Computer-mediated Environments Research Articles

Conceptualizing ephemerality in online marketing communication for consumers and firms

Purpose Consumers send billions of messages with high ephemerality each day, yet the effects of this type of communication are relatively unknown. Online ephemeral communication refers to sending and receiving information with a predetermined, finite lifespan in computer-mediated environments. The purpose of this paper is to conceptually understand online marketing communications with high ephemerality relative to messages with low ephemerality within a consumer’s goal system. Design/methodology/approach This paper is an attempt to conceptually understand how high ephemerality differs from low ephemerality, particularly as online ephemeral communication has emerged and is widely used by consumers and firms. Goal systems theory is applied to understand how ephemerality is a means for consumers to reach their communication goals. Findings Consumers are more likely to use messages with high ephemerality to impress with narrowly relevant content, regulate emotions, build social relationships, persuade others through peripheral cues and protect privacy, but messages with high ephemerality are less likely to help consumers manage their impression, acquire or share useful information or present strong arguments. It is also proposed that messages with high ephemerality can help marketers increase interest through frequent peripheral cues, including fun and friendly content, drive sales by creating a sense of urgency and increase loyalty, but are less likely to increase awareness, build interest through flattering or informative content or drive sales through transactional messages. Research limitations/implications This study primarily advances the goal systems literature by introducing ephemerality. The defining feature of ephemerality, lifespan, also has research implications for studies of word-of-mouth marketing. The propositions in this study are ready for empirical investigation as to when consumers and firms choose to send messages with low or high ephemerality. Practical implications Firms need to understand how consumers are using messages sent with low and high ephemerality in order for firms to best move consumers through the sales funnel. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first paper to differentiate messages with low and high ephemerality, identify the presence and effects of ephemerality in offline and online communication and explain how and why sending messages with low or high ephemerality can help consumers and firms reach their communication goals. There is only one other paper in marketing on ephemerality in online marketing communications and no other conceptual work.

Retailing in the metaverse: A framework of managerial considerations for success

Despite substantial buzz about the Metaverse—a computer-mediated environment in which people act in real-time as avatars in virtual worlds—retailers remain unclear about whether and how they should integrate the Metaverse into their business. Nor has academic research offered clear answers. The current research therefore explores the phenomenon of Metaverse retailing from a managerial perspective, using three qualitative studies involving top- and mid-level managers to understand key managerial considerations for entering the Metaverse in the short- and long-term, as well as one survey of Metaverse users to understand important design factors for the customer experience. A proposed research agenda also offers guidance for generating further insights into areas of strategic importance for managers.

The Art of Post Captions: Readability and User Engagement on Social Media

In addition to the significance of visual content, text characteristics serve as salient factors influencing how users react to social media posts. By extracting 9,766 Instagram posts published by destination marketers, this research investigates the interplay between the readability of post captions and destination attributes derived from pictorial content on user engagement. Grounded in the theoretical lens of processing fluency and image-text congruity, the findings revealed that vibrant spots/activities with simpler texts lead to a significantly higher engagement rate, while cultural and historical attractions that use more complex texts are unaffected. Yet, when complex texts are applied to spots that are neither vibrant nor cultural, user engagement decreases significantly. Overall, this research contributes to the interdisciplinary discourse on linguistics and psychological esthetics in destination marketing relating to computer-mediated environments. Regarding practice, the findings provide insights into the effectiveness of different levels of readability across diverse tourism marketing settings.

Trust Framework on Exploitation of Humans as the Weakest Link in Cybersecurity

T he significance of cybersecurity is increasing in our daily digital lives. The reason for this rise is that human interactions take place in computer-mediated environments, or cyberspace, where physical cues from face-to-face interactions are either absent or very minimal. Computer users are becoming increasingly susceptible to cyberattacks as a result of human interactions in cyberspace. Understanding how cybercriminals exploit the human trust, the weakest link in cybersecurity is relevant because cybercriminals focus on attacking the human psychology of trust rather than technical-based controls. To this end, the present paper develops a trust framework on exploitation of humans as the weakest link in cybersecurity. The framework is established by linking the human psychology of trust and techniques used by cybercriminals in deceiving and manipulating users of computer systems. The framework is validated by demonstrating its application using a case study employing real data. Findings show that cybercriminals exploit human trust based on trust development processes and bases of trust, either creating (falsified) expectations or a relationship history to lure the victim in. Furthermore, it is revealed that technical-based controls cannot provide effective safeguards to prevent manipulation of the human psychology of trust.

ECOLINGUISTIC APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF MODERN ELECTRONIC BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

ECOLINGUISTIC APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF MODERN ELECTRONIC BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

In-between worlds: Chilean university lecturers' experiences of teaching transition between face-to-face and virtual reality contexts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The advent of new technology is breaking the boundaries of traditional teaching and learning patterns with virtual worlds (VW) creating new frontiers in education. Previous research has explored the use of VW within educational settings. However, limited studies have investigated the transition processes that educators experience by adopting VW based online tools during the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative exploratory study investigated 18 Chilean lecturers' teaching experiences using a three-dimensional computer-mediated environment: Second Life. Findings suggest that changing from traditional to virtual teaching context is a complex process, which (re)shaped the lecturers' various senses of identity and agency towards different instructional approaches resulting in the sense of in-betweenness with multiple digital competencies. These changes indicated that they taught in an 'in-between' mode mapped by different teaching mediations. The participants' teaching experiences of shaping a sense of in-betweenness could provide a unique theoretical lens to explore instructors' teaching experiences from traditional to a technology-mediated online setting.

Influencer Worship and Self-Connection with the Promoted Brands on Social Media: Why Benign Envy and Trait Competitiveness Matter.

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between influencer worship and consumers' self-connection with the brands promoted by the influencer in social media contexts. Data from 698 active social media users who follow influencers were collected to test the conceptual framework. The findings support the positive link between influencer worship and consumers' self-connection with the brands promoted by the influencer on social media and suggest that this relationship is mediated by the activation of benign envy. The results also confirm the positive moderating effect of trait competitiveness on this relationship. Specifically, the effect is stronger for individuals with a higher level of competitive orientation. The findings contribute to the understanding of the relationship between influencers and their followers through computer-mediated environments. Theoretical contributions and managerial implications are presented.

Social interactions in the metaverse: Framework, initial evidence, and research roadmap

Real-time multisensory social interactions (RMSIs) between people are at the center of the metaverse, a new computer-mediated environment consisting of virtual “worlds” in which people act and communicate with each other in real-time via avatars. This research investigates whether RMSIs in the metaverse, when accessed through virtual-reality headsets, can generate more value for interactants in terms of interaction outcomes (interaction performance, evaluation, and emotional responses) than those on the two-dimensional (2D) internet (e.g., Zoom meetings). We combine theoretical logic with extensive field-experimental probes (which support the value-creation potential of the virtual-reality metaverse, but contradict its general superiority) to develop and refine a framework of how RMSIs in the metaverse versus on the 2D internet affect interaction outcomes through interactants’ intermediate conditions. The refined framework serves as foundation for a research roadmap on RMSIs in the metaverse, in which we highlight the critical roles of specific mediating and moderating forces along with interactional formats for future investigations of the metaverse and also name key business areas and societal challenges that deserve scholarly attention.

Virtual community participation as “Sirius” Leisure

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of participation and engagement among participants of a fandom-based virtual community. Netnography, a specialized from of ethnography adapted to the unique computer-mediated environment, was utilized to analyze posts collected from the Hogwarts Running Club (HRC), a closed Facebook group. The HRC was a virtual community with over 16,000 members that was founded in 2014 to provide a space for members to share stories, experiences, and passion for running and Harry Potter. The text of the collected posts was coded thematically. Four themes emerged: You’re a Wizard Harry: Shared Passion for Harry Potter, Running in the Rain: Engagement Despite Challenges, Hogwarts is Home: Identity, and Pepper-up Potion: Improvements in Mental and Physical Health and Well-being. As a conceptual framework, the themes aligned with the Serious Leisure Perspective. HRC members whose posts were analyzed exhibited one or more of the six characteristics of Serious Leisure with all six characteristics being represented within the dataset. Findings suggested that virtual communities, as a leisure setting, can facilitate Serious Leisure engagement and should be considered a viable setting for Serious Leisure participation.

Cyberloafing in Educational Settings: A Systematic Literature Review

Integration of information and communication technologies in educational settings offer added learning opportunities to teachers and students. However, these come with the expense of cyberloafing among students and educators in computer-mediated environments. Despite the curiosity it has been arousing, so recent is the concept of cyberloafing, implies that the knowledge accumulated so far is sparse, broad and fragmented. This study aims to systematically review the current challenges in the domain of cyberloafing. The study reviewed twenty-six peer-reviewed scholarly articles to analyse and reveal information on the methods, factors examined, applications, comprehensive results, and limitations. The findings in this study highlight the need to uncover the phenomenon of cyberloafing in teaching and learning environments, and proposes possible recommendations on issues and gaps open to be explored in future studies.

An adaptive Metalearner-based flow: a tool for reducing anxiety and increasing self-regulation

Anxiety and self-regulation are the most common problems among the college student population. There are few attempts found in the literature to promote the development of students’ cognitive and metacognitive abilities in online learning environments. In addition, mechanisms for overcoming or reducing individuals’ anxiety in a computer-mediated environment is yet to be fully characterized. This study was conducted to investigate the potential of integrating the concept of flow into the design of a Metalearner (MTL) to help reduce anxiety and increase self-regulation among students. The design of MTL was based on the development of adaptive strategies to balance between the challenge of the task and user skills. A total of 260 participants were asked to use the system and respond to an online questionnaire that asked about flow antecedents, experience, and consequences. The structural model results showed that incorporating flow into the design of MTL can help reduce anxiety and improve self-regulation among students. Our findings can be used to enrich students’ online learning experience and inform designers and developers of learning systems about the importance of regulating task complexity according to the challenge/skills balance. This would help learners to process the presented information meaningfully and to make the inferences necessary for understanding the learning content.

Regretful pleasure: Toward an understanding of flow cost in media use.

Flow (state of intense focus) during media use has been largely considered a desirable experience, with technologies developed to maximize the chance of encountering flow in computer-mediated environments. However, the total absorption of attention due to flow could be problematic in contexts where the user has multiple predetermined goals, and engaging with the flow-inducing media could cost them resources that may be otherwise devoted to other goals. When flow imposes a cost on the user’s goal performance, it may also reduce their post-experience gratification with the flow-inducing media. The present study proposes a novel theoretical framework to begin understanding the potential cost of flow in media use with supporting evidence from two survey and vignette studies (N = 235 and N = 245). Its findings will extend human-computer interaction research by highlighting the double-edged impact that flow might have on media users’ larger goal performance and downstream well-being.

GÖRSEL HARİTALAMA TEKNİĞİYLE GEÇMİŞTEN GÜNÜMÜZE AKIŞ TEORİSİNİN BİBLİYOMETRİK ANALİZİ: PAZARLAMA YÖNLÜ BİR YAKLAŞIM

The aim of this study is to present a general literature typology of flow theory where a history of roughly 47 years (1975-present) exists. YÖK (Council of Higher Education) Thesis Center and Google Academic databases were used for this paper and flow and flow experience concepts have been examined through these sources. YÖK Thesis Center is a website within higher education institution in Turkey, where publication of master’s and doctoral thesis. A number of studies published in the time period from 1975 to the present had been obtained and these studies were reviewed. Subsequently, frequency analyses were made for the research and the bibliographic mapping of the data was done using VOSviewer software. As a result of the analysis, a bibliography of 110 selected studies is presented. Flow experience, which is mainly subject to physical activities, is evaluated in the areas of technology acceptance and consumer behavior in computer-mediated environments. Flow theory is mostly integrated with the technology acceptance model. Flow theory experience is characterized by the dimensions of concentration, enjoyment, and control, respectively. This research provides clear explanations for bibliographic analysis of studies on flow, models/theories with which flow theory is most integrated, and dimensions of flow experience.

What impacts customer experience for B2B enterprises on using AI-enabled chatbots? Insights from Big data analytics

Many B2B firms have widely accepted AI-based chatbots to provide human-like service interaction at different customer touchpoints in recent years. One of the objectives behind introducing this technology is to provide an enhanced, live channel Customer Experience (CX) all round the clock. Researchers have focused on delivering the CX by improvising the chatbot's internal algorithm, giving limited attention to CX theories from management literature, which leaves a gap. With the proposed paper, we have investigated the influencing factors of AI-based chatbots from the lens of CX theories for B2B firms. In this paper, a model for organizing CX has been proposed using the diffusion of innovation theory, trust commitment theory, information systems success model, and Hoffman & Novak's flow model for the computer-mediated environment and verified using the social media data. The methodology used for this study is the social media analytics-based content analysis method (sentiment analysis, hierarchical clustering, topic modeling) for data preparation, followed by lasso and ridge regression for model verification. The results suggest that CX in B2B enterprises using chatbots is influenced by these bots' overall system design, customers' ability to use technology, and customer trust towards brand and system.

Interaction designers’ perceptions of using motion-based full-body features

Movement-based full-body interactions are increasingly being used in the design of interactive spaces, computer-mediated environments, and virtual user experiences due to the development and availability of diverse sensing technologies. In this context, the role of interaction designers is to find systematic and predictable relationships between bodily actions and the corresponding responses from technology. Sensor-based interaction design relies on sensor data analysis and higher-level feature extraction to improve detection capabilities. However, understanding human movement to inform the design of motion-based interactions is not straightforward if the detection capabilities of interaction technologies are unknown. We aim at understanding the problems and opportunities that practitioners—regardless of their technical background—perceive in using different motion-based full-body features. To achieve this, we conducted four separate focus groups with experienced practitioners, with and without technical backgrounds. We used a framework for the analysis of focus group data in information systems research to identify content areas and draw conclusions. Our findings suggest that most interaction designers, regardless of their technical background, consider motion-based feature extraction to be challenging and time-consuming. However, participants acknowledge they might use designer-interpretable features as a potential tool to foster user behavior exploration. Understanding how practitioners link sensor-based interaction design with feature extraction technology is relevant to design computational tools and reduce the technical effort required from designers to characterize the user’s movement.

Differences In Consumers’ Attitude Towards Online Shops Based On Product Types And Consumer Characteristics And Their Influence On Repurchase Interests

The research responds to the new realities in marketing environment following the rapid development of internet and information technology. In accordance with Yadav and Pavlou’s (2014) new research directions in computer-mediated environments, this research examines the relevance of market segmentation in online distribution strategies. Specifically, this research aims at analyzing: (1) the difference in consumers’ attitudes towards online shops based on consumers’ demographic and behavioral characteristics, (2) the difference in consumers’ attitudes towards online shops depending on product type sold by the online shops, and (3) influence of attitude towards online shops on repurchase intentions. Data were collected using online and offline questionnaire to 200 respondents. Data analysis techniques include Analysis of Variance, multiple comparison, and simple linear regression. Results of the research show that demographic (gender and age) and behavioral (frequency of purchase) segmentation variables can generally explain differences in consumers’ attitude towards online shops. Differences in consumers’ attitudes are also shown in the cases of different product types (gadgets versus fashion) sold in the online shops. Lastly, consumers’ attitudes positively affect repurchase intention.
 Keywords— attitude; computer-mediated consumer behavior

Computer-mediated communication in DIY discourse

Do-It-Yourself discourse (DIY discourse) is communication aimed at teaching laymen to do professional processes and exchanging experiences in professional spheres. It is a very called-for tool for non-vocational training. DIY discourse comprises non-verbal, verbal, and polycode texts. In this research we analyzed general characteristics of DIY discourse. On the first stage of our research we selected articles from www.wikihow.com that teach the lay audience how to do different things. On the second stage of the research we analyzed genres that occur in the computer-mediated environment and polycode texts that represent the computer-mediated communication (CMC) in the DIY discourse. From a semiotic point of view, non-verbal texts are an emblem of a professional process, verbal texts provide a symbol side, and polycode texts combine an emblem and a symbol. We have found out that DIY discourse comprises several genres with different semiotic codes. It can have non-verbal, verbal and polycode format. We have come to the conclusion that polycode texts are the specific feature of computer-mediated communication. They are widely employed in DIY discourse to achieve a more profound comprehension of the professional processes.

Metacognitive Instruction and Interactional Feedback in a Computer-Mediated Environment

Multiple theoretical frameworks support the notion of interactional feedback as facilitative of second language (L2) development. However, research demonstrates that learners often avoid providing feedback during peer collaborative work, thus failing to take advantage of key opportunities for language learning and development. Recent studies have examined how metacognitive instruction (MI) may be used to explicitly train learners in the provision of interactional feedback, with results showing increased instances of feedback (Fujii et al., 2016) and improved L2 outcomes (e.g., Sato & Loewen, 2018; Sippel, 2019). Building on this work, this exploratory study investigated the effects of MI on intermediate L2 English learners’ (n = 26) provision of interactional features in synchronous computer-mediated communication. Using a pretest-treatment-posttest design, all learners completed three decision-consensus tasks, with learners in the treatment group receiving direct instruction on the benefits of interaction via an instructional video, a practice task, and subsequent whole-class debriefing. The control group completed the tasks without MI. Results demonstrate that learners’ provision of interactional feedback and language-related episodes increased following MI, with qualitative measures indicating learners had positive perceptions of the training and improved awareness of the potential benefits of interactional feedback in computer-mediated communication.
 De multiples approches théoriques soutiennent la notion de rétroaction interactionnelle comme facilitateur du développement d’une langue seconde (L2). Cependant, les recherches démontrent que les apprenants évitent souvent de présenter une rétroaction pendant le travail collaboratif entre pairs, ne profitan ainsi pas des principales possibilités d’apprentissage et de développement des langues. Des études récentes ont examiné comment l’enseignement métacognitif (EM) peut être utilisé pour former explicitement les apprenants à la rétroaction interactionnelle, les résultats montrant une augmentation des cas de rétroaction (Fujii et al., 2016) et une amélioration des résultats en L2 (par exemple, Sato & Loewen, 2018; Sippel, 2019). S’appuyant sur ces travaux, cette étude exploratoire a examiné les effets de l’EM sur l’offre de fonctions interactionnelles dans la communication synchrone par ordinateur aux apprenants d’anglais de niveau intermédiaire L2 (n = 26). En utilisant un modèle de pré-traitement-post-test, tous les apprenants ont accompli trois tâches de consensus décisionnel, les apprenants du groupe de traitement recevant des consignes directes sur les avantages de l’interaction via une vidéo pédagogique, une tâche de pratique et un compte rendu ultérieur pour toute la classe. Le groupe de contrôle a effectué les tâches sans EM. Les résultats montrent que l’apport d’une rétroaction interactionnelle et d’épisodes liés à la langue par les apprenants a augmenté après l’EM, avec des mesures qualitatives indiquant que les apprenants avaient des perceptions positives de la formation et une meilleure sensibilisation aux avantages potentiels de la rétroaction interactionnelle dans la communication par ordinateur.

An Inquiry-Based Framework for Teaching English in Synchronous Environments

This paper presents a framework for teaching English in synchronous computer-mediated environments. This research shows the components of the framework, how it materializes in the teachers' pedagogical practices, and in the students' perceptions of lessons designed using the framework. The sources of data for this investigation are a questionnaire for students, in-depth interviews with teachers, and an analysis of the transcripts of synchronous sessions that were planned and executed using the framework. This investigation presents suitable guidelines to plan, carry out, and close lessons delivered synchronously. This study shows that when the framework is used, it helps teachers plan activities, and it supports the creation of a suitable environment for learning English online. This investigation also shows that when the framework is employed, it promotes a risk-free environment. It encourages collaboration, and it fosters the linking of ideas and the comprehension of fundamental concepts.

Collaborative block design task for assessing pair performance in virtual reality and reality

Collaborative problem solving is more important than ever as the problems we try to solve become increasingly complex. Meanwhile, personal and professional communication has moved from face-to-face to computer-mediated environments, but there is little understanding on how the characteristics of these environments affect the quality of interaction and joint problem solving. To develop this understanding, methods are needed for measuring success of collaboration. For this purpose, we created a collaborative block design task intended to evaluate and quantify pair performance. In this task, participants need to share information to complete visuospatial puzzles. Two versions of the task are described: a physical version and one that can be completed in virtual reality. A preliminary study was conducted with the physical version (N = 18 pairs) and the results were used to develop the task for a second study in virtual reality (N = 31 pairs). Performance measures were developed for the task, and we found that pair performance was normally distributed and positively associated with visuospatial skills, but not with other participant-specific background factors. The task specifications are released for the research community to apply and adapt in the study of computer-mediated social interaction.