Online Companies Research Articles

On FTC's 'Do Not Track'

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has recently proposed a 'Do Not Track' mechanism in response to the fervent call for protecting consumer’s privacy online. We argue that restricting information collection is a misplaced focus in addressing Internet privacy, and develop a mechanism that helps alleviate consumer’s privacy concerns without sacrificing online firms’ business benefits from using customer information. Building on the proposed mechanism, we derive alternative regulatory tools that can be readily available to policy makers, and investigate their respective effectiveness in improving social welfare. We demonstrate that by leaving consumers partial control on how their information is used, the firm can devise a contract that serves the entire market while effectively catering to the privacy needs of different consumers. Further, results from our policy analysis suggest that imposing a requirement on preserving a portion of customer information purely for generating personalization is a superior strategy to restricting the firm’s ability to collect personal information. Our modeling approach offers an alternative to the reliance on external instruments in traditional contract design, and extends the principal-agent framework to a three-tier interaction in a non-price context. Further, our work is one of the first that respond to the FTC’s initiatives to pursue legislative options in protecting consumer’s online privacy, and offers important guidelines to regulators for governing the information practice of online companies.

인터넷 사용자의 개인정보보호 행동의 차이에 관한 연구

Privacy-protective behavior can be classified into passive behavior and active behavior. Passive behavior includes refusal, misrepresentation, and removal, while word-of-mouth, complaint, and seeking for help belong to active behavior. Internet users in different countries may take different types of privacy-protective behavior because of cultural and social differences. This study analyzes the differences in Internet users' privacy-protective behavior between Korea and China. Korean Internet users take refusal, complaint, and seeking to protect their privacy information, while misrepresentation is not an option for Korean Internet users. Chinese Internet users take refusal, complaint, seeking, and misrepresentation to protect their privacy information. In Korea, passive behavior (refusal) is chosen more often than active behavior (complaint and seeking for help), while in China active behavior(complaint and seeking for help) is preferred to passive behavior (refusal and misrepresentation). The differences of privacy-protective behavior in the two countries may provide some implications for online companies, if they want to avoid the business risk due to privacy concerns and to take appropriate steps to deal with privacy-protective behavior by Internet users.

Corporate Facebook pages: when “fans” attack

PurposeFacebook continues to play an increasingly necessary role in the corporate portfolio of stakeholder relations. Unlike traditional channels of corporate communication, Facebook allows for uncensored, unpredictable, two‐way conversations. This paper aims to engage thought and enact immediate action in the prevention and rehabilitation of a company's online reputation in the event of a Facebook wall attack.Design/methodology/approachBy conducting online research for an online subject and studying the historical perspectives of public outrage and a “fan's” dissatisfaction, the authors examine different approaches to corporate attacks. The case study of Nestlé's improper handling of a crisis on Facebook contrasted with examples of properly handled responses serve as guidelines that any company can utilize. The authors have provided seven steps that any business can incorporate into its crisis prevention plan.FindingsHarm, fear of harm and threatened values are the three basic sources of public outrage. The popularity of social media, particularly Facebook, provides a new venue for unhappy customers to publicly communicate their disdain. By relating to customers on a personal level and planning in advance, companies can recover from Facebook attacks quickly and with minimal damage.Originality/valueThe psychological underpinnings and science of outrage can be applied to the human behavior of social networking. Understanding why people complain and forecasting the inevitable outbreak of negativity provides valuable insight into avoiding potentially detrimental social media attacks. Real world examples shed insight into the proper handling of future situations. The seven steps for success provide a must‐have guide for any company competing in the digital realm.

Where the Consumer is the Commodity: The Difficulty with the Current Definition of Commercial Speech

The business model for many online companies — Facebook, Google, and Pinterest are prime examples — does not involve a direct economic transaction with users. Rather companies entice consumers to provide personal information in exchange for access to free services. Although consumers, privacy advocates, scholars, and these companies may assume that the government can regulate the companies' advertising and compel the posting of a privacy policy, the current test for commercial speech only encompasses speech that proposes a direct economic transaction. This Article examines alternate formulations of a commercial speech test that would cover the speech of companies favoring indirect business models that sell against the personal information of those availing themselves of free products.

Effect of Sustainability Management at Coffee Houses on Customers' Store Image and Behavioral Intention

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of sustainability management (SM) at coffee houses on customers’ store image and behavioral intention. In addition, customers’ willingness to pay a premium for sustainable coffee houses was studied. During October 2011, a web survey was conducted via an on-line research company with customers aged 20 to 39 visiting one of the top five coffee houses in Korea at least once a month. A total of 300 targeted customers responded and all the data were analyzed. An exploratory factor analysis derived two dimensions of SM: SM in Social and Environmental Perspective and SM in Economic Perspective. The result of structural equation modeling indicated that SM in Economic Perspective at coffee houses had a significant positive effect on customers’ behavioral intention with mediating effect by store image, but SM in Social and Environmental Perspective did not have such effect. Approximately one-third (31%) of the respondents were willing to pay a premium for a sustainable coffee house in a scenario. approximately 84% of the respondents unwilling to pay a premium for the sustainable coffee house chose the cost-related reasons including “Coffee price at the coffee house that they most often visit is already expensive (62.3%)” for such unwillingness. The results of this study showed that SM of coffee houses, especially that in Economic Perspective, could contribute to store image, and therefore increase customers’ favorable behavioral intention, although the additional cost resulted from such SM practices might not be easily accommodated by customers. (Korean J Community Nutr 17(4) : 494~503, 2012)

PROCES INTEGRACJI PRZEDSIĘBIORSTW TRADYCYJNYCH I FIRM INTERNETOWYCH W KONTEKŚCIE DZIAŁAŃ OFFSHORINGOWYCH I OUTSOURCINGOWYCH W POLSCE I NA ŚWIECIE

The aim of the article is an attempt of analyzing selected forms of integration and methods of leading economic activity in Poland and in the world, based on cooperation and mutual relations. Offshoring and outsourcing as two of analyzed forms and forces flattening the world also favor national and global economy development. The examples of traditional and online enterprises and companies which use offshoring and outsourcing activities in their business models as well as function based on integration are among others: Li&Fung, QXL Poland, eBay Inc.

웹 로그분석을 이용한 실시간 온라인 마케팅 시스템 설계 및 개발에 관한 연구

e-Business 시장의 폭발적 성장으로 기존의 오프라인 기업들이 e-Business 시장으로 진입하게 되었으며, 이는 e-Business 시장의 과도한 경쟁을 야기 시켰다. 이에 기업들은 키워드 광고, 이메일 광고, 배너 광고 등의 온라인 마케팅에 대한 투자를 확대하고 있다. 그러나 기존의 온라인 마케팅 방법들은 방문자를 사이트로 유입시키는 데에만 초점을 맞추고 있으며, 방문자들이 사이트로 유입 후 구매로 전환시키기 위한 방법을 제시하지 못함으로써 마케팅의 투자 대비 효과는 점점 감소하고 있다. 본 논문에서는 사이트에 유입된 방문자를 대상으로 전환율을 높임으로써 마케팅의 효과를 높일 수 있는 실시간 온라인 마케팅 시스템 (ROMS: Realtime Online Marketing System)을 제안하고 개발하였다. ROMS는 방문자 행동을 실시간으로 수집하여 방문자 행동을 분석함으로써 방문자의 정보 및 행동을 실시간으로 모니터링 할 수 있으며, 방문자의 컨텍스트 특성에 따라 개인화된 마케팅을 수행할 수 있다. The rapid growth of e-business market makes new online companies to start and existing offline companies to join in this area. As the number of players of this market grows rapidly, the competition among them is very intense. Many companies invest huge resources to online marketing including search advertisement, email advertisement and banner advertisement. Because these traditional online marketing activities mainly focus on how to invite visitors to their web sites, ROI of these marketing activities are getting lower. Many companies are looking for a new marketing method to escape this situation. In this paper, we propose ROMS (Realtime Online Marketing System) which supports tools to improve conversion ratio of e-commerce sites, ROMS gathers behavioral data of visitors and analyzes it in realtime. ROMS supports live chats, visitor profiling, context analysis, event detection, and live marketing. With ROMS, personalized offers based on visitors' realtime context can be made for each visitor.

Corporate online reporting in 2010: a case study in Jordan

PurposeThe objective of this study is to investigate the current status quo of online reporting in 2010. Further, this study seeks to explain corporate online reporting in Jordan by using companies' characteristics as explanatory factors for any variations in disclosure. Finally, the current findings are set in the context of prior studies in order to determine the existence of disclosure transformation.Design/methodology/approachListed Jordanian companies were investigated to explore the current status of corporate online reporting. An un‐weighted index comprising 70 un‐weighted financial and non‐financial items was employed.FindingsA total of 175 of 272 companies were found with accessible and active websites. The overall average level of corporate online reporting was 70 percent, as measured by the mean of the overall items of the current index. Variations in corporate online reporting were associated with size, performance, foreign ownership and online company familiarity.Research limitations/implicationsThis study provides a comprehensive online disclosure index that can be used to inform Jordanian companies about the format and the content of corporate online reporting. It also offers a solid ground for future research on corporate online reporting. Furthermore, the results of this study indicate that corporate online reporting had been moved forward but there is plenty of room to further explore the field.Originality/valueThis paper provides evidence on the current status quo of online reporting in Jordan as one of the emerging economies in 2010 as a year with great expectations and predictions. This paper is the first to examine several companies' characteristics by using multivariate analyses. This paper also examines the online companies' familiarity for the first time as a potential factor affecting corporate online reporting in the literature. Moreover, the trend analysis shows corporate online reporting has steadily risen over the past few years, which is evidence of disclosure transformation theory in Jordan as it is in other emerging economies.

Cognitive processes in procedural justice judgments: The role of ease‐of‐retrieval, uncertainty, and experience

AbstractIn a field experiment with 517 job applicants, the processes underlying the formation of procedural justice judgments were investigated. It was hypothesized that procedural justice judgments may be based not only on content information (e.g., “What are fair aspects of the selection procedure?”), but also on the felt ease or difficulty with which this content information can be retrieved from memory (ease‐of‐retrieval; e.g., “How easily can I recall fair aspects of the selection procedure?”). Evaluations of the company's online application procedure show that job candidates based procedural justice judgments on content information or on ease‐of‐retrieval, depending on their uncertainty regarding the online application procedure as well as their prior experiences with online applications. Specifically, experienced applicants who felt certain based their judgments on ease‐of‐retrieval, whereas all other applicants based their judgments on content information. Implications for research on the formation of justice judgments as well as practical applications are discussed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Knowledge-empowered agent information system for privacy payoff in eCommerce

Today, many online companies are gathering information and assembling sophisticated databases that know a great deal of information about many people, generally without the knowledge of those people. Such endeavor has resulted in the unprecedented attrition of individual’s right to informational self-determination. On the one hand, Consumers are powerless to prevent the unauthorized dissemination of their personal information, and on the other, they are excluded from its profitable commercial exchange. This paper focuses on developing knowledge-empowered agent information system for privacy payoff as a means of rewarding consumers for sharing their personal information with online businesses. The design of this system is driven by the following argument: if consumers’ personal information is a valuable asset, should they not be entitled to benefit from their asset as well? The proposed information system is a multi-agent system where several agents employ various knowledge and requirements for personal information valuation and interaction capabilities that most users cannot do on their own. The agents in the information system bear the responsibility of working on behalf of consumers to categorize their personal data objects, report to consumers on online businesses’ trust and reputation, determine the value of their compensation using risk-based financial models, and finally negotiate for a payoff value in return for the dissemination of users’ information. The details of the system as well as a proof-of-concept implementation using JADE (Java Agent Development Environment) are presented here.

The Development of Online Examination System Based on B/S Structure

With the development of Internet technology, online education colleges and companies have developed a WWW-based distance education system. The traditional examinations are moving towards online exams based on Internet. With the development of computer technology and the increasing popularity of computers, online examinations are gradually becoming matured. Traditional test methods have been unable to meet current test demands. All aspects of traditional test can be reduced to one or two links by Online Examination, greatly reducing the workload of teachers. This paper discusses the framework of the system, jsp technology and its working principle. Due to the shortcomings of traditional test methods, the objective, impartial, scientific and rational Online Examination system has a large reference value.

Traditional Brands vs. On-Line Brands: A Comparative Assessment

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">In this paper we compare and contrast the branding strategies of traditional and on-line companies. To illustrate the similarities and differences between the two, we examine four well-established traditional brands and four successful on-line brands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>We then offer recommendations for successful branding in the ever-evolving business and technological environment of the future.</span></span></p>

Permissive hypercapnia practices among neonatologists in the United States: Results of a national survey

Objective: There is no consensus among practicing neonatologists regarding the definition of permissive hypercapnia and yet its practice is commonly employed to prevent lung injury from excessive ventilation. The goal of this study was to determine clinical practice among neonatologists regarding a definition of permissive hypercapnia in a preterm infant based upon gestational age at birth, degree of respiratory support, and acute vs. chronic management. Methods: Surveys were e-mailed to neonatologists who are members of the AAP Section on Perinatal Pediatrics containing a link to an on-line survey company (www.surveymonkey.com). Responses were compared using Pearson X 2 analyses. Results: Of 2689 individuals surveyed, 747 (28%) completed the survey. 97% of those respondents reported practicing permissive hypercapnia. Regardless of stated permissive hypercapnia practice preferences, the majority of neonatologists accept 45-55 mm Hg as their target PaCO2 levels on the first day of life and 55-65 mm Hg thereafter. Conclusions: Our data suggest most neonatologists surveyed employ a permissive hypercapnia respiratory management strategy, as they accept higher than normal PaCO2 levels for preterm infants . Our findings highlight the need for continuing studies to document whether the values of targeted PaCO2 reported here provide lung protection without compromising overall safety and long-term complications.

Product-Related Deception in E-Commerce: A Theoretical Perspective

With the advent of e-commerce, the potential of new Internet technologies to mislead or deceive consumers has increased considerably. This paper extends prior classifications of deception and presents a typology of product-related deceptive information practices that illustrates the various ways in which online merchants can deceive consumers via e-commerce product websites. The typology can be readily used as educational material to promote consumer awareness of deception in e-commerce and as input to establish benchmarks for good business practices for online companies. In addition, the paper develops an integrative model and a set of theory-based propositions addressing why consumers are deceived by the various types of deceptive information practices and what factors contribute to consumer success (or failure) in detecting such deceptions. The model not only enhances our conceptual understanding of the phenomenon of product-based deception and its outcomes in e-commerce but also serves as a foundation for further theoretical and empirical investigations. Moreover, a better understanding of the factors contributing to or inhibiting deception detection can also help government agencies and consumer organizations design more effective solutions to fight online deception.

Sources of brand equity for online companies

PurposeThe purposes of this paper are to test sources of brand equity for online companies and to examine the role of selective internet marketing activities on the brand equity sources.Design/methodology/approachThese objectives were pursued by testing the nomological validity of the model using structural equation modelling.FindingsThe paper finds evidence for the proposed sources of brand equity for online companies based on brand awareness and recognition, brand association (trust) and loyalty. The investigated antecedents namely functionality, fulfilment and customer service on line, significantly influence the sources of brand equity.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is cross‐sectional, the dimensions to measure sources and antecedents of brand equity may not be comprehensive enough. The stimuli represent only a few online retailers.Practical implicationsBusinesses are well advised to invest resources in creating brand recognition, customer loyalty and trust. Both of these can be achieved by developing internet marketing efforts around functionality, fulfilment of the promise and customer service support.Originality/valueThe nomological validity of the measurement and structural models for companies that operate on the internet, constitute a modest contribution. It is believed that a model, which integrates both, creates a more systemic view of brand equity. Apart from this one, there is no other study measuring the impact of internet marketing activities on brand equity sources.

The Motivating Effect of Antecedent Stimuli on the Web Shop: A Conjoint Analysis of the Impact of Antecedent Stimuli at the Point of Online Purchase

This article introduces the concept motivating operation (MO) to the field of online consumer research. A conjoint analysis was conducted to assess the motivating impact of antecedent stimuli on online purchasing. Stimuli tested were in-stock status, price, other customers' reviews, order confirmation procedures, and donation to charity. The results indicate that the concept of MO is applicable to the analysis of the motivating impact of antecedent stimuli on consumer purchase behavior. The advantage of the concept of MO is, first, that it leads to greater understanding of the complex world of contingencies operating within the consumer behavior setting online. Second, the MO account is designed specifically to facilitate intervention as it is formulated in terms of environmental stimuli that can be manipulated directly. This is important for online companies that strive to increase economic earnings from their Web shops by means of increasing customers' conversion rates.

Consumer purchase process improvements in e‐tailing operations

PurposeThe advent of the internet has dramatically changed the retail landscape. Online purchases have been increasing annually for the past several years, yet only account for 6 percent of total purchases. With the potential for growth being relatively unlimited, many online businesses have been created, and conventional stores are questioning whether their current brick and mortar business model will continue to be successful. The operational processes of online companies are difficult to formulate, as evidenced by their high failure rates. The purpose of this paper is to examine one online business, Bellacor, to determine whether there are operational efficiencies to be gained, that errors can be reduced and whether they are operating in conjunction with customers' expectations.Design/methodology/approachThe design methodology used involved an examination of Bellacor's service blueprint, implementing the Six Sigma DMAIC cycle, developing cause‐and‐effect diagrams and creating poka‐yokes to modify the existing service blueprint to improve the operational process.FindingsThe “improve” phase of the DMAIC cycle produced several poka‐yokes to overcome numerous failures in the current service blueprint. It is the authors' opinions that implementing the new proposed blueprint will likely result in improved customer service, improved delivery tracking, fewer errors and a better overall experience for the customer.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitations of the survey surrounded the time frame allotted to complete the study. Had more time and resources been available, a more robust survey could have been created and additional order data could have been gathered.Practical implicationsWith a better experience for the customer and improved accuracy throughout the process, profits will improve. There is considerable market share available for a successful operation and management needs to continually revisit the current process to ensure that it is as efficient and customer‐friendly as possible.Originality/valueThe value of the study goes beyond Bellacor as a successful online business. The study attempts to lay the groundwork for what is successful and needed by today's consumer. Lessons and procedures learned in the paper can be translated to any company with a similar business model.

Aappec: agent-based architecture for privacy payoff in ecommerce

With the rapid development of applications in open distributed environments such as eCommerce, privacy of information is becoming a critical issue. Today, many online companies are gathering information and have assembled sophisticated databases that know a great deal about many people, generally without the knowledge of those people. Such information changes hands or ownership as a normal part of eCommerce transactions, or through strategic decisions that often includes the sale of users' information to other firms. The key commercial value of users' personal information derives from the ability of firms to identify consumers and charge them personalized prices for goods and services they have previously used or may wish to use in the future. A look at present-day practices reveals that consumers' profile data is now considered as one of the most valuable assets owned by online businesses. In this thesis, we argue the following: if consumers' private data is such a valuable asset, should they not be entitled to commercially benefit from their asset as well? The scope of this thesis is on developing architecture for privacy payoff as a means of rewarding consumers for sharing their personal information with online businesses. The architecture is a multi-agent system in which several agents employ various requirements for personal information valuation and interaction capabilities that most users cannot do on their own. The agents in the system bear the responsibility of working on behalf of consumers to categorize their personal data objects, report to consumers on online businesses' trustworthiness and reputation, determine the value of their compensation using risk-based financial models, and, finally, negotiate for a payoff value in return for the dissemination of users' information.

Disruptive business model innovations in e-philanthropy

Philanthropic fund raising has evolved into a major business activity. Traditional models utilise one-on-one contact, direct mail and telephone bank fund raising. Most e-philanthropy companies' business models are simply the extension of the traditional brick-and-mortar paper-oriented processes. However, many business models have evolved into a set of opportunities that promises to disrupt traditional fund raising models. This paper examines the question of how online e-philanthropy companies can capitalise on the disruptive attributes of the internet and e-commerce to redesign their business and revenue models to achieve high performance. This paper will also evaluate various business models that promise to change the nature of philanthropic fund raising. Overall, the gains for the online company lie within the design and implementation of the virtual value chain and what the firm can do with the information it collects.

Leadership is a performing art

Leader to LeaderVolume 2010, Issue 55 p. 18-23 Hesselbein & Company Leadership is a performing art Kevin D. Asbjörnson, Kevin D. Asbjörnson Founder and a principal performing artist of Inspire! Imagine! Innovate!Search for more papers by this authorMichael Y. Brenner, Michael Y. Brenner Associate, Inspire! Imagine! Innovate! and senior editor of the company's online publication Key InspirationsSearch for more papers by this author Kevin D. Asbjörnson, Kevin D. Asbjörnson Founder and a principal performing artist of Inspire! Imagine! Innovate!Search for more papers by this authorMichael Y. Brenner, Michael Y. Brenner Associate, Inspire! Imagine! Innovate! and senior editor of the company's online publication Key InspirationsSearch for more papers by this author First published: 29 December 2009 https://doi.org/10.1002/ltl.397AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Volume2010, Issue55Winter 2010Pages 18-23 RelatedInformation