[AISWorld] Contents of Volume 19, Issue 4 (April) Journal of the Association for Information Systems (JAIS)

[JAIS]

Contents of Volume 19, Issue 4 (April) Journal of the Association for Information Systems (JAIS), Official Publication of the Association for Information Systems
Published: Monthly Electronically
ISSN: 1536-9323
Published by the Association for Information Systems, Atlanta, USA (http://aisel.aisnet.org/jais/)

Editor-in-Chief:  Professor Suprateek Sarker, University of Virginia, USA

Paper

Optimal Freemium Strategy for Information Goods in the Presence of Piracy

Guofang Nan, Tianjin University
Dan Wu, Tianjin University
Minqiang Li, Tianjin University
Yong Tan, University of Washington

Abstract

Information goods providers adopt freemium strategies to reduce consumer uncertainty and combat piracy. However, offering a free version can cannibalize the demand for the premium version. In this paper, we investigate the trade-off between the effect of decreasing uncertainty and that of cannibalization, and explore the conditions under which firms should adopt freemium strategies in the presence of piracy. We employ a two-stage consumer perception change model to examine optimal pricing and the feasibility of a freemium strategy. Our results show that a higher piracy enforcement level may hurt the firm if the consumer perception increment concerning the quality of a premium version is higher than the quality perception increment of the pirated version. This indicates that the presence of a pirated version is not always harmful for the firm. We also find that when the consumer perception increment concerning the quality of a premium version is lower than the quality perception increment of the free version, the traditional strategy (i.e., not offering a free version) weakly dominates the freemium strategy. In contrast, when the quality perception increment derived from the premium version is higher than that of the free version, the optimal strategy depends on the piracy enforcement level and the change in consumer quality perception. If the piracy enforcement level is high, the freemium strategy dominates the traditional strategy when the consumer quality perception increment associated with the premium version is higher than a given threshold. However, for a low piracy enforcement level, the traditional strategy dominates in the context of both a high consumer quality perception and a low consumer quality perception increment concerning the pirated version versus the free version.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below:
Available at: http://aisel.aisnet.org/jais/vol19/iss4/3 


Paper

User Resistance to the Implementation of Information Systems: A Psychological Contract Breach Perspective

Tung-ching Lin, National Sun Yat-Sen University
Shiu-li Huang, National Taipei University
Shun-Chi Chiang, National Sun Yat-Sen University

Abstract

The current study proposes an exploratory model to examine the antecedents of user resistance in information system (IS) implementations from the perspective of a psychological contract breach (PCB). The purpose of this study is to investigate PCBs between users and IS providers (ISPs), which extends IS theory in two ways: by elaborating on why some users psychologically resist the IS, and by more deeply exploring the social-psychological determinants of user resistance. Our results show that user-perceived PCBs can lead to user resistance and feelings of violation via reneging, high user vigilance, and incongruence between the users’ and the ISP’s understandings of the obligations. Our results also show that users’ interpretations—i.e., causal attribution of the breach and perceived fairness after the breach—moderate the relationship between user-perceived PCBs and feelings of violation. We discuss our findings and their academic and practical implications, and suggest directions for future research.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below:
Available at: http://aisel.aisnet.org/jais/vol19/iss4/2 


Paper

The Use of Impression Management Strategies to Manage Stock Market Reactions to IT Failures

Jason H. Triche, University of Montana - Missoula
Eric Walden, Texas Tech University

Abstract

In this work we show how organizational impression management strategies can influence stock market reactions to information technology (IT) failures. We combine the resource-based view of the firm with organizational impression management strategies to analyze what strategies work with different types and causes of IT failures. We perform an event study on a sample of 214 IT failures over eight years and find that a firm’s choice of organizational impression management strategy has a significant effect on a firm’s market value. On average, over $212 million in market value can be saved with the correct impression management strategy. For implementation failures, we find that assertive strategies are better than defensive strategies. Conversely, we find that for operational failures, defensive strategies are superior. Furthermore, we examine failures caused by human error and discuss the impacts. This research provides new theoretical insights to the resource-based view of the firm.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below:
Available at: http://aisel.aisnet.org/jais/vol19/iss4/1 
 

Editorial

Intervention Effect Rates as a Path to Research Relevance: Information Systems Security Example

Mikko Siponen, University of Jyväskylä
Richard L. Baskerville, Georgia State University

Abstract

In the current information systems security (ISS) research, new theory contributions are especially valued. This research typically reflects the following formula: Suggest a new theory (or set of constructs) of ISS and show that it is empirically supported, then suggest another new theory (or set of constructs with some linkages) and show that it is empirically supported, and so on. Despite the merits of this approach, it leaves out many important scientific aspects. For example, after more than 30 years of ISS research, (1) we know little about the conditions and situations to which new theories (or constructs) do not apply; (2) we do not know which new theories are more effective than others in solving an ISS problem; and (3) we have not demonstrated that our best research, or new theoretical contributions, can beat industry best practices or practitioners’ intuitive approaches. We suggest that ISS research be examined in terms of long-term research programs comprising four levels: metalevel research, basic research, applied research, and postintervention research. The ultimate success of such programs does not entail new theories, “contextualized theories,” or adding IT artifacts to theories; rather, it hinges on the question of which program can demonstrate the best intervention effect rate for a given ISS problem. The lack of demonstrated intervention effectiveness (e.g., by showing treatment effect rates) is one important inhibitor that may prevent ISS research from achieving relevance in practice. Without reporting such evidence, ISS research cannot overpower the folklore, fads, or industry “best practices” that often guide operations. With such treatment effect rates, evidence-based practice may become more justifiable. We believe that our ideas also can be applied to information systems research in general.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below:
Available at: http://aisel.aisnet.org/jais/vol19/iss4/4




Elizabeth White Baker, PhD
Production Managing Editor, Journal of the AIS
jais at comm.virginia.edu