press release. We find that this measure is positively associated with future ROA and generates a significant market response in a short window around the earnings announcement date. We include in our models the earnings surprise as well as other quantifiable, concurrent disclosures identified in prior research as associated with the market’s reaction to earnings press releases. Our results support the premise that earnings press release language provides a signal regarding managers’ future earnings expectations to the market and that the market responds to this signal. We interpret our evidence to suggest that managers use language in earnings press releases to communicate credible information about expected future firm performance.
283 citations
TL;DR: The authors showed that stock market average returns and Sharpe ratios are significantly higher on days when important macroeconomic news about inflation, unemployment, or interest rates is scheduled for announcement. And they demonstrated a trade-off between macroeconomic risk and asset returns, and provided an estimate of the premium investors demand to bear this risk.
Abstract: Stock market average returns and Sharpe ratios are significantly higher on days when important macroeconomic news about inflation, unemployment, or interest rates is scheduled for announcement. The average announcement day excess return from 1958 to 2009 is 11.4 basis points versus 1.1 basis points for all the other days, suggesting that over 60% of the cumulative annual equity risk premium is earned on announcement days. The Sharpe ratio is ten times higher. In contrast, the risk-free rate is detectably lower on announcement days, consistent with a precautionary saving motive. Our results demonstrate a trade-off between macroeconomic risk and asset returns, and provide an estimate of the premium investors demand to bear this risk.
269 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors divide financial issues into capacity and sustainability in two time frames: long and short, and propose a sustainability principle that gives managers short-term budget surplus targets needed to achieve this objective.
Abstract: This article divides financial issues into capacity and sustainability in two time frames: long and short. Long term emphasizes maintaining services; short term emphasizes resiliency. An organization's long-term financial capacity is sustainable if its rate of change is sufficient to maintain assets at their replacement cost. A key contribution of this study is a sustainability principle that gives managers short-term budget surplus targets needed to achieve this objective. The formulas are applied to national data to give a picture of the sector and establish benchmarks for “normal” practice. “Ordinary nonprofits” are active public charities without endowments that are not primarily membership associations or grant makers.
TL;DR: This study provides the first evidence that sexist ideologies can create gender inequality within societies, and this finding suggests that sexism not only legitimizes the societal status quo, but also actively enhances the severity of the gender hierarchy.
Abstract: Theory predicts that individuals’ sexism serves to exacerbate inequality in their society’s gender hierarchy. Past research, however, has provided only correlational evidence to support this hypothesis. In this study, I analyzed a large longitudinal data set that included representative data from 57 societies. Multilevel modeling showed that sexism directly predicted increases in gender inequality. This study provides the first evidence that sexist ideologies can create gender inequality within societies, and this finding suggests that sexism not only legitimizes the societal status quo, but also actively enhances the severity of the gender hierarchy. Three potential mechanisms for this effect are discussed briefly.
TL;DR: The authors explored how cohesion and diversity may affect entrepreneurial outcomes like survival, profitability, innovation and efficiency, and found that strong ties with entrepreneurs increase the likelihood of becoming one, but are associated with lower levels of innovation.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how cohesive/diverse networks affect entrepreneurial activities. In particular, an interest is shown in how cohesion and diversity may affect entrepreneurial outcomes like survival, profitability, innovation and efficiency.Design/methodology/approach – The paper organizes the literature and presents conclusions about the effects of cohesion and diversity using three stages of entrepreneurial activity: opportunity development, technology and organizational creation, and exchange.Findings – At the opportunity stage, strong ties with entrepreneurs increase the likelihood of becoming one, but are associated with lower levels of innovation. Diverse ties increase self‐efficacy and innovation. At the technology and organizational creation stage, most entrepreneurial teams are homogeneous whereas team diversity is associated with better organizational outcomes. Using strong ties to recruit potential employees provides price and commitment advantages, but may inter...
TL;DR: This article examined 19 years worth of definitions of entrepreneurial opportunity and opportunity-related processes, and found 56 articles in six entrepreneurship-focused publications, with a total of 49 con- con-...
Abstract: We examined 19 years worth of definitions of entrepreneurial opportunity and opportunity‐related processes. We found 56 articles in six entrepreneurship‐focused publications, with a total of 49 con...
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that both consumers and the organizations that serve them may benefit from research that examines how services can and do improve or reduce the welfare of individuals, communities, nations, and the global ecosystem.
Abstract: This article conceptualises transformative service research and encourages service researchers to engage in research activities that promote human well-being. The authors advance a new research agenda that, unlike traditional service research, treats outcomes related to consumer well-being, including quality of life issues, as important, managerially relevant, and worthy of study. Both (i) services/service systems that already possess transformational qualities through their inherent design and are intended to enhance well-being (but in actuality may not do so) and (ii) other services/service systems that do not focus on transformational qualities but could enhance or unintentionally hurt well-being are worthy of additional research and study. Although transformative service research may be challenging, we argue that both consumers and the organizations that serve them may benefit from research that examines how services can and do improve or reduce the welfare of individuals, communities, nations, and the global ecosystem.
TL;DR: This paper presents a first attempt toward a cohesive theory of VL, which includes the main components of the proposed VL theory are Visual Perception, Visual Language, Visual Learning, Visual Thinking, and Visual Communication.
Abstract: Despite the fact that to date Visual Literacy (VL) scholars have not arrived at a general consensus for a theoretical organization of the VL field, important conceptual investigations have emerged over the past four decades. In this paper we discuss and synthesize those studies. We then present a first attempt toward a cohesive theory of VL. The main components of the proposed VL theory are Visual Perception, Visual Language (ViL), Visual Learning, Visual Thinking, and Visual Communication. Here we focus on discussing ViL and its constituent parts: 1) ViL exists; 2) ViL is holistic; 3) ViL must be learned; 4) ViL may improve learning; 5) ViL is not universal; 6) ViL often needs verbal support.
TL;DR: In this paper, a natural experiment that forced lenders to share negative private assessments about their borrowers was used to show that public information exacerbates lender coordination and increases the incidence of firm financial distress.
Abstract: This paper provides evidence that lenders to a firm close to distress have incentives to coordinate: lower financing by one lender reduces firm creditworthiness and causes other lenders to reduce financing. To isolate the coordination channel from lenders' joint reaction to new information, we exploit a natural experiment that forced lenders to share negative private assessments about their borrowers. We show that lenders, while learning nothing new about the firm, reduce credit in anticipation of other lenders' reaction to the negative news about the firm. The results show that public information exacerbates lender coordination and increases the incidence of firm financial distress.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss the challenge of balancing relevance and reliability when establishing generally accepted accounting principles and the tension is especially heightened when setting standard setters face a perpetual challenge.
Abstract: Accounting standard setters face a perpetual challenge in balancing relevance and reliability when establishing generally accepted accounting principles. This tension is especially heightened when ...
TL;DR: The purpose of this special issue is to take stock of the current landscape of recommender systems research and identify directions the field is now taking.
Abstract: Recommender systems are tools for interacting with large and complex information spaces. They provide a personalized view of such spaces, prioritizing items likely to be of interest to the user. The field, christened in 1995, has grown enormously in the variety of problems addressed and techniques employed, as well as in its practical applications. Recommender systems research has incorporated a wide variety of artificial intelligence techniques including machine learning, data mining, user modeling, case-based reasoning, and constraint satisfaction, among others. Personalized recommendations are an important part of many on-line e-commerce applications such as Amazon.com, Netflix, and Pandora. This wealth of practical application experience has provided inspiration to researchers to extend the reach of recommender systems into new and challenging areas. The purpose of this special issue is to take stock of the current landscape of recommender systems research and identify directions the field is now taking. This article provides an overview of the current state of the field and introduces the various articles in the special issue.
TL;DR: The authors meta-analytically examine trait goal orientation constructs and their relationships with the self-regulation variables of self-monitoring, self-evaluations, selfreactions, and self-efficacy as well as task performance across a range of contexts.
Abstract: Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to meta-analytically examine trait goal orientation constructs and their relationships with the self-regulation variables of self-monitoring, self-evaluations, self-reactions, and self-efficacy as well as task performance across a range of contexts.
21 May 2011
TL;DR: A recommender system that models and recommends product features for a given domain that supports the relatively labor-intensive task of domain analysis, potentially increasing opportunities for re-use, reducing time-to-market, and delivering more competitive software products.
Abstract: We present a recommender system that models and recommends product features for a given domain. Our approach mines product descriptions from publicly available online specifications, utilizes text mining and a novel incremental diffusive clustering algorithm to discover domain-specific features, generates a probabilistic feature model that represents commonalities, variants, and cross-category features, and then uses association rule mining and the k-Nearest-Neighbor machine learning strategy to generate product specific feature recommendations. Our recommender system supports the relatively labor-intensive task of domain analysis, potentially increasing opportunities for re-use, reducing time-to-market, and delivering more competitive software products. The approach is empirically validated against 20 different product categories using thousands of product descriptions mined from a repository of free software applications.
TL;DR: Results from multilevel growth modeling of 66 teams engaged in a business simulation revealed differential effects across facets of psychological collectivism and across different performance measurements.
Abstract: We examined the influences of different facets of psychological collectivism (Preference, Reliance, Concern, Norm Acceptance, and Goal Priority) on team functioning at 3 different performance depictions: initial team performance, end-state team performance, and team performance change over time. We also tested the extent to which team-member exchange moderated the relationships between facets of psychological collectivism and performance change over time. Results from multilevel growth modeling of 66 teams (N = 264) engaged in a business simulation revealed differential effects across facets of psychological collectivism and across different performance measurements. Whereas facets concerned with affiliation (Preference and Concern) were positively related to initial team performance, reliance was negatively related to initial team performance. Goal Priority was a strong predictor of end-state performance. Team-member exchange moderated the relationship between performance change and 3 of the 5 facets of psychological collectivism (Preference, Reliance, Norm Acceptance). Implications for team composition and team training are discussed.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used event history methodology and dynamic models to examine bankruptcy and financial distress in the financial domain, using the conditional probability of a firms financial status changing from financially distressed to stable or bankrupt and enable them to simultaneously examine stable, financially distressed and bankrupt firms.
Abstract: This study uses event history methodology and dynamic models to examine bankruptcy and financial distress. Dynamic models incorporate the conditional probability of a firms financial status changing from financially distressed to stable or bankrupt and enable us to simultaneously examine stable, financially distressed and bankrupt firms. We also add to the literature by incorporating two economic indicator variables and extend prior research with an analysis by industry segment.
20 Apr 2011
TL;DR: This article argued that people are just as inclined to kill for nation, freedom, the flag, and oil as they are for God or gods and that there is no essential difference between "religious" and "secular" ideologies and institutions.
Abstract: In this lecture, Cavanaugh takes on the common idea that religion is more inherently prone to violence than secular ideologies and institutions. He argues that the distinction between "religious" and "secular" is an arbitrary one, a modern Western creation, and is not embedded in the nature of things. He asserts that people are just as inclined to kill for nation, freedom, the flag, and oil as they are for God or gods and that there is no essential difference between "religious" and "secular" ideologies and institutions.
TL;DR: The authors found that consumers are skillful, proficient, and prolific in the creation of CGC with high resonance among very engaged consumers, and advocate harnessing collaborative CGC efforts toward long-term marketing objectives, and offer a brief tutorial.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examine how experience affects the decisions of individual investors and institutions in IPO auctions to bid in subsequent auctions, and their bidding returns, and find that those with greater experience bid more aggressively.
Abstract: We examine how experience affects the decisions of individual investors and institutions in IPO auctions to bid in subsequent auctions, and their bidding returns. We track bidding histories for all 31,476 individual investors and 1,232 institutional investors across all 84 IPO auctions during the period from 1995 to 2000 in Taiwan. For individual bidders, (1) high returns in previous IPO auctions increase the likelihood of participating in future auctions; (2) bidders' returns decrease as they participate in more auctions; (3) auction selection ability deteriorates with experience; and (4) those with greater experience bid more aggressively. These findings are consistent with naive reinforcement learning wherein individuals become unduly optimistic after receiving good returns. In sharp contrast, there is little sign that institutional investors exhibit such behavior. The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Society for Financial Studies. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com., Oxford University Press.
TL;DR: By identifying multiple pathways through which visual impairment diminishes quality of life among older adults, this study highlights the importance of multipronged intervention efforts.
Abstract: Objectives. We examine 4 potential explanations for the lower quality of life reported by older adults with greater visual impairment. Methods. Using 2 waves of data from a nationally representative sample of older persons (a subsample of the Americans’ Changing Lives Study, 1986 and 1989), we run residual change regression analysis to assess the extent to which the effect of visual impairment on quality of life, indicated by depressive symptoms and life satisfaction, is explained by changes in each of the following: (1) activity limitations; (2) socioeconomic resources, measured as income and financial strain; (3) social resources, indicated by social integration and perceived support; and (4) psychological resources, measured by self-efficacy. Results. Higher levels of visual impairment are associated with more depressive symptoms and lower life satisfaction over the 3-year period. Each hypothesized mediator plays a role in explaining the effect of visual impairment on declines in quality of life; however, the strongest mediating effects are found for self-efficacy. Discussion. By identifying multiple pathways through which visual impairment diminishes quality of life among older adults, this study highlights the importance of multipronged intervention efforts.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the relationship between specific supply chain practices and organizational performance and whether this relationship is moderated by the role that a company assumes in its respective supply chain.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between specific supply chain practices and organizational performance and whether this relationship is moderated by the role that a company assumes in its respective supply chain.Design/methodology/approach – This paper uses regression analysis and the relative weights method to analyze a set of survey data from respondents within the non‐academic, North American membership of the Institute of Supply Management.Findings – The results show that the supply chain role for a company makes a difference in terms of the specific supply chain practices that lead to better performance. Further, there is a clear indication that the relative importance of a specific practice varies across the supply chain roles thereby indicating that a general link between practice and performance may be erroneous without considering the specific context of the company concerned.Research limitations/implications – Supply chain practices are complex constructs. Whi...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigate the relationship between the empathy model of forgiveness and the attribution model of behavioral stability in interpersonal romantic relationships, and find that perceived remorse influences attributions of behavioural stability, which in turn influences forgiveness both directly and indirectly via empathy.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the experiences of 28 adjunct faculty members who work at the same university, exploring their views on whether periodically meeting face-to-face with management and peers has the potential to affect their motivation on the job and consequently the quality of education they provide to students.
Abstract: Using a grounded theory qualitative research approach, this article examines the experiences of 28 adjunct faculty members who work at the same university, exploring their views on whether periodically meeting face-to-face with management and peers has the potential to affect their motivation on the job and consequently the quality of education they provide to students. A few management representatives also shared their perspectives on the phenomenon; this enabled the researcher to compare the views of these two populations on whether face-to-face contact among faculty enhances teaching performance. The results of this study suggest a few issues that online schools must address in their efforts to improve adjuncts’ sense of affiliation and loyalty to their institution, which in turn will positively affect student retention levels. The main issues of concern to adjunct faculty are (a) inadequate frequency and depth of communication, regardless of the means used, whether online or face-to-face; (b) lack of recognition of instructors’ value to the institution; and (c) lack of opportunities for skill development.