Information Environment Research Articles

Truth in the Crossfire: The Case of Ethiopia and Fact-Checking in Authoritarian Contexts

Fact-checking in Ethiopia is doubly challenged. First, because Ethiopia is ruled by an authoritarian government, which restricts the information environment, and second, because the conflict in northern Ethiopia that erupted in November 2020 has made disinformation more rampant, and its implications deadly. But fact-checking in Ethiopia is the product not only of the work of Ethiopian organizations: local fact-checkers international allies and funders also play important roles. This article explores the practice of fact-checking by local organizations and the challenges they encounter in this work in an authoritarian, conflict-affected context. It also serves as a case study shedding light on the interplay between Ethiopian fact-checking organizations and their allies in the international development sector. Local and international organizations have distinct positions within the fact-checking ecosystem and funder (grantee relationships, and funders, at times, compound local organizations’ challenges). This research reflects information gathered through semi-structured interviews with local fact-checkers and their international allies, as well as a qualitative content analysis of publicly available materials and social media channels. Its findings imply that local fact-checking organizations, their funders, and allied international organizations interact in complex ways in challenging environments.

Method for determining the effect of destabilizing factors of digital filters on the multicriteria synthesis of radio communications of aviation robotic devices

The purpose of the research is development of a method for determining the influence of destabilizing factors, such as the unevenness of the amplitude-frequency response (AFC) and the nonlinearity of the phase-frequency response (FFC), in non-recursive digital frequency selection filters on the target function of multicriteria structural-parametric synthesis of radio communications from the payload of aviation robotic devices.Methods. In conducting scientific research, probability theory, mathematical statistics, statistical radio engineering and computational mathematics were used. The study obtained mathematical expressions of the dependence of the probability of error per bit (BER) on the average signal-to-noise ratio when signals pass through symmetrical non-recursive digital filters with quadrature amplitude modulation with a positivity of no more than 4096, signal constellation irregularities of no more than 5, which are the basis for the energy balance of radio lines with aviation robotic devices. The expressions obtained are one of the "foundations" for the implementation of a multi-criteria synthesis of radio systems adaptive to a cognitively formed flight task. In this paper, all the results of the probability of reliability of the received data by means of communication are reflected for the case of rigid decision-making (Gray coding).Results. In the course of the conducted research: 1) a mathematical model of the structural-parametric synthesis of radio communications with aviation robotic devices is demonstrated, which is based on the criteria for minimizing: electronic computing resources with a given noise immunity; radiation outside the operating frequency band; peak factor signals; the effects of narrowband, broadband and structural interference in the radio channel at a given bandwidth; the use of structural and functional nodes specific to the existing information and communication environment; 2) the analytical dependence of the influence of the parameters of one of several structural and functional nodes - digital filters of frequency selection, on the criteria for the synthesis of communication means has been revealed. The paper considers the most common approximating functions - Kaiser, Tukey, Barlett-Khan, Chebyshev, and also shows the influence of the filter order on the equivalent of energy loss in information communication lines of aviation robotic devices.Conclusion. The scientific article presents a method for determining the effect of the uneven frequency response of a symmetrical non-recursive digital filter in devices for receiving and processing radio signals of multicriteria means of communication with the payload of aviation robotic devices. The proposed approach increases the reliability of determining the values of criteria for minimizing electronic computing resources for a given noise immunity, radiation outside the operating frequency band, as well as the use of structural and functional nodes characteristic of the existing information and communication environment.

An Empirical Study of the Constituent Factors of Player Behaviour

Background Player behaviour comprises thoughts, decisions and other actions that arise from multiple sources and contexts in games and is based on the players’ complex environment of information, vicarious experiences and perspectives. Learning and superior performance within the game are shaped by the players’ goal orientation, conviction and interactions. Objectives of the study: The study sought to understand the concept, functions and constituents of player behaviour from their perspectives, expectations, beliefs and traits. Recognising player behaviour in terms of its constituent elements would clarify and enhance knowledge of human behaviour and make it simple to use the understanding in deeper enquiry and applications. Method An instrument of 43 statements was first developed based on extant research and refined by the responses of 45 university teachers. It was then administered to 1,260 university students from whom 711 valid responses were received. The sample was processed by exploratory factor analysis under varimax rotation to yield the scale of player behaviour at a Cronbach alpha of .96 and a cumulative variance of 54 percent. Results The seven factors of the scale had an eigenvalue each of more than one, and Cronbach α values of .58 to .90. The exploratory factor analysis generated seven factors that were named conviction, experience sharing, uncertainty, unpredictability, insights, preparedness and planning. Discussion The study identified the factors of player behaviour and studied the effect of gender and education on player behaviour. It showed that player behaviour emerges from convictions which are perspectives backed by ready resources, skills and action plans to simplify, understand and respond to situations and likely problems. The behavioural differences between gender, type of programme and level of education were not significant. The study also discussed the nature of each factor and the limitations, suggestions and implications of the study.

Capital market liberalization and corporate debt maturity structure: evidence from the Shanghai-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock connect

PurposeThis paper takes the Shanghai-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect as a quasi-natural experiment and investigates the impact of capital market liberalization on the corporate debt maturity structure. It also aims to provide some policy implications for corporate debt financing and further liberalization of the capital market in China.Design/methodology/approachEmploying the exogenous event of Shanghai-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect and using the data of Chinese A-share firms from 2010 to 2020, this study constructs a difference-in-differences model to examine the relationship between capital market liberalization and corporate debt maturity structure. To validate the results, this study performed several robustness tests, including the parallel test, the placebo test, the Heckman two-stage regression and the propensity score matching.FindingsThis paper finds that capital market liberalization has significantly increased the proportion of long-term debt of target firms. Further analyses suggest that the impact of capital market liberalization on the debt maturity structure is more pronounced for firms with lower management ownership and non-Big 4 audit. Channel tests show that capital market liberalization improves firms’ information environment and curbs self-interested management behavior.Originality/valueThis research provides empirical evidence for the consequences of capital market liberalization and enriches the literature on the determinants of corporate debt maturity structure. Further this study makes a reference for regulators and financial institutions to improve corporate financing through the governance role of capital market liberalization.

Transformation processes of professional identity against the background of media convergence

The purpose of the work is to study the transformation processes of constructing professional identity under the influence of new information technologies and to consider the evolution of views on the processes of scientific and practical understanding of new media resources in the context of the development of convergent journalism as a phenomenon of the modern information society. It was established based on the conducted research that the values and beliefs of journalists, reflecting the process of professional self-identification, are forming in the process of choosing certain options among a variety of alternatives and transforming further under the current conditions of the information and communication environment. In the process of the study, the article identifies the features, content, and main trends in the transformational processes of professional identity and professional culture of journalists in the context of technological changes in the media industry. The dynamics of the development of media convergence are shown from the point of view of the mutual influence of traditional and new media and the tendency of improving their technological and dialogue features and capabilities in content creation and broadcasting. An assessment is made of the degree of adaptation of regional media to modern conditions of the information and communication environment in the context of organizational, professional, and communicative convergence.

Supplier Carbon Management and Firm Idiosyncratic Risk: Empirical Evidence From China

ABSTRACTAlthough existing research emphasizes the importance of internal carbon management (CM) in influencing firm risk, the impact of external stakeholder CM on firm risk remains unclear. This study employs signaling theory to explore how supplier CM affects firm idiosyncratic risk (IR), alongside the moderating roles of the supply chain information environment and the criticality of firm–supplier relationships. The findings of this study demonstrate that supplier CM can reduce firm IR. The risk reduction effect is strong when the information environment between a firm and its suppliers is rich and when the dependency between the firm and its supplier is strong. Path analysis reveals that supplier CM primarily reduces firm IR by alleviating information asymmetry. Moreover, the risk reduction effect increases for firms with small sizes. This research extends the application of signaling theory to supply chain research and bridges the gap between the CM and firm IR literature within the context of supply chain management.

Information Training and Media Education: a Method of Solving Students' Educational and Cognitive Problems in an Integrated Information Environment

Discusses the method of solving students' educational and cognitive problems in an integrated information environment. The purpose of the study is to determine effective forms and methods of information training and media education to ensure universal access to education throughout life. The source of the study was the works of scientists who consider issues of media education and information training as an important component of the educational and cognitive tasks of students in the context of an integrated information environment. A set of pedagogical research methods, both theoretical and practical, was used. According to experts, in the field of educational resources, the total volume of knowledge doubles every year, while the degree of satisfaction of the information needs of users in the absence of an appropriate level of skill in working with information does not improve. Computer science is today defined as one of the fundamental areas of scientific knowledge that forms a system-information approach to the analysis of the surrounding world, the study of information processes, methods and means of obtaining, transforming, transmitting, storing and using information, a rapidly developing and constantly expanding area of human practical activity associated with the use of educational resources. In this regard, media education and information training of students are considered as an important part of the professional and educational skills and abilities of students in the context of an integrated information environment. The results of the study can serve as a basis for solving educational and cognitive problems of continuous education, since today no serious economic, social, technical problem can be successfully solved without processing significant amounts of information.

Features of the development of the Ukrainian and European print media market in the current conditions

The article analyses the state of the Ukrainian and European print market in the current conditions, which are caused by socio-political, military, economic and technological global processes. The author identifies the peculiarities of functioning and development of the print media market in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war, which became a catalyst for a number of economic changes that led to a number of processes in financial terms: closure of publications, reduction of circulation, total transition to digital format, and, accordingly, transition to subscription. It is important to note that the above-mentioned processes took place in three stages: digitalization, the global economic crisis of 2013-2014 and Covid-19, and the war only accelerated them. The print media market cannot compete with other types of media. Falling circulation, closure of newsrooms or their mergers are typical for both the Ukrainian and European media markets. Today, this market and the online media market closely overlap, as print media, in order to survive financially and retain their audience in a highly competitive information environment, are actively moving to online platforms, often choosing social media as a place of operation. The study focuses on the print market in Poland, France, the UK, Germany and the Czech Republic. The European readership of traditional media consists of two parts: the older generation reads the printed version of publications, while the younger generation prefers to subscribe to digital analogues. It is more difficult for Ukrainian publications to retain their audience due to economic and military factors and a relatively young media market compared to the European one. The article emphasizes that the print media market is undergoing further active digitalization, which has particularly intensified during the Covid-19 period. This has given rise to the following trends: 1) updating of subscriptions to the digital format of printed publications; 2) transition to online formats of the same name, adaptation of the content of periodicals to social networks.

HISTORICAL ASPECT OF THE EVOLUTION OF THE URBAN VISUAL INFORMATION ENVIRONMENT

The article analyses the nature of changes in the urban visual information environment in the context of historical development of European urban culture from ancient times to the present. The system of periodisation of its evolution is proposed on the basis of the revealed role of outdoor information objects in the system of urban visual communication. The dependence of the visual appearance of the urban environ-ment on information-technical achievements is investigated. The role of visual information objects as a sig-nificant city-forming factor is actualised. The typology of information objects is given and their role in the process of changing the image of the city at different stages of its development is considered.

Scrolling headlines and clicking stories: content differences and implications associated with increased scrollability of news

ABSTRACT Technological affordances have changed how people consume news; more people report scrolling headlines than actually reading stories. Despite the commonality of headline scrolling, we know relatively little about how headlines differ from full stories, and the consequences of these unique information environments for public opinion and political behavior. In this study, we use a replica newsfeed to track the stories participants scroll by and click on (N = 1,051), and complement this with a content analysis of the headlines and stories. Our findings show that headlines are more negative in tone when compared to stories and that people are more likely to click on negative headlines. Despite the contrast in information environments, with the exception of affective polarization, we find little difference between those who are more likely to scroll headlines and those who click on stories across a variety of political behaviors.

The impact of venture capital subscription on price deviation of private placement: evidence from China

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the role of venture capital (VC) in supporting corporate growth and innovation through participation in private placements. While VC provides essential financial support to companies, it remains unclear whether this involvement serves a strategic investment role or a purely financial one. This study seeks to elucidate the role of VC by analyzing changes in the price discount of private placements following VC participation. Design/methodology/approach The authors take the private placement events of China A share listed companies from April 2005 to January 2023 as the sample, and examine the influence of VC subscriptions on price discount rate. Findings VC subscriptions to private placements increase information asymmetry, consequently raising the discount rate. This relationship is influenced by the transaction characteristics and information environment. Specifically, VC subscriptions further elevate the discount rate when VC are geographically dispersed from the issuers, possess industry expertise in the issuers’ sector, allocate raised funds for asset restructuring or non-digital investments and when the issuers are in their growth stages. Moreover, the positive correlation between VC subscriptions and the discount rate is more pronounced under conditions of lower internal control quality and weaker external media supervision. Higher discount rates in VC-subscribed private placements result in lower R&D investment and investment efficiency by the issuers, leading to larger-scale VC sell-offs and ultimately diminishing the market and financial performance of the issuers. Practical implications The issuers should diligently assess the behaviors and motives of VC and selectively choose issuance targets and methods to manage risks associated with price deviations in private placements. Additionally, this study recommends that regulatory authorities develop a more detailed regulatory framework that considers transaction characteristics and the information environment. This strategy should help optimize external regulatory measures like media coverage and protect the interests of small and medium-sized investors. Originality/value This study extends research on the “name chasing” motive and certification effect of VC in private placements, enriches the literature on the mechanisms forming discount rates and provides insights for refining regulatory policies on private placements.

The impact of corporate digital transformation on stock market activity: evidence from the Chinese listed manufacturing companies

Purpose This research aims to investigate the impact of corporate digital transformation (CDT) on stock market activity. Design/methodology/approach A data set of Chinese listed manufacturing enterprises from 2012–2021 is used as a research sample. Findings This research finds that CDT can promote stock market activity. This study validates two potential mechanisms: increasing financial performance and mitigating information asymmetry. This study further suggests that internal control and analyst coverage can strengthen the impact of CDT on stock market activity. Research limitations/implications The research exhibits certain limitations that should be considered in future research. Because the findings are based on the Chinese context, the applicability and generalizability of the findings to other environments may be limited. This research enriches the literature on the determinants of stock market activity from a technological perspective and incrementally contributes to understanding the impact of CDT on stock markets. After analyzing two opposing perspectives on the economic consequences of CDT, the favorable effect of CDT on stock market activity is proven based on the resource-based view and agency theory. This research extends the literature on the relationship between CDT and investor behavior, demonstrating that investors perceive CDT as beneficial. The results provide evidence that CDT can increase financial performance and improve the information environment, leading to increased investor attention and enhanced trading activity. Practical implications This research has incremental practical implications for enterprises and regulatory authorities to comprehend the economic consequences of CDT in developing countries. First, enterprises should increase their digital investments to improve their performance and decrease information asymmetry. Furthermore, enterprise managers should strengthen information systems to adapt to the process of CDT and train employees on digital skills. Second, regulatory authorities should provide comprehensive digital policies and programs supported by tax incentives, subsidies and digital infrastructure projects (Wang et al., 2023). Originality/value This research strengthens the debate on the market impact of CDT. Unlike prior literature, this study explores the influence of CDT on stock market activity for the first time, enriching the literature on CDT and stock market activity. Furthermore, the outcomes guide regulatory authorities to actively support CDT and expedite the digital upgrading of manufacturing industries to promote stock market activity.

Navigating diverse information environments on environmental sustainability: information practices of decision-makers in Finnish high-tech companies

Navigating diverse information environments on environmental sustainability: information practices of decision-makers in Finnish high-tech companies

Unveiling the Forces driving expert Activity: The impact of information environment and peer behavior on expert reviewer engagement behavior

Online platform engagement with customers, especially those with high expertise, is crucial for companies. As these expert customer reviews directly impact a company’s brand image and sales volume, an understanding of expert reviewer engagement behavior (EREB) is critical for companies’ marketplace success. This study explores the factors that influence EREB from two key situational cues: those from the company’s information environment and from peer expert behavior. Data from 144,634 Yelp reviewers and 5,080 restaurants were analyzed. The results reveal that companies with higher aggregate ratings are more likely to encourage EREB. The impact of overall and peer expert rating inconsistency on EREB varies: Overall rating inconsistency has a positive effect, while inconsistency among expert peers has a negative effect. Additionally, EREB exhibits herding and differentiation patterns in response to changes in peer expert engagement density. This results in a U-shaped relationship between EREB and peer expert engagement density, moderated by aggregate rating, overall rating inconsistency, and peer expert rating inconsistency. This study provides practical insights for marketers looking to engage expert customers and expands on the literature on expert customer engagement behavior.

Shadow footprints and the provision of digital behavioral data

We introduce the concept of shadow footprints as a means of understanding privacy challenges in the information environment. Growing emphasis on the impact of citizens sharing their personal data goes far beyond the individual, with the increased capacity of algorithms to formulate shadow footprints that inform as much about persons absent from data, as persons present. Data extrapolated from small groups have demonstrated robust utility when applied to larger populations. Individuals who have opted to keep their data private, or who have been unaware that data about their private lives has been extracted from the involvement of their fellow citizens from digital behavioral data, suggest the possibility that informed consent has been circumvented, or not fully investigated. This is increasingly concerning when one considers the potential to impact the body politic through behavioral manipulation drawn from such data. These issues must be considered in the context of ethical and litigious standards to inform robust policy frameworks, legal regulation, and the provision of incentives necessary to provide guidance and civic protections, as well as adherence to good ethical practice.

Ontology-assisted GPT-based building performance simulation and assessment: Implementation of multizone airflow simulation

Building performance simulation (BPS) is crucial for building performance assessments across its lifecycle. However, the complexity of buildings and the iterative nature of simulation poses challenges, leading to high costs and low values. Previous studies focused on simplification, but did not fully utilize advanced simulation engines. Despite recent advancements, there is a lack of research on leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), specifically generative pre-trained transformer (GPT), for BPS. Therefore, this study proposes a GPT-based BPS system, enhancing simulation efficiency and value by integrating simulation engines and advanced data analytics in the GPT environment. The ontology for GPT-based BPS is also developed to enable comprehensive, reliable, informative BPS environments. Based on this framework, case studies were conducted for GPT-based multizone airflow network simulation in a high-rise residential building using CONTAM software. They demonstrate GPT’s capabilities in retrieving simulation data, visualizing results with data mining, answering questions based on building knowledge, checking compliance with design guidelines, and proposing design alternatives. Finally, this study emphasizes expert interventions with ontological engineering informatics to utilize strictly structured BPS engines.

Negative information hoarding in politically connected firms: The influence from the central environmental protection inspections

This study examines how managerial political connections affect corporate information environment in the context of central government environmental inspections. We find that politically connected firms are associated with higher crash risk than firms without such connections after central government inspections. In addition, we find that firms are more prone to crash risk when they are with achieved political connections (e.g. appointed as members of political advisory bodies), but not ascribed political connections (i.e. have work experience as government officials). Further analyses indicate that politically connected firms are more prone to crash risk after central government inspections due to increased reputational concerns. Overall, our study highlights that politically connected firms may face more challenges in managing negative information when there is intensified regulatory scrutiny, which exacerbates the risk profile of firms.

투자심리와 주식 유동성 간의 관계

This paper empirically investigates the relation of investors' sentiment and stock liquidity. Particularly, this research explores whether investors' sentiment is related to stock liquidity and whether the level of individual trading and information environment in each firm affects the relation. Three hypotheses were drawn and tested. To test the hypotheses, stock prices and relevant data of firms listed on Korea Exchange(KRX) were put together, and the hypotheses were studied by panel and Fama-MacBeth regressions. This research discovers that investor sentiment has positive effects on stock liquidity. Further, this study finds that the level of individual trading and the level of information environment increases the positive relation between investors' sentiment and stock liquidity. This work finds individual trading and information has a certain role in the relationship between investors sentiment and stock liquidity. The findings suggest that increased investor sentiment may cause noise trading to increase. In addition, firms with more uninformed trading may have a more liquid stock market.

A framework for generating recommendations based on trust in an informal e-learning environment

Rapid advancement in information technology promotes the growth of new online learning communities in an e-learning environment that overloads information and data sharing. When a new learner asks a question, how a system recommends the answer is the problem of the learner’s cold start. In this article, our contributions are: (i) We proposed a Trust-aware Deep Neural Recommendation (TDNR) framework that addresses learner cold-start issues in informal e-learning by modeling complex nonlinear relationships. (ii) We utilized latent Dirichlet allocation for tag modeling, assigning tag categories to newly posted questions and ranking experts related to specific tags for active questioners based on hub and authority scores. (iii) We enhanced recommendation accuracy in the TDNR model by introducing a degree of trust between questioners and responders. (iv) We incorporated the questioner-responder relational graph, derived from structural preference information, into our proposed model. We evaluated the proposed model on the Stack Overflow dataset using mean absolute precision (MAP), root mean squared error (RMSE), and F-measure metrics. Our significant findings are that TDNR is a hybrid approach that provides more accurate recommendations compared to rating-based and social-trust-based approaches, the proposed model can facilitate the formation of informal e-learning communities, and experiments show that TDNR outperforms the competing methods by an improved margin. The model’s robustness, demonstrated by superior MAE, RMSE, and F-measure metrics, makes it a reliable solution for addressing information overload and user sparsity in Stack Overflow. By accurately modeling complex relationships and incorporating trust degrees, TDNR provides more relevant and personalized recommendations, even in cold-start scenarios. This enhances user experience by facilitating the formation of supportive learning communities and ensuring new learners receive accurate recommendations.

ВЛИЯНИЕ ЦИФРОВЫХ ТЕХНОЛОГИЙ НА ОБУЧЕНИЕ В МЕДИЦИНСКИХ ВУЗАХ: СОЦИОЛОГИЧЕСКИЕ АСПЕКТЫ И ВЛИЯНИЕ НА ЗДРАВООХРАНЕНИЕ

This article is dedicated to the study of the impact of digital technologies on the educational process in medical universities, with a focus on sociological aspects and their significance for the healthcare system. It examines how the use of digital tools and platforms changes students' approaches to studying medicine and shapes their perception of the role of technology in improving the quality of medical services and ensuring public health. The informational and educational environment transforms traditional teaching methods, providing new opportunities for updating curricula and creating conditions for the rapid exchange of information between students and educators. Digitalization of the educational process implies a change in the roles of all participants in the educational process. Students become researchers actively using information and communication technologies to acquire knowledge and practical skills. At the same time, educators assume the role of mentors, supporting students in their learning and possessing the necessary competencies in digital technologies. The article analyzes the most effective tools for facilitating interaction in the educational environment, such as virtual boards like Google Jamboard, Miro, and Padlet, which contribute to the development of critical thinking and presentation skills among students. Additionally, the article addresses the challenges faced by medical universities in the process of integrating digital technologies. Effective implementation of digitalization requires strategic planning and a comprehensive approach to updating educational programs, which will create a sustainable platform for the future professional growth of students. In conclusion, the authors emphasize that digital technologies, along with innovative teaching methods, significantly enhance the quality of education in medical universities. This, in turn, contributes to the training of highly qualified specialists capable of effectively working in modern healthcare conditions, ultimately having a positive impact on public health and the organization of healthcare as a whole.