The Long-term and Spillover Effects of Price Promotions on Retailing Platforms: Evidence from a Large Randomized Experiment on Alibaba

2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 2589-2609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis J. Zhang ◽  
Hengchen Dai ◽  
Lingxiu Dong ◽  
Fangfang Qi ◽  
Nannan Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Pricing ◽  
Spillover Effects ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Customer Behavior ◽  
Customer Engagement ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Price Promotions ◽  
Promotion Program ◽  
Shopping Cart

Dynamic pricing through price promotions has been widely used by online retailers. We study how a promotion strategy, one that offers customers a discount for products in their shopping cart, affects customer behavior in the short and long term on a retailing platform. We conduct a randomized field experiment involving more than 100 million customers and 11,000 retailers with Alibaba Group, one of the world’s largest retailing platform. We randomly assign eligible customers to either receive promotions for products in their shopping cart (treatment group) or not receive promotions (control group). In the short term, our promotion program doubles the sales of promoted products on the day of promotion. In the long term, we causally document unintended consequences of this promotion program during the month after our treatment period. On the positive side, it boosts customer engagement, increasing the daily number of products that customers view and their purchase incidence on the platform. On the negative side, it intensifies strategic customer behavior in the posttreatment period in two ways: (1) by increasing the proportion of products that customers add to their shopping cart conditional on viewing them, possibly because of their intention to get more shopping cart promotions, and (2) by decreasing the price that customers subsequently pay for a product, possibly because of their strategic search for lower prices. Importantly, these long-term effects of price promotions on consumer engagement and strategic behavior spill over to sellers who did not previously offer promotions to customers. Finally, we examine heterogeneous treatment effects across promotion, seller, and consumer characteristics. These findings have important implications for platforms and retailers. This paper was accepted by Vishal Gaur, operations management.

scholarly journals Stakeholder engagement increases transparency, satisfaction, and civic action

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (49) ◽  
pp. 24486-24491
Author(s):  
Eric A. Coleman ◽  
Jacob Manyindo ◽  
A. Rani Parker ◽  
Bill Schultz
Keyword(s):  
Stakeholder Engagement ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Spillover Effects ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Long Term Outcomes ◽  
The People ◽  
Western Uganda

This study evaluates the effectiveness of a Stakeholder Engagement (SE) intervention in improving outcomes for communities affected by oil and gas extraction in Western Uganda. The study design is a randomized controlled trial where villages are randomly assigned to a treatment group (participating in SE) or a control group (not participating). Data are collected via household surveys at baseline and end line in 107 villages in the Albertine Graben. We find that SE improves transparency, civic activity, and satisfaction with issues that most concern the people under study. While satisfaction has improved, it is too early to ascertain whether these interventions improve long-term outcomes. These results are robust when controlling for spillover effects and other subregional fixed effects.

scholarly journals Effects of a Health Promotion Program Based on a Train-the-Trainer Approach on Quality of Life and Mental Health of Long-Term Unemployed Persons

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heribert Limm ◽  
Mechthild Heinmüller ◽  
Harald Gündel ◽  
Katrin Liel ◽  
Karin Seeger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Health Promotion Program ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Train The Trainer ◽  
Promotion Program ◽  
Positive Effects

Background. Long-term unemployment is associated with poorer mental health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a health promotion program using the train-the-trainer approach on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and mental health of long-term unemployed persons.Methods. A prospective parallel-group study was conducted among 365 long-term unemployed persons. 287 participants (179 members of the intervention group IG and 108 members of the control group) were reassessed after three months. The intervention comprised both individual sessions based on Motivational Interviewing and participatory group sessions; no health promotion program was administered in the control group. The endpoints were HRQoL (SF-12), depression, and anxiety. The effect size of the change across time in the IG and CG was measured by Cohen’sd. To assess the significance of group differences in the change across time, a random effects model was used.Results. Within three months HRQoL improved and anxiety and depression decreased significantly in the IG. A significant intervention effect was observed for anxiety (p= 0.012). Effect sizes in the IG were small to moderate in terms of Cohen’sd(anxiety:d=-0.33; SF-12 mental:d=0.31; depression:d=-0.25; SF-12 physical:d=0.19).Conclusions. The health promotion program, based on a train-the-trainer approach, showed positive effects on HRQoL and mental health, especially anxiety, of long-term unemployed persons, a highly burdened target group where an improvement in mental health is a crucial prerequisite to social participation and successful reintegration into the job market.

The response of skin perfusion and of rheological and immunological variables to intravenous prostanoid administration in Raynaud’s phenomenon secondary to collagenosis

VASA ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 243-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Drinda ◽  
Neumann ◽  
Pöhlmann ◽  
Vogelsang ◽  
Stein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Laser Doppler Flowmetry ◽  
Raynaud’S Phenomenon ◽  
Raynaud's Phenomenon ◽  
Plasma Viscosity ◽  
Laser Doppler ◽  
Erythrocyte Aggregation ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Doppler Flowmetry

Background: Prostanoids are used in the treatment of Raynaud’s phenomenon and acral perfusion disorders secondary to collagenosis. In subjective terms, intravenous administration of these agents produces success in more than 50% of patients. The therapeutic outcome of clinical administration of alprostadil or iloprost may vary from individual to individual. Patients and methods: The following variables were analysed in a cross-over study in 27 patients with collagenosis and Raynaud’s phenomenon: plasma viscosity and erythrocyte aggregation (rheological variables), partial pressure of oxygen and laser Doppler flowmetry in the finger region, and lymphocyte phenotyping and interleukin (IL) determinations (immunological variables). Results: Laser Doppler flowmetry revealed significant differences between patients with secondary Raynaud’s phenomenon and a control group of 25 healthy subjects. Laser Doppler readings did not change significantly as a result of the treatments. Therapy with iloprost produced a reduction in IL-1beta, L-selectin (CD 62 L) and IL-6. Conclusion: The change in immunological variables due to iloprost may explain the long-term effects of prostaglandins in the treatment of Raynaud’s phenomenon. From our results it is not possible to infer any preference for iloprost or alprostadil.

Acute and Chronic Changes in Platelet Volume and Count After Cardiopulmonary Bypass Induced Thrombocytopenia in Man

1987 ◽  
Vol 57 (01) ◽  
pp. 55-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
J F Martin ◽  
T D Daniel ◽  
E A Trowbridge
Keyword(s):  
Platelet Count ◽  
Mean Platelet Volume ◽  
Artery Bypass ◽  
Bypass Graft ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Artery Bypass Graft ◽  
Platelet Volume ◽  
Young Males ◽  
The Mean

SummaryPatients undergoing surgery for coronary artery bypass graft or heart valve replacement had their platelet count and mean volume measured pre-operatively, immediately post-operatively and serially for up to 48 days after the surgical procedure. The mean pre-operative platelet count of 1.95 ± 0.11 × 1011/1 (n = 26) fell significantly to 1.35 ± 0.09 × 1011/1 immediately post-operatively (p <0.001) (n = 22), without a significant alteration in the mean platelet volume. The average platelet count rose to a maximum of 5.07 ± 0.66 × 1011/1 between days 14 and 17 after surgery while the average mean platelet volume fell from preparative and post-operative values of 7.25 ± 0.14 and 7.20 ± 0.14 fl respectively to a minimum of 6.16 ± 0.16 fl by day 20. Seven patients were followed for 32 days or longer after the operation. By this time they had achieved steady state thrombopoiesis and their average platelet count was 2.44 ± 0.33 × 1011/1, significantly higher than the pre-operative value (p <0.05), while their average mean platelet volume was 6.63 ± 0.21 fl, significantly lower than before surgery (p <0.001). The pre-operative values for the platelet volume and counts of these patients were significantly different from a control group of 32 young males, while the chronic post-operative values were not. These long term changes in platelet volume and count may reflect changes in the thrombopoietic control system secondary to the corrective surgery.

Comparing the Genetic Detox Ability and Heavy Metal Burden in a Cohort of Samples of Egyptian Children and those with Autistic Spectrum Disorder

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blaurock-Busch E
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Potentially Toxic Metals ◽  
Gstt1 Null Genotype ◽  
Egyptian Children ◽  
Glutathione S Transferases ◽  
Metal Burden ◽  
Detoxification Pathway

The heavy metal burden of patients with Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has been widely discussed [1-5]. Present knowledge suggests that ASD patients, compared to ‘normal’s’ show a greater metal burden, which may be a cause of the ASD pathogenesis, possibly due to a limited detoxification potential. We thus aimed to evaluate if the metal burden of ASD children is due to comprised detoxification ability, and if missing of enzymes such as the glutathione-S-transferases provide an explanation, or if additional factors play a role. Genetically, we noticed a slight difference in the detoxification ability of the ASD group compared to the Control group. In the ASD group, carrier of the genotype GSTT1 null genotype (i.e. the homozygous loss) are 1.7 times more common as in the Control group and the GSTT1 allele is more frequent in the ASD patient collective. These findings are not statistically significant but indicate a trend. In addition, our data indicates that levels of potentially toxic metals in blood and hair of both groups demonstrate a similar immediate and long-term exposure. However, 36% of the ASD group showed signs of zinc deficiency compared to 11% of the Control group and this points towards inefficiency of the Phase I detoxification pathway. More research is needed to explore the role of other elements in the detoxification pathway.

Effectiveness of mobile applications on healthy lifestyles aimed at diabetic patients: review of systematic reviews. (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Jesús Represas Carrera Sr ◽  
Ángel Alfredo Martínez Ques Sr ◽  
Ana Clavería Fontán Sr
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Mobile Applications ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Diabetic Patients ◽  
Healthy Lifestyles ◽  
Major Public Health Problem

BACKGROUND Diabetes mellitus is currently a major public health problem worldwide. It is traditionally approached in a clinical inpatient relationship between the patient and the healthcare professional. However, the rise of new technologies, particularly mobile applications, is revolutionizing the traditional healthcare model through the introduction of telehealthcare. OBJECTIVE (1) To assess the effects of mobile applications for improving healthy lifestyles on the quality of life and metabolic control of diabetes mellitus in adult patients. (2) To describe the characteristics of the mobile applications used, identify the healthy lifestyles they target, and describe any adverse effects their use may have. METHODS Review of systematic reviews and meta-analysis, following the guidelines of the Cochrane Collaboration and the Joanna Briggs Institute. We included studies that used any mobile application aimed at helping patients improve self-management of diabetes mellitus by focusing on healthy lifestyles. Studies needed to include a control group receiving regular care without the use of mobile devices. In May 2018, a search was conducted in Medline, Embase, Cochrane, LILACS, PsychINFO, Cinahl and Science Direct, updated in May 2019. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the Amstar-2 tool. RESULTS Seven systematic reviews of 798 articles were initially selected for analysis. The interventions had a duration of between 1 and 12 months. Mobile applications focused singly or simultaneously on different lifestyles aspects (diet, physical exercise, motivation, blood glucose levels, etc.). There are significant changes in HbA1c values, body weight and BMI, although in others, such as lipid profile, quality of life, or blood pressure, there is no clear improvement. CONCLUSIONS There is clear evidence that the use of mobile applications improves glycemic control in diabetic patients in the short term. There is a lack of evidence in its long-term benefits. It is thus necessary to carry out further studies to learn about the long-term effectiveness of mobile applications aimed at promoting the healthy lifestyles of diabetic patients. CLINICALTRIAL PROSPERO Register: CRD42019133685

scholarly journals Managerial Responses and Customer Engagement in Crowdfunding

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 3389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Song ◽  
Xin Tian
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Research ◽  
Customer Behavior ◽  
User Generated Content ◽  
Customer Engagement ◽  
Significant Positive Effect ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Advertising Strategy ◽  
Effective Advertising ◽  
Positive Effect

Despite the widespread recognition of the importance of customer behavior in crowdfunding performance, empirical research concerning the importance of managerial responses in user-generated content is scarce. How do managerial responses affect backers’ comments? Does user-generated content affect following backers’ behavior? Using a dataset of backers’ comments and creators’ managerial responses from Kickstarter.com, we attempt to clarify the relationships among creator responses to comments, comment volume, linguistic features of comment text and crowdfunding performance. Our results show creator responses have a significant positive effect on customer engagement and crowdfunding performance. Moreover, creator response is an effective advertising strategy to improve crowdfunding performance.

scholarly journals The reputation trap of NGO accountability

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 426-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen E. Gent ◽  
Mark J. C. Crescenzi ◽  
Elizabeth J. Menninga ◽  
Lindsay Reid
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
International Crisis ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Policy Goals ◽  
Ngo Accountability ◽  
The Relationship

Can concerns for one’s reputation cause non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to alter their behavior to the detriment of achieving their policy goals? To answer this question, we explore the relationship between NGOs and their donors. Our theoretical model reveals that reputation can be a key piece of information in the decision to fund an NGO’s activities. Reputation can become so important to the NGO’s survival that it interferes with the long-term policy goals of the organization. As such, reputations can become a double-edged sword, simultaneously providing the information donors seek while constraining NGOs from realizing policy goals. We apply this logic to the problem of NGO accountability, which has received increasing attention in recent years, and demonstrate that the tools used by donors to improve accountability can trigger unintended consequences. We illustrate this strategic dynamic with two types of NGO activity: water improvement and international crisis mediation.

Long-Term Follow-Up of Early Cochlear Implant Device Activation

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Stefanie Bruschke ◽  
Uwe Baumann ◽  
Timo Stöver
Keyword(s):  
Speech Recognition ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Cochlear Implant ◽  
Surgical Techniques ◽  
Control Group ◽  
First Year ◽  
Safe Procedure ◽  
Sound Processor

Background: The cochlear implant (CI) is a standard procedure for the treatment of patients with severe to profound hearing loss. In the past, a standard healing period of 3–6 weeks occurred after CI surgery before the sound processor was initially activated. Advancements of surgical techniques and instruments allow an earlier initial activation of the processor within 14 days after surgery. Objective: Evaluation of the early CI device activation after CI surgery within 14 days, comparison to the first activation after 4–6 weeks, and assessment of the feasibility and safety of the early fitting over a 12 month observation period were the objectives of this study. Method: In a prospective study, 127 patients scheduled for CI surgery were divided into early fitting group (EF, n = 67) and control group (CG, n = 60). Individual questionnaires were used to evaluate medical and technical outcomes of the EF. Medical side effects, speech recognition, and follow-up effort were compared with the CG within the first year after CI surgery. Results: The early fitting was feasible in 97% of the EF patients. In the EF, the processor was activated 25 days earlier than in the CG. No major complications were observed in either group. At the follow-up appointments, side effects such as pain and balance problems occurred with comparable frequency in both groups. At initial fitting, the EF showed a significantly higher incidence of medical minor complications (p < 0.05). When developing speech recognition within the first year of CI use, no difference was observed. Furthermore, the follow-up effort within the first year after CI surgery was comparable in both groups. Conclusions: Early fitting of the sound processor is a feasible and safe procedure with comparable follow-up effort. Although more early minor complications were observed in the EF, there were no long-term wound healing problems caused by the early fitting. Regular inspection of the magnet strength is recommended as part of the CI follow-up since postoperative wound swelling must be expected. The early fitting procedure enabled a clear reduction in the waiting time between CI surgery and initial sound processor activation.

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