Anonymity in Computer-Mediated Communication: More Contrarian Ideas with Less Influence

Anonymity is thought to be an important means for ensuring a free exchange of ideas by encouraging the expression of minority viewpoints. However, we suggest that anonymity’s reduction in awareness of others potentially affects the expression and interpretation of comments that are made during a discussion. In particular, anonymity will increase the likelihood that comments will be made that are contrary to the majority opinion while at the same time decreasing the effect that those contrary arguments have on other group member’s opinions. This paper reports experimental results showing that anonymity led to more overall participation in discussions of ethical scenarios. However, equality of member participation did not differ between anonymous and member-identified groups, and anonymous groups had significantly higher awareness-related comments. This leads to the conclusion that additional participation in anonymous groups accommodates reduced awareness rather than reflecting the increased participation of normally reticent group members. In addition, anonymity led to more arguments in support of questionable behavior, suggesting that the freeing effects of anonymity apply to the social desirability of arguments. Finally, there was less change in opinion under conditions of anonymity than when comments were identified, suggesting that anonymous arguments have less influence on opinions than identified comments.     

An Empirical Investigation Into the Relation Between Performance and Perception of Users With a What-If Facility

The results of a laboratory study investigating relations between performance and perception are presented. Previous research has indicated that even if a lack of performance advantage exists by construction, decision support systems continue to be popular and are perceived to provide the desired support during decision making. We examined performance-perception relations of users with a what-if facility under conditions where there is a performance-based reward system and system usage costs. Several hypotheses were proposed and tested. We found that no performance advantage was obtained by using a what-if facility. We also found that participants were able to accurately portray the support provided. Implications for organizational managers, system designers, and system users are discussed.     

The Effects of Victim Anonymity on Unethical Behavior

We theorize that victim anonymity is an important factor in ethical decision making, such that actors engage in more self-interested and unethical behaviors toward anonymous victims than they do toward identifiable victims. Three experiments provided empirical support for this argument. In Study 1, participants withheld more life-saving products from anonymous than from identifiable victims. In Study 2, participants allocated a sum of payment more unfairly when interacting with an anonymous than with an identifiable partner. Finally, in Study 3, participants cheated more from an anonymous than from an identifiable person. Anticipated guilt fully mediated these effects in all three studies. Taken together, our research suggests that anonymous victims may be more likely to incur unethical treatment, which could explain many unethical business behaviors.     

略论隐名合伙

隐名合伙本质上应是隐名投资合同,而非商事合伙组织,与有限合伙、两合公司、挂名投资等形似而神异。隐名合伙的性质决定了其适用范围的有限性,隐名合伙的双方当事人都具有严格的身份限制,隐名合伙人仅限于自然人,出名营业人则主要是独资企业主。隐名合伙关系中隐名合伙人的隐名性暗合了部分国人不愿露富的传统文化心理,具有不同于有限合伙的优势和特色,同时也潜藏着一定的投资风险。隐名合伙的立法模式选择,权宜之计是通过合同自由的司法解释承认其存在的合理性与正当性,理想方案则是将其作为一种有名合同纳入民法典债编。     

论供应链的复合联结特征

当前,越来越多的企业认识到存在于企业与供应商和经销商之间的相互依存关系,纷纷与供应商和经销商开发明确的联结以提高运作绩效。本文从网络组织的视角,探讨了供应链联结的本质特征,认为,供应链成员之间的联结是核心企业与关键企业之间形成的复杂的联结关系,具有多层级强联结、多重互动联结以及多阶段动态联结特征,并提出了供应链复合联结概念。     

Analyzing the Robustness of Decision Strategies in Multiagent Decision Making

We consider a multiagent decision making problem where an agent, being able to estimate the preferences of other agents, defines its own in such a way that, after an aggregation process, its most desired alternative receives the highest group support. In previous work, this informed agent defined its preferences as the solution of a non-linear optimization problem. In this competitive scenario, and focusing on this agent, we analyze the amount of imprecision in the estimates that can be tolerated while still making its most preferred alternative the most supported one. We empirically show that, even when considering just the “harmful” errors in the estimates, the informed agent is able to force the group decision towards its interest.     

Power, Self-regulation and the Moralization of Behavior

The perception of behavior as a moral or conventional concern can be influenced by contextual variables, including status and power differences. We propose that social processes and in particular social role enactment through the exercise of power will psychologically motivate moralization. Punishing or rewarding others creates a moral dilemma that can be resolved by externalizing causation to incontrovertible moral rules. Legitimate power related to structure and position can carry moral weight but may not influence the power holder’s perceptions of rules and general norms of behavior. Social identity theory suggests moralization could be promoted by a concern for shared, defining values. However, the tendency to moralize another’s behavior can be injurious to shared identity. We explored white-collar employees’ perceptions of several categories of noxious or deviant workplace behaviors and regressed these perceptions on the tendency to use legitimate, referent, or reward and punish power; social identity; and the interaction of social identity and power, in particular legitimate power. Only the tendency to influence others through punishment or reward predicted moralization. Alternative causal explanations for the findings were addressed through the absence of any relationships between punishment and reward power and perceptions of deviant behaviors as wrong, upsetting, or requiring punishment. We discuss these results in the context of self and social processes, the social construction of morals and power, and the impact of managers’ behavior on group or organizational ethics.     

Rewarding customers who keep a product: How reinforcement affects customers' product return decision in online retailing

A lenient product return policy represents the status quo of current return management practice in online retailing because it increases customers' order tendency. However, at the same time, many customers tend to return products under this policy, which incurs considerable costs for retailers. The present research introduces a keep reward (i.e., providing incentives to keep a product) as a new promotion strategy to improve the conventional lenient policy. Drawing on operant conditioning, the authors propose and test the reinforcing effect of a keep reward on customers' keep decision, compared to the conventional lenient policy. Results of a qualitative pilot study suggest that a keep reward is generally feasible in online retailing practice, especially in the low‐ to mid‐price segment and with rewards that are linked to future purchases. Two experimental studies verify the positive effect of a keep reward. Study 1 shows that it substantially increases keep intention compared to a conventional lenient policy. Study 2 shows that the effect on keep intention is moderated by customers' online shopping frequency, and this moderating effect is mediated by repurchase intention. In particular, the keep reward is most effective among frequent shoppers because they are more inclined to repurchase and thus, benefit from the reward. In summary, both studies support the keep reward as a valuable add‐on to the conventional lenient policy because order intention remains comparably high, while keep intention is higher. Theoretical implications and recommendations for online retailers on how to implement a keep reward in different industries are discussed.     

Can rewards induce corresponding forms of theft? Introducing the reward-theft parity effect

Rewards are reinforcement mechanisms that organizations use to shape desirable employee behaviors. However, rewards may also have unintended consequences, such as building expectations for receiving extra benefits and weakening employee barriers to unethical acts. This article investigates the dark side of the reward–behavior association, and exploring what is referred to as the reward–theft parity effect (RTPE). The authors hypothesize that receiving rewards induces a corresponding type of theft. In Study 1, survey results (n = 634) show initial support for the RTPE between rewards and same-category theft, and that perceptions of procedural justice attenuate this association. Study 2 involved a 2 (reward) × 2 (theft opportunity) between-subjects experimental design (n = 300) and provides further support for the RTPE by revealing greater theft under a reward–theft parity condition than under a reward–theft disparity condition. Study 3 replicates these findings in a field experiment (n = 285) and finds that the RTPE is exacerbated when the reward–behavior task is perceived as unjust. Collectively, these findings provide new theoretical insights while also giving managers a more complete understanding of the dark side of behavioral reinforcement mechanisms.     

Price discrimination through multi-level loyalty programs

Loyalty programs often feature multiple rewards with different requirements; for instance, an airline offering a free domestic ticket for 10 K miles, and an international ticket for 20 K miles. This research focuses on the role of multi-level rewards as a segmentation and price discrimination mechanism: Multi-level rewards can increase firm profits when buyers differ in purchase frequency and/or time discount factor. We propose that a program with two rewards can be designed in such a way that (i) it is more profitable than a one-reward program, and (ii) buyers self-select. Light users prefer to receive the smaller reward two times over receiving the larger reward one time, even though the smaller reward is less than half of the larger reward. We show that the smaller reward helps the firm enlarge its base in the light user segment. We also compare multi-level programs with quantity discounts.     

Peer Pressure in Voluntary Environmental Programs: a Case of the Bag Rewards Program

This paper studies stores that voluntarily reward consumers for changing their convenience-oriented, waste-increasing consumption behaviors. We focus on shopping bag rewards programs which encourage consumers to substitute reusable bags for plastic bags. Instead of assuming that consumers have environmental consciousness, we consider the peer pressure of participating in rewards programs among consumers as the driving force increasing the number of consumers behaving in environmentally friendly ways. The results show that rewards programs can be effective in reducing plastic bag users in the long term and can increase profits for the stores implementing them. Unlike former studies suggesting a plastic bag ban or levy to reduce plastic bag use, these findings suggest that the policymakers should support these long-term-effective bag rewards programs by educating consumers about the value of using reusable bags and offering subsidies for stores that implement bag rewards programs.     

When giving money does not work: The differential effects of monetary versus in-kind rewards in referral reward programs

Customer referral reward programs have recently gained popularity as beneficial customer acquisition tools. This research aims to explore the impact of reward type, specifically with regard to the differential effects of monetary versus in-kind rewards, on referral success. We find that although consumers prefer monetary rewards to in-kind rewards because of the greater economic value of monetary rewards, the higher social costs associated with money offset this benefit and even render money an inferior incentive when the recommendation is not well justified. Through four experiments, we demonstrate that monetary rewards (vs. in-kind rewards) lead to less referral generation and acceptance, especially when the recommended brands are weak (Studies 1 and 4), and that perceived social costs mediate the interactive effect of reward type and brand strength (Studies 1 and 3). Moreover, by increasing the economic benefit or decreasing the social costs associated with monetary rewards, we restore the effectiveness of monetary rewards as incentives. Compared with in-kind rewards, monetary rewards perform equally well when the reward is sufficiently large (Study 2), and they perform even better when both the recommender and the receiver are rewarded (Study 3). This research extends the literature on the psychological consequences of money and provides novel insights into the customer referral process.     

自助式整体薪酬及其在我国的适用性研究

在激烈的市场竞争中 ,健全的薪酬体制是吸引、激励、发展与留住人才最有力的工具。而传统的薪酬设计理念已经不能满足现代高素质员工个性化的需求 ,本文就如何强化薪酬的激励功能 ,如何吸引人才探讨了一种全新的薪酬管理模式———自助式整体薪酬 ,它把薪酬的各项要素有机地整合到一起 ,更突出以人为本的经营理念 ,在企业竞争中显现出了独特的魅力。     

Caller ID – Whose Privacy Is It, Anyway?

Caller ID or CND (Calling Number Display) is an internationally-available telecommunication service first introduced into the United States about ten years ago. Caller ID utilizes a new form of technology which enables telephone subscribers to identify the numbers (and/or names) of callers before picking up their telephones. This service has been widely assailed as an invasion of the caller's right to anonymity, a right which allegedly subsists as an important component of the caller's right to privacy. However, if privacy is defined from the perspective of the British philosopher John Stuart Mill, it can be argued that, even though anonymity is in fact an implication of genuine privacy, placing an unsolicited telephone call does not constitute a private act. Indeed, many callers who routinely block their numbers from Caller ID display units (such as telemarketers and telecharities) falsely assert a right to place anonymous calls in order to expedite their own intrusion into the privacy of others. This conclusion will be strengthened by contrasting anonymous telephone calls with the much more legitimate appeals to anonymity made by Usenet bulletin boards in cyberspace.     

Reward strategy: Time for a more realistic reconceptualization and reinterpretation?

This article focuses on organizations' continued struggles to design and implement successful and credible reward strategies. We argue that a major and neglected factor that accounts for this is how reward strategies are designed and executed with insufficient attention given to employee preferences for different types of reward. We argue that this is both a problem of process in the way reward systems are designed and a problem of how models of reward strategy are built. Developing more effective reward strategies requires a better understanding of holistic rewards and greater attention to line management roles in their implementation. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Factors influencing employee perceptions of customer service climate

This study examines the relationships between certain organizational variables and employees' perceptions of the customer service climate in their organization. In addition, the role of organizational commitment in this process is examined. Results indicate that rewarding employees for service excellence, allowing their voice to be heard by upper management, providing employees with the information and technology needed to do their jobs, providing adequate training to customer contact employees, allowing employees enough time to get their tasks done, and providing a work environment conducive to getting work done are all positively associated with employee perceptions of customer service climate. Based on mediated regression and a LISREL analysis, these relationships are all found to be partially mediated by organizational commitment. These results are consistent with previous customer service research, which has found organizational support and rewards to be positively related to customer service. We extend this literature by showing that organizational commitment may be a key variable linking organizational support and rewards to customer service. Implications of these findings are discussed and suggestions for further research are offered.Lincoln National Corporation     

Tactical use of rewards to enhance loyalty program effectiveness

A key member benefit for participating in a loyalty program (LP) is the rewards earned for points accrued. One popular reward structure is a catalog of many diverse items. The rewards among this broad selection are likely to differ in their appeal due to their intrinsic differences and customer heterogeneity. Prior research has shown that after redeeming a reward, LP members are more motivated to increase their purchase volume/frequency and share-of-wallet within the program, thereby becoming more active. In this study, we fit a hidden Markov model to a 4½ year longitudinal data set of points accrual and reward redemption activity for about 4500 members of a large coalition LP. Our analysis reveals three latent states — active, hyperactive and inactive. We then investigate the likelihood of LP members transitioning between these states across successive time periods, and examine the reward categories and marketing effort associated with these transitions. Subsequently, we use our model to optimally promote particular reward categories to encourage LP member migration to managerially desirable states or prevent them sliding into a less desirable state. Our proposed optimal reward strategy potentially increases the estimated proportion of LP members in the hyperactive latent state from 35.7% to 40.1%, with a resultant increase in sales revenue for retailers and service providers in the LP of 7.7%. We find that rewards which are more fungible have the strongest influence on increasing points accrual activity.     

Competing with loyalty: How to design successful customer loyalty reward programs

For industries with low switching costs, customer loyalty programs (LPs) have potential to drive differentiation and sustain a competitive advantage. However, incentives provided through LPs also have a potential to escalate into costly price wars. In this article, we discuss how to design successful customer loyalty reward programs that bring value to participants and that cannot be emulated by competitors easily. We focus on three distinct aspects of improvement: personalization, reward types, and additional services. Through personalization, companies can leverage the knowledge they already have on their customers to tailor offers that they find relevant and appealing. For the reward structure, we argue in favor of a certain degree of opacity. We also encourage loyalty programs to consider giveaways that are unique and difficult to imitate and to use all the information they have available to provide rewards that fit with each customers’ idiosyncratic situation or preference. Finally, competitive LPs should look beyond offers and rewards. In addition to purchases, LPs can reward participants for other desirable behaviors; they can also provide additional services that impose minimal costs on firms, but bring value to customers.