Psychological capital and strategic decision outcomes

PurposeA large body of research has analyzed individual psychological characteristics as antecedents of strategic decision-making. However, this research has mainly focused on trait-based characteristics that explain impaired strategic decision outcomes. Recently, PsyCap has been proposed as an alternative driver of strategic decision outcomes that, in contrast to other drivers, can be influenced by management.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on research on psychological capital (PsyCap), a psychological construct conceptualized as a state-like individual strength that is malleable, the authors argue that PsyCap exerts an inverted curvilinear effect on strategic decision outcomes. The authors use a computerized strategic decision simulation involving 102 managers to empirically test our hypotheses.FindingsThe authors show that PsyCap improves strategic decision outcomes up to an inflection point, after which it negatively affects those outcomes. The authors also show that this effect is mediated by heuristic information processing.Research limitations/implicationsFor the empirical study the authors relied on a sample of 102 practicing managers from the financial services industry in Germany.Practical implicationsPsyCap has been shown to be malleable through, for instance, micro-interventions and dedicated web-based trainings. Therefore, depending on managers' PsyCap levels, either further increases in PsyCap or a regulation of this characteristic might be appropriate in order to optimize strategic decision outcomes.Social implicationsAs a state-like individual strength that is malleable, PsyCap might serve as a management characteristic that is particularly important in challenging situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to research on strategic decision making by introducing PsyCap as an important antecedent of strategic decision outcomes that – in contrast to other individual characteristics – is state-like and, hence, malleable.

A Causal Configuration Analysis of Payment Decision Drivers in Paid Q&A

PurposeThis paper examines factors of payment decision as well as the role each factor plays in casual configurations leading to high payment intention under systematic and heuristic information processing routes.Design/methodology/approachBased on heuristic-systematic model (HSM), we propose a configurational analytic framework to investigate complex casual relationships between influencing factors and payment decision. In line with this approach, we use fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to analyze data crawled from Zhihu.com.FindingsThe number of previous consultations is a necessary element in all five equivalent configurations which lead to high intention in payment decision. The heuristic processing route plays a core role while the systematic processing route plays a peripheral role in payment decision-making process.Research limitationsResearch is limited in that moderating effect of professional fields has not been considered in the framework.Practical implicationsConfigurations in results can assist managers of knowledge communities and paid Q&A service providers in the management of information elements to motivate more payment decision.Originality/valueThis paper is one of the few studies to apply HSM theory and fsQCA method with respect to the payment decision in paid Q&A.

INFORMATION PROCESSING – HEURISTIC VS SYSTEMATIC AND SUSCEPTIBILITY OF SHARING COVID 19-RELATED FAKE NEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media has turned into a fertile ground for COVID-19 fake news. The present study aims to provide a hypothetical and empirical background to elucidate the psychological and behavioral aspects of information processing and susceptibility of sharing the fake news, with especial reference to COVID-19 news on social media. The study explores the relation between the select variables and heuristic and systematic information processing. Grounded on prior studies, this paper presents a research model to address susceptibility of sharing the fake news on social media, and identifies characteristics that may be more susceptible than others for sharing fake news on social media including Sharing Motivation (SM), Social Media Fatigue (SMF), Feel Good Factor (FGF), Fear of Missing out (FoMO), News Characteristics (NC) and five Big Personality Traits. The data collected from 244 respondents was analyzed with the help of IBM SPSS 23, using descriptive and statistical test, including means, standard deviations, and correlation analysis conducted. Correlation exploration was utilized to study the association between the select variables and systematic and heuristic information processing and susceptibility of sharing the fake news on social media. The findings show several factors contribute to information processing in both modes. The study confirms that heuristic processing is significantly associated with susceptibility of sharing fake news. The research adds to the media studies, behavioral and psychological disciplines, as it examines the relationships between the select variables and the systematic and heuristic information processing and COVID-19 fake news on social media. The present investigation makes an innovative and original contribution to media studies by exploring the relationship between select variables and susceptibility for sharing fake news on social media. The study presents a research model to identify the influence of select variables on information processing and the susceptibility to falling prey to fake news on social media and contributes to the domain to media studies.

Assessments of User Comments With “Alternative Views” as a Function of Media Trust

Comments sections under news articles have become popular spaces for audience members to oppose the mainstream media’s perspective on political issues by expressing alternative views. This kind of challenge to mainstream discourses is a necessary element of proper deliberation. However, due to heuristic information processing and the public concern about disinformation online, readers of comments sections may be inherently skeptical about user comments that counter the views of mainstream media. Consequently, commenters with alternative views may participate in discussions from a position of disadvantage because their contributions are scrutinized particularly critically. Nevertheless, this effect has hitherto not been empirically established. To address this gap, a multifactorial, between-subjects experimental study ( N = 166) was conducted that investigated how participants assess the credibility and argument quality of media-dissonant user comments relative to media-congruent user comments. The findings revealed that media-dissonant user comments are, indeed, disadvantaged in online discussions, as they are assessed as less credible and more poorly argued than media-congruent user comments. Moreover, the findings showed that the higher the participants’ level of media trust, the worse the assessment of media-dissonant user comments relative to media-congruent user comments. Normative implications and avenues for future research are discussed.

The Crisis of Public Health and Infodemic: Analyzing Belief Structure of Fake News about COVID-19 Pandemic

False information about COVID-19 is being produced and disseminated on a large scale, impeding efforts to rapidly impose quarantines. Thus, in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic itself, an infodemic related with it is leading to social crises. This study therefore investigates who believes the misinformation that is being produced in the context of COVID-19. We choose two main factors—risk perception factor, so called psychometric paradigm, and communication factor—as independent variables that can affect belief in misinformation related to COVID-19. The results show that, among psychometric variables, perceived risk and stigma positively impact belief in fake news, whereas perceived benefit and trust have negative effects. Among communication factors, source credibility and the quantity of information reduce belief in fake news, whereas the credibility of information sources increases these beliefs. Stigma has the greatest explanatory power among the variables, followed by health status, heuristic information processing, trust, and subjective social class.

The effects of likes on public opinion perception and personal opinion

Drawing on the spiral of silence theory and heuristic information processing, we contend that individuals use likes as sources for assessing public opinion. We further argue that individuals may even adapt their personal opinions to the tenor reflected in those cues. The assumptions were tested using data from an experiment involving 501 participants, who encountered media items on two issues with or without likes. The findings show that respondents inferred public opinion from the media bias if it was supported by likes, however, only in cases of high levels of fear of social isolation. Respondents further adapted their personal opinion to the media bias if it was supported by likes.

Doubters are more convincing than advocates. The impact of user comments and ratings on credibility perceptions of false news stories on social media

False information on social media poses a crucial threat to our society, and calls for interventions to combat this problem are becoming louder. Users themselves may have the potential to diminish the impact of misleading information. In an online experiment with a 3 x 3 between-subjects design (credibility evaluation in user comments: positive vs. negative vs. none) x (numerical credibility rating: positive vs. negative vs. none), we tested the influence of bandwagon cues on the impact of a false news post on Facebook (N = 240). Contrary to prevalent assumptions regarding heuristic information processing, numerical credibility ratings had no influence on participants’ credibility appraisals and intended sharing behavior. However, negative user comments diminished the believability of false news. Moreover, participants’ willingness to share the news post publicly and privately was indirectly reduced by the effect of negative user comments on perceived news credibility.

The Influence of Social and Environmental Labels on Purchasing: An Information and Systematic-heuristic Processing Approach

This paper aims at exploring how social and environmental (SE) labels influence purchasing. By drawing on the information processing and the systematic-heuristic models, this study tests the process followed by consumers when purchasing SE labeled-products. Information was gathered through a structured questionnaire in personal interviews with 400 consumers responsible for household shopping of Fast-moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), who were randomly approached at shopping mails in four areas of Madrid, Spain. They were asked about recognition, knowledge, credibility, perceived utility and purchases on 12 different labels; the influence of these variables on purchase is modeled and tested by path analysis. This study suggests that a systematic-heuristic information processing occurs when consumers buy SE-labeled FMCG products, as the purchase of this type of goods depends on the recognition of a label, knowledge of the issue/issuer, as well as the credibility and the perceived utility of SE labels. Motivation for being informed influences the process, being an antecedent of awareness, comprehension and perceived utility. This model shows a dual processing mode: systematic and heuristic, where the lack of cognitive capacity could explain why these two processing modes co-occur. This paper adds value to existing literature on SE labels and consumption by applying the information processing model, which has not been used before in the field of responsible consumption, in addition to open a promising avenue for research, by offering complementary theories to the existing ones, based on attitudes.