Priya Sharma, Qiyuan Li and Susan M. Land
The growth of online social network sites and their conceptualization as affinity spaces makes them well suited for exploring how individuals share knowledge and practices around…
Abstract
Purpose
The growth of online social network sites and their conceptualization as affinity spaces makes them well suited for exploring how individuals share knowledge and practices around specific interests or affinities. The purpose of this study is to extend what is known about highly active/key actors in online affinity spaces, especially the ways in which they sustain and contribute to knowledge sharing.
Design/methodology/approach
This study analyzed 514 discussion posts gathered from an online affinity space on disease management. This study used a variety of methods to answer the research questions: the authors used discourse analyses to examine the conversations in the online affinity space, social network analyses to identify the structure of participation in the space and association rule mining and sentiment analysis to identify co-occurrence of discourse codes and sentiment of the discussions.
Findings
The results indicate that the quality and type of discourse varies considerably between key and other actors. Key actors’ discourse in the network serves to elaborate on and explain ideas and concepts, whereas other actors provide a more supportive role and engage primarily in storytelling.
Originality/value
This work extends what is known about informal mentoring and the role of key actors within affinity spaces by identifying specific discourse types and types of knowledge sharing that are characteristic of key actors. Also, this study provides an example of the use of a combination of rule mining association and sentiment analysis to characterize the nature of the affinity space.
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Priya Sharma, Jose Sandoval-Llanos, Daniel Foster and Melanie Miller Foster
This study aims to examine the role of key network actors in relation to the discourse structure of a microblogging hashtag stream within a global agricultural educators’…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the role of key network actors in relation to the discourse structure of a microblogging hashtag stream within a global agricultural educators’ conference over two years. Prior work in online networks suggests that participation is dominated by highly active members, and in this study, the authors focus on examining what types of discourse are shared and reshared by key actors.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors used a combination of social network analyses and qualitative discourse coding to examine approximately 1,390 posts associated with the conference hashtag over two consecutive years.
Findings
The study analyses uncovered a set of common key participants over both years and common types of discourse used by those key participants. Key participants took on roles of resharing messages and contributed to discourse by retweeting posts that highlighted participants’ thoughts and feelings related to the conference and the discipline.
Research limitations/implications
This research has implications for encouraging diverse participants and diverse discourses related to key community goals. Design suggestions include identifying and inviting key actors as collaborators to reshare discourse that clearly aligns with community goals and using smaller hashtag spaces to encourage broader participation.
Originality/value
Prior work on microblogging has highlighted either the types of discourse and information sharing or the structures of the network interactions within conference hashtag streams. This study builds on this prior work and combines discourse and structure to understand the ways in which key network figures reshare discourse within the community, a facet that has been underreported in the literature.
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Chulapol Thanomsing and Priya Sharma
Social media are increasingly being used in teaching and learning in higher education. This paper aims to explore multiple case studies to better understand how instructors decide…
Abstract
Purpose
Social media are increasingly being used in teaching and learning in higher education. This paper aims to explore multiple case studies to better understand how instructors decide to incorporate social media into learning.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative case study used the technology acceptance model (TAM) to explore five instructors' use of social media for teaching and learning, particularly the pedagogical reasons and goals driving their use of social media. Participant interviews, course documentation and social media observation data were collected to answer the research questions.
Findings
Findings suggest that an instructor's social media knowledge and awareness of instructional goals are important for the use of social media in learning. Three pedagogical objectives of the use of social media were found across five participants: collaborative learning, dialog and discussion, and authentic learning.
Originality/value
Previous studies have explored potential pedagogical uses of social media tools, however studies that attempt to understand how and why instructors decide to use particular social media tools are underreported.
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Purpose: In this chapter, we have theoretically investigated the role of artificial intelligence (AI) supported chatbots and virtual assistants in reshape the decision support…
Abstract
Purpose: In this chapter, we have theoretically investigated the role of artificial intelligence (AI) supported chatbots and virtual assistants in reshape the decision support systems in insurance industry.
Methodology: For this purpose, we adopted a theoretical approach to investigate the bounded rationality theory, technology acceptance model, and sociotechnical systems theory, and draw insights to comprehend the intersection between AI and insurance ecosystem. These theoretical insights were used to develop a “AI-nudge framework for insurance decision support” that explains the role of AI for nudging the users toward insurance-related informed decision-making.
Findings: It was found that through the user interaction, conversations, sociotechnical system dynamics technology acceptance drivers, the AI can nudge the user toward the use of insurance support systems such as chatbots for informed decision-making. Thus, AI must be integrated to the user interfaces for personalized decision support, ethical considerations, and continuous learning mechanisms. We outlined the future trends and presented the directions for future research in the context of AI-enabled chatbots and virtual assistants for insurance decision support.
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Elena Maggioni and Francesco Mazziotta
Implementing artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare organizations involves the entire organization. This groundbreaking technology is becoming central to achieve the goals of…
Abstract
Implementing artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare organizations involves the entire organization. This groundbreaking technology is becoming central to achieve the goals of the new healthcare through the ongoing commitment to sustainability despite the severe lack of resources. Decision-makers in healthcare need knowledge and skills to prepare for the changes in many professional activities in the years ahead. Furthermore, chief medical officers and clinical leaders need to act on the opportunities that AI can bring, starting from its integration into the reality of healthcare settings while working with those responsible for managing and implementing AI in compliance with current legislation in Europe and the United States. Finally, stakeholders need to know how to leverage AI capabilities and how to recognize its limitations and its opportunities in administrative applications (admin AI) to optimize day-to-day operations and clinical applications (non-admin AI). In this view, clinical leaders and health care decision-makers may appreciate AI as a new way to provide sustainable social and healthcare services.
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Tanushree Sharma and Priya Grover
The case throws light on the unforeseen challenges new entrepreneurs confront. It highlights how the challenges of manpower, sales and operations are intertwined. It also put…
Abstract
Subject area
The case throws light on the unforeseen challenges new entrepreneurs confront. It highlights how the challenges of manpower, sales and operations are intertwined. It also put emphasis on holistic planning prior to initiating a business.
Study level/applicability
This case can be used in the introductory courses on entrepreneurship and sales and distribution for undergraduate and postgraduate students of Business Schools.
Case overview
This case revolves around the pursuit of an entrepreneur to develop and service sweetcorn vending kiosks in an Indian State. It narrates the dilemma faced by the entrepreneur when she discovered a notional loss of revenue as a result of her selecting a particular distribution channel. The entrepreneur realized that the entire range of products sold through the dealer was fetching her far less revenue in comparison to the only product she retailed herself. She also realized that the retail though paid better dividends, but also brought along host of manpower and operative issues. With the day of signing a firm contract with the dealer coming close, the entrepreneur must decide quickly her future course of action.
Expected learning outcomes
The students will be able to gain understanding of the unforeseen challenges confronted by small entrepreneurs, interconnection of various functions of business and the significance of holistic planning.
Supplementary materials
Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
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Brian Smith, Priya Sharma and Paula Hooper
This paper describes the forms of knowledge used by players of fantasy sports, games where players create ideal sports teams and compete to accumulate points based on professional…
Abstract
This paper describes the forms of knowledge used by players of fantasy sports, games where players create ideal sports teams and compete to accumulate points based on professional athletes’ statistical performances. Messages from a discussion forum associated with a popular fantasy basketball game were analyzed to understand how players described their decision‐making strategies to their peers. The focus of the research was to understand if players use mathematical concepts such as optimization and statistical analyses when assembling their team or if they base their decisions on personal preferences, beliefs, and biases. The analyses in this paper suggest the latter, that players rely on informal, domain‐specific heuristics that often lead to the creation of competitive teams. These heuristics and other forms of player discourse related to knowledge use are described. The paper also suggests ways that analyses of existing practices might provide a foundation for creating gaming environments that assist the acquisition of more formal reasoning skills.
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Rong-Rong Lin and Jung-Chieh Lee
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been widely used as a financial technology (fintech) in the mobile banking (M-banking) domain. However, in the literature, how AI affects users'…
Abstract
Purpose
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been widely used as a financial technology (fintech) in the mobile banking (M-banking) domain. However, in the literature, how AI affects users' perceptions of social support and the users' satisfaction and continuance intention (CI) remains unknown. To fill this gap, the two core characteristics of AI, perceived intelligence (PI) and perceived anthropomorphism (PA), are combined with social support theory (SST) (including informational support (IS) and emotional support (ES)) to develop a research model to investigate how PI and PA affect IS and ES, which in turn affect users’ M-banking satisfaction and CI.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted a random probability sampling method to collect a total of 360 valid responses to verify the proposed model. Partial least squares (PLS) was employed for data analysis.
Findings
The results showed that PI and PA both have a significant positive impact on consumers' perception of social support (IS and ES). IS was a direct driver of satisfaction and CI. Surprisingly, although ES was positively associated with satisfaction, the study found that higher levels of ES will decrease CI. This study exposed how AI affects consumers’ satisfaction and CI through SST, and the role of AI in M-banking applications has been further confirmed.
Originality/value
This study expanded the SST to creatively integrate with AI features to reveal the impact of PI and PA on IS and ES, which in turn influence users' M-banking usage.
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Puneett Bhatnagr and Anupama Rajesh
This study aimed to explore the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) characteristics, namely Perceived Animacy (PAN), perceived intelligence (PIN), and perceived…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to explore the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) characteristics, namely Perceived Animacy (PAN), perceived intelligence (PIN), and perceived anthropomorphism (PAI), on user satisfaction (ESA) and continuous intentions (CIN) by integrating Expectation Confirmation Theory (ECT), with a particular focus on Generation Y and Z.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a quantitative method, the study collected 495 data from Gen Y (204) and Z (291) respondents who were users of digital banking apps through structured questionnaires that were analysed using PLS-SEM. The latter helped investigate the driving forces of AI characteristics and user behavioural intentions as well as reveal generation-specific features of digital banking engagement.
Findings
The study revealed that PAN and PIN have significant positive effects on the anthropomorphic perceptions of digital banking apps, which in turn increases perceived usefulness, satisfaction, and continuous intentions. In particular, the influence of these AI attributes varies across generations; Gen Y’s loyalty is mostly based on the benefits derived from AI features, whereas Gen Z places a greater value on the anthropomorphic factor of AI. This marked a generational shift in the demand for digital banking services.
Research limitations/implications
The specificity of Indian Gen Y and Z users defines the scope of this study, suggesting that demographic and geographical boundaries can be broadened in future AI-related banking research.
Practical implications
The results have important implications for bank executive officers and policymakers in developing AI-supported digital banking interfaces that appeal to the unique tastes of millennial customers, thus emphasising the importance of personalising AI functionalities to enhance user participation and loyalty.
Originality/value
This study enriches the digital banking literature by combining AI attributes with ECT, offering a granular understanding of AI’s role in modulating young consumers' satisfaction and continuance intentions. It underscores the strategic imperative of AI in cultivating compelling and loyalty-inducing digital banking environments tailored to the evolving expectations of Generations Y and Z.