For it is in giving that we receive: Investigating gamers’ gifting behaviour in online games

Social interactions in online games have led gamers to form lasting social relationships. This has caused a tremendous increase in gift-giving on online gaming platforms. This study aims to identify factors that impact gamers’ gifting behaviour in online games. A conceptual framework is developed by incorporating the Social Identity Theory, Social Exchange Theory, and Theory of Planned Behaviour. This study adopts a quantitative research methodology that collects data from 404 Clash of Clans gamers. The findings show that gaming team identification and compliance with gaming team norms are positively associated with gaming team commitment. Gifting reciprocity, pleasure, relationship support, and convenience were positively associated with the perceived worth of gift-giving while perceived cost was negatively associated. Gaming team commitment, attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and perceived worth were positively associated with online game gifting intention. It was also found that gifting behaviour is an immediate consequence of gifting intention in online games. This paper contributes to the under-researched literature on gifting behaviour in online games. It provides novel insights into gamers’ gifting behaviour that can allow game developers to enhance revenue by increasing the sale of virtual in-game items.     

Customers’ acceptance of artificially intelligent service robots: The influence of trust and culture

This study addresses two critical research gaps in human-robot interaction (HRI): the limited systematic research on the role of trust in customers’ acceptance of artificially intelligent (AI) robots; and the lack of understanding of robot acceptance under different cultural backgrounds. Drawing on the AIDUA framework, this study examines the impacts of trust and moderating effects of both national (the U.S. and China) and individual culture on customers’ intentions to use AI robots in hospitality services by developing a theoretical model. The model is tested on data collected using online data collection platforms from 491 U.S. and 495 Chinese respondents. PLS-SEM and the bootstrapping method were used to test the hypothesized relationships and analyze the moderating effects of culture, respectively. The findings suggest that trust in interaction with AI robots is a significant higher-order construct that influences the intention of use. Furthermore, uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation, and power distance have been found to exhibit significant moderation effects. The results of this study extend the theoretical frameworks in HRI and provide detailed guidance to promote AI robot applications across different cultures.     

Examining gender differences in people’s information-sharing decisions on social networking sites

Information systems research provides increasing evidence that women and men differ in their use of information technology. However, research has not sufficiently explained why these differences exist. Using the theory of reasoned action and social role theory, this paper investigates gender differences in people’s decisions about information sharing in the context of social networking sites (SNSs). We developed a comparative model of the information-sharing decision process across genders and theoretically explained why these differences exist. Data was collected from an online survey taken by American SNS users. We found that privacy risks, social ties, and commitment were more important in the formation of attitudes toward information sharing for women than men. Gender significantly moderates the relationship between people’s perceptions of information sharing and their intention to share information. This paper provides an enhanced understanding of gender differences in people’s decisions about sharing information on SNSs. It advances gender differences research into the use of newly emerged information technology and provides researchers insightful views of the role that gender plays in the social media era. Being aware of the research findings, practitioners may better engage their targeted stakeholders on SNSs and collect more useful information for business purposes.     

基于社交平台的社交类游戏对大学生影响的实证研究与分析

近两年来,出现在社交平台上的新游戏形式——社交类游戏在短时间内迅速普及。据统计,社交类游戏中,农场游戏的用户数量是最多,玩家数量已经突破了一亿。这一现象引起了社会的广泛关注。在以往关于网络游戏研究的指导下,结合社交类游戏的自身特点,通过调查问卷的方式了解社交类游戏在短时间内风靡的原因和这类游戏对大学生玩家产生的影响。从而帮助大众全面了解这类游戏,为游戏开发商提取优质的社交类游戏的元素提供一定参考;为游戏监管部门规范这类游戏提供相关依据。     

The relationship of service failure severity, service recovery justice and perceived switching costs with customer loyalty in the context of e-tailing

Given that e-tailing service failure is inevitable, a better understanding of how service failure and recovery affect customer loyalty represents an important topic for academics and practitioners. This study explores the relationship of service failure severity, service recovery justice (i.e., interactional justice, procedural justice, and distributive justice), and perceived switching costs with customer loyalty; as well, the moderating relationship of service recovery justice and perceived switching costs on the link between service failure severity and customer loyalty in the context of e-tailing are investigated. Data collected from 221 useful respondents are tested against the research model using the partial least squares (PLS) approach. The results indicate that service failure severity, interactional justice, procedural justice and perceived switching costs have a significant relationship with customer loyalty, and that interactional justice can mitigate the negative relationship between service failure severity and customer loyalty. These findings provide several important theoretical and practical implications in terms of e-tailing service failure and recovery.     

Perceived critical mass and collective intention in social media-supported small group communication

The increasing popularity of Web 2.0 has dramatically changed the way in which people communicate with others in their daily life or work. However, the use of social media is fundamentally different from that of traditional information technologies. Specifically, it requires collective efforts and interdependence between two or more people, and thus the usage behavior is no longer an individual's own decision or plan. Built on critical mass theory and social influence processes, this study tries to make an attempt to understand the determinants of collective intention (we-intention), which represents one's perception of a group of people acting as a unit. Instant messaging, one of the most popular social media platforms, has been chosen for investigation, and findings from a survey showed that perceived critical mass influenced we-intention both directly and indirectly through group norm and social identity. Recognizing the importance and relevance of collective intention will advance current understanding beyond individual intention-based models which are widely adopted in prior IS research. This study may be limited by having not included other alternative social technologies, but we leave this work for future research.     

Extending lead user theory to users’ innovation-related knowledge sharing in the online user community: The mediating roles of social capital and perceived behavioral control

The research on users as a source of innovation has been coming into blossom and the studies about the effect of users’ lead userness on their innovation-related activities are drawing more and more attention from both academic and business circles. However, there have been few empirical studies exploring the relationship between users’ lead userness and their innovation-related knowledge sharing behavior in the context of online user community and the mediating effects of users’ social capital and their perceived behavioral control on this relationship. By empirically analyzing the 140 data collected from an online user community that is used as an important source of innovation for a company with the structural equation modeling analysis through the partial least squares method, this study reveals that users’ lead userness has a positive relationship with their innovation-related knowledge sharing in the online user community and users’ social capital and perceived behavioral control jointly and fully mediate this positive relationship. Based on the new findings, this study is expected to provide useful implications which can contribute to widening and deepening the research stream about the effect of users’ lead userness on their innovation-related knowledge sharing in the online user community.     

Leveraging social grouping for trust building in foreign electronic commerce firms: An exploratory study

Internet development has fueled e-commerce firms’ globalization efforts, but many have met with only limited success. This often stems from the foreign firms’ limited understanding of a focal country's local culture and idiosyncrasies. Foreign firms are usually viewed as out-group entities, which lowers consumers’ trust in them. The extent of such a phenomenon varies. In locations where people are more skeptical of out-groups, a critical question is whether it is possible to transform such foreign out-group firms into in-groups, specifically with the support of popular social networking media. Based on Social Identity Theory and Trust Transference Process, five strategies leveraging social grouping and social ties to build trust for foreign electronic commerce firms were proposed. A survey was conducted to examine their effectiveness. The results suggest that social-grouping strategies are useful for in-grouping foreign out-group entities to build trust, and the effectiveness of strategies is determined by the social similarity and psychological distance between the consumer and the endorser. This has important implications for scholars and practitioners, both local and abroad, to leverage social grouping to boost Internet sales.     

How the emoji use in apology messages influences customers’ responses in online service recoveries: The moderating role of communication style

This research investigates the impact of using emojis (i.e., the pleading-face emoji) on customer forgiveness in relation to handling complaints on social media. Specifically, this research proposes that perceived firm sincerity and perceived firm empathy play mediating roles in the relationship between emoji use and customer forgiveness. In addition, the research identifies the moderating role of communication style in the proposed relationship. Results of three experimental studies indicated that the presence of the emoji in online complaint handling leads to an increase in perceived firm sincerity, which in turn increases perceived firm empathy and, subsequently, leads to customer forgiveness. The serial mediation effects (use of emojis → perceived firm sincerity → perceived firm empathy → customer forgiveness) were moderated by the service provider’s communication style. Specifically, the serial mediation effect occurs when an informal communication style, but not a formal communication style, is used. Furthermore, no difference exists in the research findings across different service types (hedonic vs. utilitarian).     

基于移动社交网络的区域信息服务平台研究

在分析MSNS的应用现状和技术特征的基础上,归纳出区域信息服务平台开展MSNS的可行性和优势;以高校图书馆微信应用为例进行实证研究,剖析目前我国区域信息服务平台应用MSNS的基本现状,总结MSNS在区域信息服务平台中的应用趋势,从而为其它行业应用MSNS进行信息服务提供参考和借鉴。     

性别失衡背景下的社会风险放大及其治理——基于群体性事件的案例分析

为了理清性别失衡对公共安全影响机制与作用模式,本文首先描述了转型社会中社会风险的主要形态,及性别失衡放大社会风险的途径;其次,通过改进风险的社会放大理论模型,构建了性别失衡背景下社会风险放大的理论解释框架,最后,通过典型案例剖析,揭示性别失衡背景下社会风险放大途径,提出以网络治理为工具的危机管理策略.     

论技术的“性别化”

“技术与性别”论题是技术哲学与技术社会学研究新的关注点。作为与传统技术哲学研究不同方式出现的、对技术以“他者”方式进行的理论反思,技术的“性别研究”,可以获得对技术以及创造并使用技术的“性别化的人类”更全面的理解。它先后历经了两个阶段：首先是对传统技术史进行性别反思,认为需要对技术史中被忽视的女性技术发明家进行“补偿式”研究。其次则试图在社会与文化结构中探讨作为一种社会因素的“性别”对技术的建构过程。考察技术与性别关系,应既包括作为动态的技术过程中的性别因素,还须包括作为静态的技术制品与技术知识中的性别因素。反思技术的性别化问题,并不是要从技术的“男性化”时代逆转为技术的“女性化”时代,而是要力图建构“性别和谐”的技术发展价值观。     

Impact of avatar identification on online gamer loyalty: Perspectives of social identity and social capital theories

Online games have created significant opportunities for electronic commerce managers. The degree to which online gamers regard their avatars—their gaming representations— as themselves is known to be influential to gamers’ behavior but little is known about how such identification impacts online gamer loyalty (i.e., gamers’ continued intention to play). This study filled this gap by developing its research framework from the perspective of the social identity theory and the social capital theory. Responses from 1384 online gamers were collected, and structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses. The analytical results indicate that avatar identification (the degree to which users regard avatars as themselves) is positively related to participation in gaming communities and social presence (the degree of awareness of other persons and interpersonal relationships). These were further positively related to online gamer loyalty. This study is the first using the two theories, i.e., the social identity and social capital theoretical perspectives, to clarify the mechanism underlying the impact of avatar identification on online gamer loyalty, assisting electronic commerce managers to create a loyal user base.