Role Of Information Provision Research Articles

Targeted Information and Limited Attention

We examine the implications of limited consumer attention for the targeting decisions of competing firms. Limited attention alters the strategic role of information provision as firms may become incentivized to behave as mass advertisers, despite perfect targeting abilities. We analyze the consequences of limited attention for targeting, strategic pricing, market shares, attention competition between firms, and the value of marketing data to firms. Accounting for limited attention in an otherwise standard targeting framework can explain several recent key issues from the advertising industry, such as consumer-side information overload or the increased usage of ad blocking tools.

Information for Breast Cancer Prevention Among Females in Nigeria: A Study of Patients in Two Teaching Hospitals

This article examines the role of information provision and utilization in preventing cancer of the breast among females in Nigeria. The study was on patients at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) and Enugu State University of Science and Technology Teaching Hospital (ESUTH), all located in southeast Nigeria. The population consisted of 30 patients from the two teaching hospitals. A questionnaire was used for data collection. Twenty-five of the 30 patients (83.3%) properly completed and returned the questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using percentages, frequencies, and mean scores. The findings show that the majority (36%) of the affected patients were young adults. Consumption of alcohol, smoking of cigarettes, and lack of physical exercise were among the factors responsible for the development of the disease. Newspapers, TV/radio programs, libraries, and the Internet were available and accessible to the respondents. However, there were scant programs on breast cancer from available TV and radio stations, and medical libraries do not allow non-university members access to resources. Creation of awareness through information dissemination on the disease has such advantages as early knowledge of the basic symptoms, presentation, and medication with positive results.

The mobile phone in street protest: Texting, tweeting, tracking, and tracing

This paper examines the role of information provision through mobile communication in mass street protest. The argument is based on two case studies: (a) the civic outrage of young people concerning the destruction of a youth centre in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2006 and (b) the use of mobile phones in antifascist protests in Dresden, Germany in 2011. The cases are analysed across three dimensions that are relevant to mobile communication tactics for providing information in protest: Actors, power relations between the actors, and goals. By identifying the affordances of the mobile phone for providing information across these dimensions, we argue that mobile communication can be appropriated to increase activists’ repertoire of actions, foster resistance, and shut down opportunities. The ways in which the affordances of mobile phones limit and empower resistance are located at the intersection of coordination, mobilisation, and the creation of counter narratives as well as of the surveillance and maintenance of existing power relations.

Learning in the Permaculture Community of Practice in England: An Analysis of the Relationship between Core Practices and Boundary Processes

PurposeThis article utilizes the Communities of Practice (CoP) framework to examine learning processes among a group of permaculture practitioners in England, specifically examining the balance between core practices and boundary processes.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical basis of the article derives from three participatory workshops and 14 interviews with permaculture practitioners distributed across England.FindingsThe research found that permaculture practitioners are informally bound together by shared values, expertise and passion for the joint enterprise of permaculture, thus corresponding to a CoP. It found that core practices (situated learning, mutual engagement, joint enterprise and shared repertoire) are strong but also that boundary processes are active, enabling learning and interaction to take place with other learning systems, although this tends to be restricted to those with similar perspectives. This, and the strong cohesion and identity of the CoP, leads to some insularity.Practical implicationsScholars propose that innovative groups can strengthen the conventional Agricultural Knowledge System (AKS). This research, however, shows that the potential for the permaculture CoP to integrate with the conventional AKS is limited due to its insularity and self-reliance, in that the Permaculture Association fulfils the role of information provision and network facilitation. Most opportunities for integration lay in facilitating brokerage and dialogue between members at the periphery of the permaculture CoP and the AKS.Originality/valueThe research provides a critique on the use and value of the CoP framework in a new context and offers insights into how learning takes place in the permaculture community.

Diffusion of Green Technology: A Survey

This paper surveys the existing literature on diffusion of environmentally beneficial technology. Overall, it confirms many of the lessons of the larger literature on technology diffusion: diffusion often appears slow when viewed from the outside; the flow of information is an important factor in the diffusion process; networks and organisations can matter; behavioural factors such as values and cognitive biases also play a role. With respect to policy instruments, there is some evidence that the flexibility of market-based instruments can have a beneficial impact on technology diffusion, but there are also numerous cases in which regulations have forced the adoption of new technologies. There would be significant benefit to increased investment in studies that look at questions such as the role of information provision, networks and framing issues in households’ and firms’ adoption decisions.

Consumer Responses to the Carbon Labelling of Food: A Real Life Experiment in a Canteen Practice

AbstractThe emerging debate on the climate impact of food is expected to result in the carbon labelling of food in the future. As yet, consumer responses to carbon labels are not well researched. A real life experiment was developed to study consumer responses to new carbon labels for food. A ‘light’ and a ‘comprehensive’ carbon labelling regime were stepwise introduced into the food practice of ‘having lunch in a canteen’. The resulting shifts in the behaviour and attitudes of regular canteen visitors were measured with the use of both quantitative and qualitative methods. Despite their overall positive attitude towards climate change policies, the canteen visitors show clear resistance to some of the changes suggested, especially when new courses of action run counter to the dynamics of the existing routinised practice. Using practice theory as our reference, we discuss the role of information provision next to other policy instruments for facilitating behavioural changes towards low carbon food consumption.

‘Hot’, ‘cold’ and ‘warm’ information and higher education decision-making

This paper draws on the notions of ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ knowledge in analysing the responses of students to the relevance of different information and sources of such information in university choice. Analysis of questionnaire and focus group data from prospective and first-year undergraduate students provides evidence that many students put most credence on ‘hot’ knowledge, from persons in their social grapevine. However, this is supplemented by ‘warm’ knowledge from fleeting acquaintances at university open days. University provided knowledge is often distrusted. We discuss the implications of this given the recent government emphasis in England on the role of information provision in helping students to make informed decisions, including the relevance to the ‘fair access’ agenda.

Illness perceptions in cancer survivors: what is the role of information provision?

The aim of this study was to provide insight into the relationship between information provision and illness perceptions among cancer survivors. All individuals diagnosed with lymphoma, multiple myeloma, endometrial or colorectal cancer between 1998 and 2008, as registered in the Eindhoven Cancer Registry, were eligible for participation. In total, 4446 survivors received a questionnaire including the EORTC-QLQ-INFO25 and the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire; 69% responded (n = 3080). Lymphoma and multiple myeloma patients were most satisfied with the information they received, and they perceived to having received more information about their treatment and other services (after care) compared with colorectal and endometrial cancer survivors (p < 0.05). Multiple myeloma patients reported the highest scores (conceptualized their illness as very serious) on the illness perception scales. The perceived receipt of more disease-specific information was associated with more personal and treatment control and a better understanding of the illness, whereas the perceived receipt of more information about other services was associated with more negative consequences of the illness on the patients' life, longer perceived duration of illness, less treatment control, more symptoms attributable to the illness, less understanding of, and stronger emotional reaction to the illness (p < 0.05). Satisfaction with the received information was associated with better illness perception on all subscales, except for personal control (p < 0.05). Improving the patients' illness perceptions by tailoring the information provision to the needs of patients may help patients to get a more coherent understanding of their illness and will possibly lead to a better health-related quality of life.

The Role of Information Provision as a Policy Instrument to Supplement Environmental Taxes

This paper examines, within a dynamic framework, the role of information provision as a policy instrument to supplement environmental taxation. Several products are responsible for health as well as environmental damages. Many consumers do not possess the required information to optimally substitute away from these products. However, as the stock of information regarding the negative effects of these products builds up, an increasing fraction of consumers behaves optimally. The government uses two policy instruments, environmental taxation and information provision. We show that as the accumulated stock of information increases, the optimal tax rate declines over time. Information provision can shift market demand towards environmentally friendly goods over time, and thus reduce the required level of the tax rate. Our results provide strong evidence in support of information campaigns as a policy instrument to supplement traditional environmental policies.

“We Will Be Right with You”: Managing Customer Expectations with Vague Promises and Cheap Talk

Delay announcements informing customers about anticipated service delays are prevalent in service-oriented systems. How delay announcements can influence customers in service systems is a complex problem that depends on both the dynamics of the underlying queueing system and on the customers' strategic behavior. We examine this problem of information communication by considering a model in which both the firm and the customers act strategically: the firm in choosing its delay announcement while anticipating customer response, and the customers in interpreting these announcements and in making the decision about when to join the system and when to balk. We characterize the equilibrium language that emerges between the service provider and her customers. The analysis of the emerging equilibria provides new and interesting insights into customer-firm information sharing. We show that even though the information provided to customers is nonverifiable, it improves the profits of the firm and the expected utility of the customers. The robustness of the results is illustrated via various extensions of the model. In particular, studying models with incomplete information on the system parameters allows us also to highlight the role of information provision in managing customer expectations regarding the congestion in the system. Further, the information could be as simple as “high congestion”/“low congestion” announcements, or it could be as detailed as the true state of the system. We also show that firms may choose to shade some of the truth by using intentional vagueness to lure customers.

Disclosure, Transparency, and Market Discipline

The aim of this paper is to examine what has been the role of information provision to the market throughout the crisis. We consider two main sources of information to the market, financial statements and information provided by credit rating agencies. We examine how these sources of information work and the effectiveness of their disclosure process during the crisis. Contrary to the commonly held view, fair value accounting did not have a major impact on the crisis development and severity. However, the structure and lack of accountability of credit rating agencies had a profound impact on their incentives, which may have jeopardized the accuracy of the whole rating process. We claim that the crisis experience has changed the way we think about information as well as market discipline and discuss policy implications and proposals for regulation.

What psychological and behaviour changes are initiated by ‘expert patient’ training and what training techniques are most helpful?

The Expert Patient Programme (EPP) is a lay-led, group-based, self-management training course available through the UK National Health Service for persons with long-term health conditions. Thirty-two patients who attended EPP courses in East London were interviewed about their experiences. Grounded theory coding of transcripts was employed to identify recurring accounts. Thematic analysis was used to theorise and organise participants’ accounts, identifying commonly reported changes, helpful techniques and disappointments and frustrations. Results highlighted the role of information provision, especially face-to-face information exchange as well as the impact of in-class instruction and modelling of physical skills. Personal goal setting, using graded tasks, self-monitoring and goal review were regarded as the most useful techniques. Adoption and use of these self-management techniques depended on the establishment of an empathic and self-validating interpersonal context. Findings also imply that EPP may not be ideal for all participants and suggested modifications and improvements are discussed.

The Role of Information Provision as a Policy Instrument to Supplement Environmental Taxes: Empowering Consumers to Choose Optimally

The present paper examines, within a dynamic framework, the use of information provision as a policy instrument to supplement environmental taxation. We assume that at least a fraction of consumers do not posses the required information to make the optimal choices, and that their behavior at each time period depends on the accumulated stock of information. We show that, as the accumulated stock of information provision increases, both the optimal level of information provided at each period of time and the optimal tax rate decline over time. Our results provide strong evidence in support of information campaigns as a policy instrument to supplement traditional environmental policies. Information provision can sift the demand towards environmentally friendly products over time and thus, reduce the required level of the tax rate.

Healthy Campus 2010: Physical Activity Trends and the Role Information Provision

The primary purpose of this investigation was to examine the frequency and type of self-reported physical activity behavior in postsecondary students with reference to Healthy Campus 2010 objectives. The secondary purpose was to explore the role of information provision in terms of promoting physical activity behavior in postsecondary students. Postsecondary students were assessed (N = 127360). Employing a trend survey design, the frequency and type of physical activity behavior was assessed along with physical activity/fitness information provision across a five year period between 2000 to 2004. In 2004, respondents meeting Healthy Campus 2010 objectives for self-reported moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was 42.20% (95% CI = 41.75 to 42.65) and 48.60% (95% CI = 48.14 to 49.06) for strength (STRENGTH) training behavior. Progress quotients demonstrated that 12.93% and 7.87% of target objective for MVPA and STRENGTH respectively had been achieved from baseline. Those who received information reported engaging in more frequent physical activity behavior compared with those who did not (P < .001). Results suggest the need for continued commitment to increasing physical activity behavior. The provision of physical activity/fitness information may be one mechanism through which this can be achieved.

Spreading the Word … Hospice Information Systems

The rapid spread of Saunders' thinking across the world has been facilitated by the Hospice Information service and library at St Christopher's Hospice which she helped to create and further enhanced by Help the Hospices. We have set this article in the context of the Web and other information systems as they are developing today. "Connecting people" and "collecting people's experiences" were terms often used by Cicely Saunders when she described the work of Hospice Information, a service that has in some measure contributed to the rapid spread of her thinking across the world and which is currently in close contact with palliative care workers in over 120 countries. Connecting--or networking--putting people and organizations in touch with each other for mutual benefit and collecting and disseminating people's experiences are central to our work as a U.K. and international resource on hospice and palliative care for professionals and the public. Add to these the crucial role of information provision and advocacy for patients, carers, and health professionals alike and we hope that you may begin to appreciate how our respective organizations have contributed to the spread of Cicely Saunders' vision.

Role of Information Provision in Reversed-Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (Exemplified by Impurity Identification in Dihydroquercetin)

It was noted that the common current practice of presenting the results of identifying organic compounds in reversed-phase HPLC with the specification of analytical parameters that do not exhibit interlaboratory reproducibility or without giving any data is inadequate. This approach is oriented only to the use of reference materials, and it actually implies that identification be performed anew in each particular case. The means of solving this general problem based on the use of retention indices and UV-spectroscopic invariants, such as relative absorbance, are exemplified by solving a particular problem of the identification of impurities in dihydroquercetin.

E-government: issues and implications for public libraries

Reviews the literature of e-government deployment world-wide, focussing on two possible roles for public libraries in e-government. The first is a continuation of their traditional role of information provision and managing library transactions electronically and the second, a move to handling government business transactions as well. Identifies issues and implications for Australian public libraries, such as the impact of the digital divide, the use of intermediaries and the resourcing of e-government.

Environmental information in policy design and enforcement: Water protection policy in Wallonia, Belgium

AbstractThe formulation and implementation of legal or economic instruments in environmental policy is characterized by an enormous need for information. Although governments are able to collect data relating to the quality of ecological resources or the extent of environmental degradation, a significant amount of data must also be provided by the firms whose activities have an impact on the environment. However, the amount of data that is supplied spontaneously by companies is often limited. In Belgium, as in many other European countries, firms are nonetheless legally obliged to reveal some aspects of their environmental situation when they request licenses or are subject to environmental taxes. The information provided is likely to be valuable in the formulation of environmental policy as long as the data are readily available and reliable. The role of information provision is analysed in relation to the water protection policies of the Walloon Region, Belgium.