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Fake news are a threat of the information age, yet many factors that determine their spread, such as emotional tone and tie strength, remain under-researched. Responding to calls for research, we developed an experimental study that explains the impact of emotional tone and tie strength in the context of instant messaging. We hypothesize effects on the willingness to fact-check and intention to share, mediated by sender credibility and news believability. Our results will contribute to the academic literature on various levels: we consider the emotional and relational dimensions of fake news sharing. Furthermore, we provide a multidimensional understanding of the emotionality of strong-tie contacts sharing fake news in a seemingly private and safe environment. For policymakers, we provide insights that help detect fake news, and we provide individuals with persuasion knowledge to self-protect against fake news.

The proliferation of smart technologies transforms the way individual consumers perform tasks. Considerable research alludes that smart technologies are often related to domestic energy consumption. However, it remains unclear how such technologies transform tasks and thereby impact our planet. We explore the role of technological smartness in personal day-to-day tasks that help create a more sustainable future. In the absence of theory, but facing extensive changes in everyday life enabled by smart technologies, we draw on phenomenon-based theorizing (PBT) guidelines. As anchor, we refer to task endogeneity related to task-technology fit theory (TTF). As infusion, we employ theory on public goods. Our model proposes novel relations between the concepts of smart-autonomy and -transparency with sustainable task outcomes, mediated by task convenience and task significance. We discuss some implications, limitations, and future research opportunities.

We see more and more incidents where users’ information collected by digital services is shared with external parties. Users becoming aware of such information (mis-)uses may perceive a privacy violation. In this study, we want to understand when, why, and how such external unauthorized secondary use (EUSU) is perceived as a privacy violation and what consequences such a perception entails. Employing the Critical Incident Technique (CIT), we inductively derive characteristics of real-world incidents of perceived privacy violations through EUSU and users’ perceptions and responses thereto. We present preliminary results of our qualitative data analysis as well as potential contributions of this research-in-progress study. As a next step, we plan to relate characteristics with responses through Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA).

Many firms use social media (SM) to solicit online investments. In this study, we examine the interaction between SM attributes and online-investment attributes to determine how this interaction shapes users’ investment decisions. Specifically, we investigate initial coin offerings (ICOs) as an application domain of distributed ledger technology for peer-to-peer investment. We use signaling theory to develop a context-specific explanation for how the interplay of persuasion signals found in SM and technology-enforced lockups shapes individuals’ ICO investment decisions. To evaluate this interplay, we conducted a 2 × 2 factorial experiment with 473 participants. The results show that when an investment does not require a technology-enforced lockup, persuasion signals encourage investments in ICOs; however, when an investment requires a technology-enforced lockup, persuasion signals do not affect investments in ICOs. Furthermore, our analyses suggest that combining a technology-enforced lockup and persuasion signals reduces the ICO’s plausibility. This is the first study to investigate how the willingness to invest in ICOs is influenced by the relationship between technology-enforced lockups and persuasion signals. The findings have practical implications for individuals attempting to make sound decisions on ICO investments, policymakers regulating online investments, and firms seeking to attract investors.

We see more and more incidents where user information collected by digital services is shared with external parties. Users becoming aware of such information (mis-)uses may perceive a privacy violation. In this study, we want to understand when, why, and how the sharing of information with external parties is perceived as a privacy violation and what consequences such a perception entails. Employing the Critical Incident Technique (CIT) as a methodology, we inductively derive characteristics of real-world incidents of perceived privacy violations due to the sharing of information with external parties and users’ perceptions and reactions thereto. We present preliminary results of our first qualitative data analysis as well subsequent steps to advance this research in progress.