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Institute
Data has become a necessary resource for firm operations in the modern digital world, explaining their growing data gathering efforts. Due to this development, consumers are confronted with decisions to disclose personal data on a daily basis, and have become increasingly intentional about data sharing. While this reluctance to disclose personal data poses challenges for firms, at the same time, it also creates new opportunities for improving privacy-related interactions with customers. This dissertation advocates for a more holistic perspective on consumers’ privacy-related decision-making and introduces the consumer privacy journey consisting of three subsequent phases: pre data disclosure, data disclosure, post data disclosure. In three independent essays, I stress the importance of investigating data requests (i.e., the first step of this journey) as they represent a largely neglected, yet, potentially powerful means to influence consumers’ decision-making and decision-evaluation processes. Based on dual-processing models of decision-making, this dissertation focuses on both consumers’ cognitive and affective evaluations of privacy-related information: First, Essay 1 offers novel conceptualizations and operationalizations of consumers’ perceived behavioral control over personal data (i.e., cognitive processing) in the context of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based data disclosure processes. Next, Essay 2 examines consumers’ cognitive and affective processing of a data request that entails relevance arguments as well as relevance-illustrating game elements. Finally, Essay 3 categorizes affective cues that trigger consumers’ affective processing of a data request and proposes that such cues need to fit with a specific data disclosure situation to foster long-term decision satisfaction. Collectively, my findings provide research and practice with new insights into consumers’ privacy perceptions and behaviors, which are particularly valuable in the context of complex, new (technology-enabled) data disclosure situations.
Governments around the world currently focus on shaping the digital economy. Particular attention is paid to Internet platforms, Internet infrastructure and data as essential components of the digital economy. The three studies in this thesis contribute to the understanding of the behavior of firms in each of these domains and derive insights for future regulations and business projects.
The first study deals with the ranking of content on Internet platforms and how it affects the incentives of content providers to invest in content quality. The focus of the study is on sponsored ranking and organic ranking, but the case that a vertically integrated content provider is favored by an Internet platform is also taken into account. Using a game theoretic model, it is shown that there is no ranking design that strictly leads to more investment compared to the other designs. It is also shown that the Internet platform usually chooses the type of ranking that, from the perspective of the Internet platform and consumers, yields the best expected overall content quality. The second study deals with the incentive of Internet service providers to throttle specific Internet content. The key finding is that Internet service providers use this instrument to utilize the capacity of their telecommunications network more efficiently. This leads not only to more benefits for Internet users, but also to a higher incentive to invest in network capacity due to better monetization. The third study examines the circumstances under which firms are willing to share data with other firms. By means of an economic laboratory experiment, it is shown that more data is shared if the firms have control over who exactly they share data with. Thus, for example, data pools that grant unrestricted data access to all participating firms can be expected to perform worse than data pools that give their participating firms control over with whom their uploaded data is shared. In addition, the third study finds that established relationships are characterized by more data sharing and less volatility in the amount of shared data than new relationships. The study concludes that data sharing projects should not be expected to work optimally right away.
In summary, the studies in this thesis identify a number of costs that may arise when digital firms' choice is restricted by regulation or design. The ability of Internet service providers to throttle certain content and the ability of Internet platforms to choose the ranking design are usually used in the best interests of consumers. Data sharing also works best when firms are free to decide who gets their data.
Data is an important competitive resource in digital online markets. As a result, the access and availability of data can be the basis for a competitive advantage. This thesis analyzes the role and competitive effects of data in digital markets and contributes to an improved understanding of data as a (potential) basis for market power. Thereby, the thesis also contributes to the ongoing policy debate on how to safeguard a fair and open competitive environment for internet-based digital (i.e., online) services as well as traditional services.
In doing so, Study 1 surveys the literature and discusses (i) the challenges that are associated with assessing market power in digital markets, (ii) the challenges in creating a level playing field in digital markets, e.g., by harmonizing regulatory obligations for online and offline services, and (iii) the vital role of data and data protection in the context of data-driven business models. Study 2 and Study 3 focus on the competitive effects of transferring data between online competitors. The study on social logins (Study 2) highlights the strategic effects as well as welfare implications if competing online services deliberately and voluntarily decide to share user and usage data. Whereas Study 2 abstracts from the user’s decision how much data to provide to an online service, Study 3 focuses on the amount of data that firms require for their services and that is provided by users. In particular, Study 3 investigates the competitive and welfare effects of a new fundamental consumer right: The right to data portability. This right is part of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which becomes effective in May 2018 for all online services available to users in the European Union and allows users to transfer their personal data from one online service to another (competing) online service (c.f., GDPR Article 20). In this context, the study examines the firms’ strategic reactions to the introduction of such a right and identifies the ensuing market outcomes as well as policy and managerial implications.
In conclusion, this doctoral thesis contributes to an improved understanding of (i) the competitive effects that arise from data as an economic good or valuable asset for digital services, and (ii) the aspects that may constitute market power in digital markets. Moreover, from a policy perspective, the thesis can be understood as a theoretically founded research project that (i) informs which market failures may arise in the context of digital (data-driven) markets and that (ii) highlights the peculiarities that need to be considered to define appropriate legal requirements in order to establish a level playing field between online services and traditional (established) services, but also between competing online services. Therefore, the thesis also contributes to the discussion on whether and how dominant online platforms should and can be regulated.
Information has a particular importance in online purchase decision processes. As opposed to consumers in online markets, consumers in online markets cannot inspect the physical product to evaluate it and reduce their perceived risk. Hence, consumers in online markets are dependent upon the information that they can gather about a product in which they are interested. Therefore, they have two primary sources of information: Product descriptions and customer reviews. Both sources affect consumers’ purchase decision processes and hence have an economic impact for consumers, shop providers and manufacturers. It is important to know how these sources of information influence a customer’s online purchase decision and how to extract the relevant information.
To examine these research objectives, several studies applying different methodological approaches have been conducted. The results are presented in this dissertation.
Innovate with Crowds. Co-Creation and Idea Evaluation in Internal and External Crowdsourcing.
(2020)
Crowdsourcing seems to be a promising approach for organizations to overcome challenges widely discussed in innovation and organizational research. However, the extent to which an organization can leverage the benefits from crowdsourcing is contingent on which type of crowd is addressed and how crowds are used. Based on unique data from crowdsourcing contests, the dissertation provides insights how to innovate with internal and external crowds in order to utilize their potential for co-creation and idea evaluation.
Während sich die Geschäftsmodellforschung großer Beliebtheit erfreut, ist bisweilen schwach erforscht, wie sich die konkrete Ausgestaltung der Operationalisierungen von Geschäftsmodellelementen von internetbasierten, nicht börsennotierten Startups auf deren Unternehmenserfolg auswirkt. Die vorliegende Arbeit adressiert diese Fragestellung und deckt mittels statischer Verfahren Zusammenhänge auf.
Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht auf Basis einer umfassenden weltweiten empirischen Befragung die Arbeitsweise und das Entscheidungsverhalten von Private Equity Professionals in der Transaktionspraxis. Ausgehend von einer empirischen Beurteilung von Due Diligence mit Hinblick auf die Notwendigkeit ihrer Durchführung im Kontext von Informations- und Prognoseproblem zeigt die Untersuchung auf, wie sich die quantitative Arbeit in der Private Equity Praxis ausgestaltet und ordnet diese in ihrem Zusammenspiel mit weichen Faktoren und Expertenwissen bzw. persönlicher Erfahrung ein. Zuletzt wird auf Basis der verfügbaren Daten eine Brücke zwischen Einsatz & Rolle quantitativer Methoden und weicher Faktoren bei der Investitionsentscheidung und der Performance von Private Equity Gesellschaften geschlagen.
Die Arbeit gliedert sich in folgende sechs Hauptabschnitte:
- Einleitung
- Aktuelle Forschung zu Private Equity und Motivation der Arbeit
- Private Equity – eine Einführung
- Grundlegende Informationsprobleme und Unsicherheiten bei einem Unternehmenskauf: Informationsasymmetrien und Prognoseproblem
- Empirische Untersuchung: Due Diligence im Private Equity – Einsatz und Rolle quantitativer Methoden bei Private Equity Transaktionen
- Schlussbemerkung und Ausblick
Data is an important resource in our economy and society, substantially improving overall business efficiency, innovativeness and competitiveness, and shaping our everyday lives. Yet, to leverage the data's full potential, its access and availability is vital. Thus, data sharing across organizations is of particular importance. This thesis examines the role of data sharing in the digital economy and contributes to a better understanding why data sharing matters, why it is still underutilized, and how data sharing can be encouraged. Thereby, the thesis contributes to the ongoing academic debate as well as the practical and political efforts on how to promote data sharing.
The thesis is comprised of three studies. Study 1 examines personal data sharing among (competing) online services. Particularly, it investigates the consequences of Article 20 in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR, May 2018), ensuring the right to data portability. This relatively new right allows online service users to transfer any personal data from one service provider to another. Focusing on a) the amount of data provided by users and b) the amount of user data disclosed to third party data brokers by service providers, the study investigates the right to data portability's effect on competitiveness and consumer surplus. Study 2 and Study 3 focus on non-personal data sharing among competing firms. Study 2 examines the literature to identify and classify barriers to non-personal, machine-generated data sharing. The study explains firms' reluctance to sharing data and discusses policy and managerial implications for overcoming the data sharing barriers. Study 3 focuses on data sharing via platforms. It investigates the Business-to-Business (B2B) data sharing platform design implications for promoting industrial data sharing. In particular, Study 3 investigates the dimensions control and transparency regarding their effect in eliciting cooperation and encouraging data sharing among firms.
In summary, this thesis examines and reveals how access and availability of data can be increased through creating beneficial data sharing conditions in B2B relationships. Particularly, the thesis contributes to the understanding of a) the implications of data sharing laws, defined in the GDPR for personal data and b) the challenges and measures of the not yet successfully established, non-personal data sharing.
Service Provisions and Business Relationships in the Digital Era – Four Essays in the B2B Context
(2019)
Digitalization has fundamentally changed how services are provided and how service providers and their customers interact with each other in the business-to-business (B2B) context. Against the backdrop of these developments, this thesis considers – in four essays – the changes brought about by both service and sales digitalization. Each essay investigates for one research topic the aspects of existing knowledge regarding non-digital services and/or sales which can be transferred to digital services and sales and which aspects must be adjusted. The aim is to support B2B firms that offer or receive services or plan to do so in the future which cope with the challenges of service and sales digitalization.
In doing so, the first and second essay investigate the contingency effect of service digitalization on service characteristics from the provider and customer views, respectively. Both essays aim at explaining service value as an endogenous variable. In the first essay, service modularity and service flexibility are considered as predecessors that help explain service value. The second essay investigates the effect of customer cocreation on service value. Whereas the first and second essay focus on service characteristics, the third and fourth essay focus on business relationships. Both essays explain relational conflict, one important facet of business relationships, as the endogenous variable and consider the perspectives of both providers and customers. The third essay elaborates on the diverging effect of service digitalization on relational conflict from these two perspectives. The fourth essay incorporates both service and sales digitalization and investigates the contingency effects of the two forms of digitalization on the relationship between coercive power use and relational conflict.
In conclusion, this thesis provides a more fine-grained view on the construct digitalization by differentiating explicitly between service digitalization and sales digitalization and introduces a new conceptualization of service (see all four essays) and sales digitalization (see the fourth essay) by treating digitalization as a continuum. Furthermore, this thesis investigates the opportunities and challenges brought about by digitalization. In particular, the first and second essays show the opportunities service digitalization creates for providers, who could benefit from service modularity, and customers, who could benefit from the integration of their own resources into service provisions. In addition, the third essay shows that for providers service digitalization has a positive and for customers contrarily a negative effect on relation conflict. The fourth essay shows that sales and service digitalization positively moderate the effect of coercive power use on relational conflict for weaker parties in business relationships (except for weaker providers) but not for stronger parties. In sum, this thesis contributes to a better understanding of the consequences of service and sales digitalization and provides recommendations for companies facing challenges and decisions related to this development.
Due to the advances of digitalization, firms are able to collect more and more personal consumer data and strive to do so. Moreover, many firms nowadays have a data sharing cooperation with other firms, so consumer data is shared with third parties. Accordingly, consumers are confronted regularly with the decision whether to disclose personal data to such a data sharing cooperation (DSC). Despite privacy research has become highly important, peculiarities of such disclosure settings with a DSC between firms have been neglected until now. To address this gap is the first research objective in this thesis. Another underexplored aspect in privacy research is the impact of low-cognitive-effort decision-making. This is because the privacy calculus, the most dominant theory in privacy research, assumes for consumers a purely cognitive effortful and deliberative disclosure decision-making process. Therefore, to expand this perspective and examine the impact of low-cognitive-effort decision-making is the second research objective in this thesis. Additionally, with the third research objective, this thesis strives to unify and increase the understanding of perceived privacy risks and privacy concerns which are the two major antecedents that reduce consumers’ disclosure willingness.
To this end, five studies are conducted: i) essay 1 examines and compares consumers’ privacy risk perception in a DSC disclosure setting with disclosure settings that include no DSC, ii) essay 2 examines whether in a DSC disclosure setting consumers rely more strongly on low-cognitive-effort processing for their disclosure decision, iii) essay 3 explores different consumer groups that vary in their perception of how a DSC affects their privacy risks, iv) essay 4 refines the understanding of privacy concerns and privacy risks and examines via meta-analysis the varying effect sizes of privacy concerns and privacy risks on privacy behavior depending on the applied measurement approach, v) essay 5 examines via autobiographical recall the effects of consumers’ feelings and arousal on disclosure willingness.
Overall, this thesis shines light on consumers’ personal data disclosure decision-making: essay 1 shows that the perceived risk associated with a disclosure in a DSC setting is not necessarily higher than to an identical firm without DSC. Also, essay 3 indicates that only for the smallest share of consumers a DSC has a negative impact on their disclosure willingness and that one third of consumers do not intensively think about consequences for their privacy risks arising through a DSC. Additionally, essay 2 shows that a stronger reliance on low-cognitive-effort processing is prevalent in DSC disclosure settings. Moreover, essay 5 displays that even unrelated feelings of consumers can impact their disclosure willingness, but the effect direction also depends on consumers’ arousal level.
This thesis contributes in three ways to theory: i) it shines light on peculiarities of DSC disclosure settings, ii) it suggests mechanisms and results of low-effort processing, and iii) it enhances the understanding of perceived privacy risks and privacy concerns as well as their resulting effect sizes.
Besides theoretical contributions, this thesis offers practical implications as well: it allows firms to adjust the disclosure setting and the communication with their consumers in a way that makes them more successful in data collection. It also shows that firms do not need to be too anxious about a reduced disclosure willingness due to being part of a DSC. However, it also helps consumers themselves by showing in which circumstances they are most vulnerable to disclose personal data. That consumers become conscious of situations in which they are especially vulnerable to disclose data could serve as a countermeasure: this could prevent that consumers disclose too much data and regret it afterwards. Similarly, this thesis serves as a thought-provoking input for regulators as it emphasizes the importance of low-cognitive-effort processing for consumers’ decision-making, thus regulators may be able to consider this in the future.
In sum, this thesis expands knowledge on how consumers decide whether to disclose personal data, especially in DSC settings and regarding low-cognitive-effort processing. It offers a more unified understanding for antecedents of disclosure willingness as well as for consumers’ disclosure decision-making processes. This thesis opens up new research avenues and serves as groundwork, in particular for more research on data disclosures in DSC settings.