Detecting breaking news rumors of emerging topics in social media

Users of social media websites tend to rapidly spread breaking news and trending stories without considering their truthfulness. This facilitates the spread of rumors through social networks. A rumor is a story or statement for which truthfulness has not been verified. Efficiently detecting and acting upon rumors throughout social networks is of high importance to minimizing their harmful effect. However, detecting them is not a trivial task. They belong to unseen topics or events that are not covered in the training dataset. In this paper, we study the problem of detecting breaking news rumors, instead of long-lasting rumors, that spread in social media. We propose a new approach that jointly learns word embeddings and trains a recurrent neural network with two different objectives to automatically identify rumors. The proposed strategy is simple but effective to mitigate the topic shift issues. Emerging rumors do not have to be false at the time of the detection. They can be deemed later to be true or false. However, most previous studies on rumor detection focus on long-standing rumors and assume that rumors are always false. In contrast, our experiment simulates a cross-topic emerging rumor detection scenario with a real-life rumor dataset. Experimental results suggest that our proposed model outperforms state-of-the-art methods in terms of precision, recall, and F1.     

Evaluating books finding tools on social media: A case study of aNobii

A user study of aNobii was conducted with an aim to exploring possible criteria for evaluating social navigational tools. A set of measures designed to capture various aspects of the benefits provided by the tools was proposed. To test the applicability of these measures, a within-subject experimental design was adopted where fifty regular aNobii users searched alternately with three book-finding tools: browsing “friends’ bookshelves”, “similar bookshelves”, and “books by known authors”. Other than the self-report user experience and search result measures, the “choice set” model was used as a novel framework for navigational effectiveness. Further analyses were conducted to explore whether three aspects of reader preference, “preference insight”, “preference diversity”, and “reading involvement” might influence the performance of the tools.     

The social strategy cone: Towards a framework for evaluating social media strategies

Social media is growing rapidly. Providing both risks and opportunities for organizations as it does. The social strategy cone is developed for evaluating social media strategies. This framework comprises of seven key elements of social media strategies as based on a systematic literature review and case studies. The results of 21 interviews have contributed to the construction of the social media strategy cone for analyzing social media strategies. Three levels of maturity of social media strategy are proposed: initiation, diffusion and maturity. Initiation includes the key elements: ‘target audience’ and ‘channel choice’ while all case organizations studied payed attention to these elements. Diffusion includes the elements: ‘goals’, ‘resources’ and ‘policies’. Maturity adds the elements of ‘monitoring’ and ‘content activities’. Only 3 of the 9 organizations studied are in this phase of maturity. Although, theory suggests the importance of the element of ‘monitoring’ our research shows the need for more attention in practice.     

African youths and the dangers of social networking: a culture-centered approach to using social media

With rising numbers of Facebook, Twitter and MXit users, Africa is increasingly gaining prominence in the sphere of social networking. Social media is increasingly becoming main stream; serving as important tools for facilitating interpersonal communication, business and educational activities. Qualitative analyses of relevant secondary data show that children and youths aged between 13 and 30 constitute Africa’s heaviest users of social media. Media reports have revealed cases of abuse on social media by youths. Social networks have severally been used as tools for perpetuating crimes such as; cyberbullying and violence against girls and women. This study proposes a ‘Culture-centered Approach’ to the use of social media in a bid to minimize these cybercrimes and encourage the responsible use of social media amongst African youths. The Culture-centered Approach, which incorporates the tenets of Information Ethics, stresses the need for the respect of the dignity and rights of other online users as well the application of good cultural values and ethical behavior while on social media platforms.     

How social media brand pages contribute to functional conflict: The central role of commitment

Although brand pages on social media platforms are burgeoning, companies frequently have difficulty in sustaining customer relationships on their brand pages. Consequently, this study focuses on how a social media brand page develops customer commitment and encourages them to perceive that future conflicts with the company can be resolved for their mutual benefit. On the basis of a review of the literature on customer value theory and commitment, this study develops an integrative model that explores the antecedents of functional conflict and the boundary condition under which brand page commitment enhances functional conflict. The model is tested using data collected from 293 followers of brand pages on a social networking site. The results demonstrate the salient roles of customer values and commitment in determining customer perceptions of future conflicts. By shifting scholarly attention from economic outcomes characterized by purchase intention to relationship outcomes characterized by functional conflict, the findings contribute to the research of the business implications of social networking sites.     

科学技术进步与传媒的演变

大众传媒是人类科技进步的产物,历史上每次重大科技突破和创新,都会带来大众传媒的长足发展。科学技术进步决定了传统媒体包括纸质媒体和广播影视媒体的历史变迁;影响着当代媒体的新特征,包括新媒体的诞生、网络媒体的出现、媒体走向全球化和一个多媒体的时代;预示着传媒今后发展的新趋势,即传媒融合化、传媒产业化、传媒网络化和传媒数字化。     

News media,social media,and hyperlink networks: An examination of integrated media effects

Research typically focuses on one medium. But in today's digital media environment, people use and are influenced by their experience with multiple systems. Building on media ecology research, we introduce the notion of integrated media effects. We draw on resource dependence and homophily theories to analyze the mechanisms that connect media systems. To test the integrated media effects, we examine the relationships between news media visibility and social media visibility and hyperlinking patterns among 410 nongovernmental organization (NGO) websites in China. NGOs with greater news media visibility and more social media followers receive significantly more hyperlinks. Further, NGOs with a similar number of social media followers prefer to hyperlink to each other. The results suggest that both news media and social media systems are related to the configuration of hyperlink networks, providing support for the integrated media effects described. Implications for the study of hyperlink networks, online behaviors of organizations, and public relations are drawn from the results.     

技术经济安全的概念与内涵——从新兴学科建设的视角

党的十八大以来,我国非常重视国家安全,提出了总体国家安全观。经济安全是国家安全的基础。随着科技与经济社会发展的深入融合,技术对经济安全的影响日益突出。在当前经济全球化与新一轮科技革命和产业变革兴起的背景下,迫切需要关注技术因素对经济安全的影响,开展理论与实证研究。文章从一个新兴学科建设的视角,提出了技术经济安全的概念,从时间、空间与技术-经济三个维度阐述其9个特征,分析了技术经济安全与产业安全、技术安全、技术经济等相关研究的联系与区别,并提出了技术经济安全研究应关注的重点问题。     

The role of social media in the engagement and information processes of social CRM

This study furthers investigation into exactly how Social CRM (S-CRM) is different from traditional CRM, and models the interrelationships between its capabilities. It is underpinned in dynamic capabilities theory, to explain how social media, as a resource all organizations use, can lead to differing performance outcomes. It is underpinned in seminal research into traditional CRM, but which does not cater for the disruptive nature of social media. We outline how S-CRM is a second-order dynamic capability consistng of a set of first-order integrative dynamic capabiliies that, when properly interrelated, lead to performance outcomes. We particularly model the role of S-CRM front- and back-office technology capabilities, customer engagement initiatives, and social information processes in driving customer relationship performance. Findings show that S-CRM is different from traditional CRM in a range of ways in the front- and back-offices, and provide a framework for researcher and managers in information systems and marketing to operate at strategic and tactical levels within S-CRM, while being congisant of both.     

From mainstream to niche: How value regimes shift in emerging economy upgrading

Efforts of emerging economies to upgrade into global market capabilities are often conceptualized as either discrete choices or ongoing experiments. Mediating between these perspectives, this study uses the concepts of value regime and economic imaginary to examine micro-dynamics in upgrading. Based on the case of global business services in Kenya and South Africa, this study shows that upgrading efforts center around mainstream or niche value regimes which align local resources with specific demands and which are guided by economic imaginaries. These are shared theories of value creation and upgrading success which are linked to global discourses and which legitimize certain local investments while hindering others. Findings show how both Kenya and South Africa initially followed mainstream imaginaries according to which meeting global standards attracts clients and helps achieve scalable success. Misalignments with material realities later promoted niche imaginaries which focus on the value of local specificity and exclusiveness and which promoted the rise of impact sourcing and specialty services. Findings indicate how the interplay of material and discursive processes affects upgrading dynamics.     

Envy on social media: The good,the bad and the ugly

Observing the positive aspects of others’ lives on social media (SM) can bring about envy among users. Drawing from social comparison and technology acceptance theories, this study develops a research model to explain how envy occurs and impacts SM users’ behavior. In this work, we conducted two studies across three different SM settings to investigate two types of envy, benign and malicious envy. The results show that malicious envy is negatively related to the dependent variable of SM use intention while benign envy facilitates it. The findings provide many valuable contributions to both information systems (IS) academia and industry. This study identifies the unique SM factors intertwining with envy. Moreover, this work helps SM users and practitioners be aware of the potential envy issue on SM so they can take effective actions to enhance SM use.     

Predicting positive user responses to social media advertising: The roles of emotional appeal,informativeness, and creativity

As social network services become more pervasive, social media advertising emerges as an attractive vehicle for augmenting advertising effectiveness. To leverage this new means of marketing, one must understand what engages SNS users in a favorable online behavior (i.e., overtly indicating personal interest in, or support for, the exposed message by clicking the Like or Share button in Facebook), thereby resulting in an effective advertising campaign. This research conceptualizes SNS ad effectiveness as a concept encompassing emotional appeal, informativeness and creativity that all have a potential to contribute to a positive online behavior. It empirically investigates the antecedents of positive user behavior for a SNS ad based on the theory of reasoned action, the social influence theory, and a persuasion theory. It proposes and tests a conceptual model of the formation of online user’s behavioral responses with regards to SNS advertising. The results of our empirical tests of the model reveal that informativeness and advertising creativity were key drivers of favorable behavioral responses to an SNS ad and that intention to engage in favorable user responses was positively associated with purchase intention. Based on these findings, the paper suggests further research directions and offers implications for harnessing the full potential of the new SNS advertising platform.     

Examining the relationship between sociomaterial practices enacted in the organizational use of social media and the emerging role of organizational generativity

The growth of social media has enabled new operating methods and sparked organizational optimism in social technologies. We must broadly and distinctively identify the practices enacted in the organizational use of social technologies, understand how these practices influence each other, and the mechanisms driving their achievement. This paper deduces the sociomaterial practices enacted in the organizational use of social media and the augmenting generative capabilities. We surveyed seventy-three (73) organizations, collected 267 usable responses and applied structural equation modelling (SEM) techniques to analyze the data. The paper offers two contributions. First, we utilize the affordances-in-practice perspective to identify and categorize organizational practices enacted on social media, including functional, symbolic, and interactive practices. Then, we highlight the role of organizational generativity in facilitating these practices. Generativity represents the ability to revitalize, procreate, and introduce new ways of acting in dynamic or transient situations. Overall, our findings show how social media practices relate to organizational generativity and the mediating role of symbolic-driven practices.     

Effect of penitence on social media trust and privacy concerns: The case of Facebook

Abuse of information entrusted to organizations can result in a variety of privacy violations and trust concerns for consumers. In the event of violations, a social media brand or organization renders an apology – a form of social account – to alleviate users’ concerns and maintain user membership and engagement with the platform. To explore the link between apology offered by a social media brand or organization and the users’ trust dynamics in the brand’s services, we study how organizational integrity can contribute to reducing individuals’ privacy concerns whiles increasing or repairing their trust. Drawing on organizational behavioral integrity literature, our proposed research model suggests that the persuasiveness of an apology following a data breach affects users’ trust or spillover trust through their perceptions of the degree of alignment between the words in the apology and the actions of the violating entity. Based on a survey of Facebook users, our findings show that persuasiveness of an apology has a significant impact on users’ perceptions of the alignment between the social media brand’s (i.e. Facebook) words and subsequent actions. These perceptions impact social media brand trust (i.e. users’ trust in Facebook and allied services such as Instagram). We also find that, post data breach incidence, while integrity of the social media organization partially mediates the relationship between persuasive apology and users’ trust, it fully mediates the relationship between the persuasive apology and the privacy concerns expressed by the users. However, users’ privacy concerns do not contribute much to the repair of trust needed to maintain their membership.     

Identifying underlying influential factors in information diffusion process on social media platform: A hybrid approach of data mining and time series regression

As the prevailing online communications paradigm, social media platforms are considered to be the fastest medium for sharing and diffusing information. But what influences the spread of information through these platforms? The content of the post? The sentiments contained? Or the characteristics of user's behavior? To explore which factors promote the spread of information through social media, we developed a data analytics method that combines data mining with time series regression. We then applied this analytical framework to the L group Double 11 false advertising scandal, which blew up on the Sina microblog – a public hot trend that attracted the attention of millions of people. Our analysis reveals how three factors – user activity, emotional changes, and public attention – interact and the role they play in the spread of information. Among these factors, sentiment polarity and reposting are found to be the two main drivers of information diffusion. Emotional contagion accelerates the spread of information when the event first breaks (known as the accumulation period), while reposting does more to spread information once the event has gained some traction (the diffusion period). Surprisingly, the topic of public concentration in the event has a significant impact on the spread of the event in the accumulation period, but the effect shades away during the diffusion and convergence periods, i.e., the farther relations among topics are tied, the less public interest is abating on the event – a finding that is supported by cognitive load theory. However, although public attention shows little influence in the diffusion process, it does reveal how consumers shift their attention to different subtopics over time. Overall, our analysis sheds some light on how online events evolve and ‘go viral’. Notably, this study not only explores how underlying factors dynamically influence the information diffusion process, but also offers insights into how to manage information diffusion processes in practice.     

新兴产业创新与孵化器市场化的互动演化

为探讨我国公共孵化器主导地位发生变化的动力作用机制,本文首先基于协同演化视角,研究在创业服务需求与供给的匹配过程中,不同技术创新导向的新兴产业与不同市场化程度的孵化器的互动演化关系。其次,以中关村示范区内的孵化器为研究对象,运用VAR模型研究两者相互动态的贡献作用。脉冲响应函数和方差分解结果都表明了两者间存在双向作用动力机制：（1）孵化器市场化对于新兴产业技术创新的影响直接且显著;（2）不同新兴产业技术创新对不同市场化程度的孵化器的影响却具有相对滞后性,尤其公共孵化器在产业政策限制下对技术导向创新反应相对缓慢。因此,本文认为孵化器不应局限于单一政策工具,也应作为一种新兴的创业服务产业发挥产业工具作用,注重“政策性+产业化”发展以补充和完善新兴产业的创新创业环境。