Earticle

The objective of this study is to provide a deeper understanding of the factors that lead to the development and adoption of AI-based chatbots. We analyze the structural relationship between the organizational (externalities), systematic (fit), and the consumer-related (psychological) factors and their role in the adoption of AI-based chatbots. Founded on the theories of task-technology fit and network externalities, we present a conceptual model overlooking common perception-based theories (e.g., Technology Acceptance Model). We collected 380 responses from Indian banking consumers to test the model using the PLS-SEM method. Interestingly, the findings present a positive impact of all factors on consumers’ intention to adopt AI-based chatbots. However, the interplays between these factors provide a mixed perspective for literature. Apart from employing a combination of factors that have been used to study technology adoption, our study explores the importance of externalities and their relationship with fit factors, a unique outlook often overlooked by prior research. Moreover, we offer a clear understanding of latent variables such as trust, and the intricacies of their interplays in a novel context. Thereby, the study offers implications for literature and practice, followed by future research directions.

기존 연구들은 네트워크 외부성이 지속적 사용의도에 영향을 미치는데 있어 지각된 유용성, 지각된 즐거움, 지식공유 같은 매개효과를 고찰하였으나, 본 연구에서는 소셜 네트워크 서비 스 맥락에서 네트워크 외부성이 삶의 질 향상에 어떠한 영향을 미치는지를 실증적으로 규명 하였다. 구체적으로 네트워크 외부성이 심리적 웰빙과 사회적 고양감에 미치는 효과를 고찰 하였으며, 이들 관계에 있어 애착의 매개효과를 제시하였다. 특히 본 연구에서는 애착의 유 형을 두 가지(동일시기반 애착 vs. 유대기반 애착)로 구분하여 네트워크 외부성이 애착의 두 유형에 미치는 차별적 효과를 규명하였다. 분석결과, 네트워크 외부성은 유대기반 애착에 긍정적인 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났으 나, 동일시기반 애착에는 유의한 영향을 미치지 않는 것으로 나타났다. 그리고 동일시기반 애착과 유대기반 애착은 심리적 웰빙에 긍정적인 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났으며, 동일시 기반 애착과 유대기반 애착은 사회적 고양감에도 긍정적인 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다.

Previous studies only investigated perceived usability and enjoyment as a psychological mechanism in the ‘network externalities-continuous use intention’ relation. Different from the past studies, in this study we postulates that the consumers’ attachment play an essential mediating role in the relationship between the network externalities and the psychological well-being/social enhancement. So, the aim of this research is to examine the psychological mechanism of the attachment dimension in the relationship between network externalities and psychological well-being and social enhancement. Attachment is conceptualized into two different forms: identity-based attachment and bond-based attachment. A model integrating network externalities, two dimensions of attachment, psychological well-being and social enhancement was tested using the data of 222 general consumers. The results of the data analysis showed that the network externalities positively influences on the bond-based attachment. But, the network externalities has a significant impact not on the identity-based attachment. Finally, our results indicate that the identity-based attachment and bond-based attachment both have a significant influence on the psychological well-being and on the social enhancement. Thus, this study demonstrates that bond-based attachment indeed plays a mediating role between network externalities and the psychological well-being/social enhancement.

본 연구의 목적은 사물인터넷 서비스의 효용·비용 및 네트워크 외부성 요인이 소비자의 수용의도에 미치는 영향 을 분석하는 것을 통해 사물인터넷 서비스에 대한 소비자 경험 및 행태에 대한 이해를 높이고 실무적으로 유용한 시사 점을 제공하는 것이다. 사물인터넷 서비스를 인지하고 있는 20대에서 60대까지의 일반 소비자를 대상으로 온라인 설문 조사를 통해 328부의 자료를 수집하였고, SPSS 24.0을 이용하여 빈도분석, 상관관계 분석, 요인분석, 위계적 회귀분석 을 실시하였다. 연구결과, 다양한 맥락에서의 사물인터넷 서비스에 대한 소비자 경험 수준이 확인되었고, 오락성, 정보 성, 인간가치 상실, 적합성, 호환성이 소비자의 사물인터넷 서비스 수용의도에 유의한 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구는 적합성과 호환성을 높임으로써 네트워크 외부성 효과를 강화하는 것이 소비자의 사물인터넷 서비스 수용을 촉진하는 데 있어 중요하다는 점을 시사한다. 향후 연구에서는 구체적인 사물인터넷 서비스를 채택하여 본 연구에서 개발한 모형의 타당성을 보다 정교하게 검증하는 것이 필요하다.

The purpose of this study is to enhance the understanding of consumer experience and behavior of Internet of Things (IoT) services and to provide practical implications through investigating the impact of benefits-cost factors and network externalities on consumers’ adoption intention of IoT services. An online survey was conducted on general consumers in their 20s to 60s who were aware of the IoT services and 328 data were collected. Using SPSS 24.0, frequency analysis, correlation analysis, factor analysis, and hierarchical regression analysis were conducted. As a result, the level of consumers’ IoT service experience in various contexts was examined, and entertainment, informativeness, loss of humanity, compatibility, and complementarity were found to have a significant effect on consumers' adoption intention of IoT services. This study suggests that strengthening network externality effects by increasing compatibility and complementarity is important in promoting consumers’ adoption of IoT services. In future studies, it is necessary to adopt specific Internet of Things services to verify the validity of the models developed in this study.

IT capability based on RBV cannot provide firms with durative competitive advantage. IT capability consists of basic IT capability and critical IT capability. Meaning alignment of IT capability is that firm will select optimal basic IT capability compatibility according to difference of critical IT capability between two firms. This paper used Stackelberg model to research alignment of IT capability factors based on consumer theory. When difference of critical IT capability between firms is significant, the incumbent firm should control compatibility of basic IT capability, which enable him to achieve differentiation competitive advantage; when difference of critical IT capability between firms is insignificant, incumbent firm should open IT criterion absolutely, which can increase consumers’ anticipation to achieve installed-base for technological innovation. Two kinds of competitive can transform each other, which enable competitive advantage to be persistence and dynamic.

Although the theory of two-sided markets is popular nowadays, little attention was paid on self-network externalities and UGC (User Generated Content) produced by buyers which are the major features of social commerce two-sided markets. This article studies percentages of buyers who generated UGC, self-network externalities of buyers and cross-group externalities between two groups. The three factors influence the pricing strategy of social commerce platforms based on two-sided markets. With analyzing the special characteristics of social commerce, the study unveils that the optimal price of buyers charged by social commerce platform shows a negative correlation with self-network externalities and it also shows a negative correlation with the probability of UGC generated by buyers. The study also shows that the equilibrium price of buyers declines with the augment of cross-group externalities of buyers to sellers, and the equilibrium price of sellers declines with the augment of cross-group work externalities of sellers to buyers. The social commerce platforms on the basis of interest graph, lower UGC threshold and more interactive among customers gain the competitive advantages. Compared to other platforms, the two-sided social commerce platforms give consumers and retailers more subsidies.

In most theoretical and empirical studies of network externalities, the consumer's benefit from network externalities is represented by the network benefit function which is a function of the number of users (the network size) and is well taken as intuitive in the case of direct network externalities. In this paper, we explicitly model the mechanism of indirect network externalities as a positive feedback effect of the demands for a hardware product via an increased variety of available software, providing conditions in which the network benefit function can be derived in the presence of indirect network externalities. Moreover, it will be shown that a linear network benefit function can be obtained under a specific utility function of a hardware/software system.

Network externalities can significantly influence policy diffusion processes. However, previous policy diffusion studies have not considered the influence of network externalities that can occur during policy diffusion processes. Therefore, this study’s critical contribution is that it provides theoretical foundations and a research model to more systematically and reasonably assess and address the dynamicity of policy diffusion related to network externalities that existing studies have overlooked. This study first incorporates network externalities into a policy diffusion process and builds a policy diffusion model consisting of three stages of policy diffusion focused on policy adoption: an initial stage, a consideration stage, and an adoption stage. The second section addresses the fundamental characteristics of policy diffusion. The third section suggests research agendas for future studies. The agendas emphasize the significance of policy decision makers’ perception, information accessibility, soft organizing actions, dynamic diffusion modes, strategic network power, and transaction costs in the three stages of policy diffusion process. The authors hope that future studies will actively involve the systematic examination of network externalities’ influence on policy diffusion.

A quality level is much often determined ahead of price. In imperfectly competitive markets, quality decisions are known to create the rival’s price undercutting, and thus the equilibrium quality level becomes suboptimal. This paper takes a view that a quality level of a product subject to network externalities is positively related to its degree of compatibility to other brands as well as to the size of its own network. It shows that in the presence of network externalities, contrary to the literature, the suppliers tend to provide an excessive degree of compatibility because compatibility provision relaxes subsequent price competition.

We develop a model of cheap talk with two senders in the presence of network externalities, such that their utility functions are increasing in the network size. We first show that, if there is no noise in the private information received by each sender, the full information is revealed by the harshest cross-checking strategies, that is, strategies to punish the senders unless their messages exactly coincide. Then, we prove that, even with a small noise, cross-checking strategies cannot induce full revelation if the utility functions of senders are linear in the network size, whereas full revelation is possible if utility functions are strictly concave. Finally, we show that a CARA (constant absolute risk aversion) utility function of senders is the necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of a fully revealing equilibrium, which is supported by the cross-checking strategy with a positive confidence interval independent of each sender’s private information.

The paper analyzes the effects of strategic delegation on price competition in duopoly when product compatibility reinforces network externality. We extend Hoernig (2012) to the case where product compatibility is built into network effects. Product compatibility plays a role of enlarging the network size of a firm through spillover effects. Due to these effects, firm owners require managers to be more aggressive than profit maximizers when the degree of network externality lies in a lower range than that of Hoernig (2012).

This paper considers network externalities with the aim of examining the validity of regulating mobile handset subsidies, and provides useful policy implications relevant to universal services as well as wholesale and retail price regulation. For this purpose, we empirically estimate the value of network externalities in the Korean mobile telephone service market. As a result, the annual value is estimated to be between 90.8 billion won and 219.9 billion won. Since the total amount of handset subsidies paid in the real market would be much greater than these estimates, handset subsidies can be almost regarded as a competitive marketing tool rather than having a justifiable role of internalizing network externalities. Meanwhile, recent government regulation of discriminative handset subsidy offers is limited in that it does not consider network externalities. Handset subsidies for marginal subscribers such as low-income and disabled users should be distinguished from those for general subscribers in terms of internalization of network externalities and support for universal service.

최근 온라인 게임은 산업적 규모나 이용자 규모 측면에서 모두 급성장하였다. 특히 MMO 게임 그 가운데 비중을 많이 차지하고 있다. 그런데 MMO 게임과 같이 다수이용자가 동시에 참여하여 게임을 하는 네트워크형 게임의 이용 패턴에 대한 연구는 많지 않다. 본 연구에서는 MMO 게임의 장르적 특성이 이용자패턴과 어떠한 관련성이 있는지를 분석하고자 하였다. MMO 게임과 일반 온라인 게임에 따라 이용패턴이 다른지, 같은 MMO 게임이라 하더라도 규모에 따라 이용패턴이 달라지는지를 분석한 결과, MMO 게임의 경우 이용자 체류시간이 더 길 뿐 아니라 이용 빈도도 더 높았으며, 전체적인 이용시간도 긴 것으로 나타났다. 같은 MMO 게임이라 하더라도 게임의 규모가 클수록 총 이용시간, 1인당 이용시간, 평균 이용 빈도가 모두 높게 나타나, 게임의 규모와 종류가 이용패턴과 밀접하게 관련이 있음을 알 수 있었다. 마지막으로 MMO 게임과 일반 온라인 게임의 생명주기와 이용자 효용을 분석한 결과, MMO 게임의 경우에만 규모와 효용 간에 상관관계가 있어 네트워크 외부효과가 발생하고 있음을 알 수 있었다. 한편, MMO 게임과 일반 온라인 게임의 생명주기의 차이를 분석한 결과 MMO 게임의 경우 생명주기가 더 긴 것으로 나타났다.

The online game industry has grown exponentially, among which MMOGs take up much of the market share. However, there are few studies examining the uniqueness of MMOGs. In this study, I examine how the usage pattern differs according to the type of game. The analysis of the differences in the user patterns of MMO and other online games reveal that in the case of MMO games the per user game playing time and the frequency of usage were both systematically higher. Among MMO games, the larger the market share of the game, the longer the average playing time and the higher the frequency of playing. Size, or market share of network games had significant relevance to how much and how long a gamer engages in the game. Similarly, the life cycle of MMO games were longer than general online games. And in the case of MMO games, the larger the game the higher the utility of the game players. However, for general online games, the size of the game users was not related to the game's utility. This means that network externalities occur in the case of MMO games but not in other general online games.

본 연구는 한국의 대표적인 문화 콘텐츠 산업인 온라인게임 업체들을 대상으로 하여 그 업체들이 설립 단계부터 국제화를시도하는 이른바 Born global 전략을 수행하게 되는 요인과 이 기업들의 해외시장 진출전략을 분석하는데 목적이 있다. 이를 위해 본 연구에서는, 기존에 연구되었던 Born global 촉진 요인과 온라인게임의 네트워크 효과를 중심으로 이론적배경을 살펴보고 네트워크 효과 즉, 온라인게임의 네트워크 구조와 외부성에 중점을 두고 명제를 도출하였다. 명제가 성립함을 보이기 위하여 네트워크 구조 및 외부성에 있어 차이를 보이는 콘솔게임과 온라인게임 산업을 비교 분석하였다. 산업의 대표적인 기업들을 대상으로 사례 분석 방법을 사용하여 두 산업을 비교하였다. 분석 결과, 온라인게임은 콘솔게임보다 직접적인 네트워크 효과가 크기 때문에 빠른 시장 선점을 위해 Born global 전략을 채택하고, 직접적인 네트워크효과를 극대화하기 위하여 보완재를 사용하는 전략보다는 커뮤니티 등을 관리하는 진출전략을 사용하는 것으로 나타났다. 마지막으로, 온라인게임의 경우라도 Heavy-User가 많은 경우에는 직접적인 네트워크 효과를 강화하는 전략을 선택하고, Light-User가 많은 경우에는 보완재를 통해 간접적인 네트워크 효과를 극대화하는 진출전략을 선택하는 것으로 나타났다.

Now more and more SMEs expand rapidly into foreign markets from or near their founding and these firms are often called born global firms (or international new ventures). The accelerated internationalizations are relatively frequent in new high-tech firms, especially firms that do internet-based businesses. Korea has become the world’s largest online game industrial country since late 1990s fueled by a rapid growth of online game industry based on strong IT infrastructure. Korean online games are spreading not only into China and ASEAN countries but also into the developed countries including the U.S.A and Japan. The rapid internationalization strategy of Korean online game companies is a very good example of the born global strategy of firms. So, we investigate factors that influence Korean online game companies’ born global strategy including the timing of entry into foreign market and the entry strategy. We focus on the reasons of pursuing born global strategy derived from existing studies and on the network externalities of online game as a new factor. This is because console game companies perform traditional slow internationalization strategy though they are also included in a game industry and have features of born global firms as online game companies do. Network externality (network effect) means a condition that a choice of one consumer affects a choice of another consumer. Network externality is generally divided into indirect network effects and direct network effects. The indirect network effects happen when as the installed base of a certain product expands, consumers of the product can benefit from the increased compatible complementary goods. So, the indirect network effects increase in proportion to the number of users. Also, the "Winner-Take-All" situation happens in the industry where these effects are important as a result of establishing an industry standard, like in the console game industry. When the direct network effects happen, consumers are affected by choices and advices of people who have direct relationships rather than network size. So, we should measure the direct network effects by using the model in which network structures are reflected. Watts and Strogatz incorporated the “Regular Network” that has many sub-units of users and the “Random Network” that has users who are randomly connected to each other. In the business that has the regular network followers can enter the market easily and small companies that occupy niche markets can survive, but these kinds of companies cannot succeed in the industry that has the small world network or random network structure. Also, according to the “Dynamic Network Model (BarabasiAlbert Model)”, early nodes have a greater possibility that they may acquire many links than following nodes. Finally, in a network structure that has hubs, the winner-take-all situation has a great chance to happen. The online game industry has these features. Therefore, we base five propositions on the network externality influencing the born global strategy. In the analysis, we compared online games with the console games due to their differences in network structures and effects. We conducted a case study with two representative industries: console game, and online game. Findings from the case study generally support our arguments. First, we found that online game businesses carry out the born global strategy for rapid market occupation because the direct network effect of online games is stronger than that of console games. While a console game company performed gradual internationalization by starting from export, online game businesses did their business abroad nearly from their inception. This is because two games have different direct network effects due to the different network structure. In the case of online game industry, the winner-take-all situation has a great chance to happen because the network structure is close to the small world structu...

최근 들어 스마트폰 이용환경에서 카카오톡과 같은 모바일 인스턴트 메신저(이하 MIM 서비스)의 이용이 폭발적으로 증가하고 있다. 본 연구는 특히 MIM 서비스의 이용자 수의 효과에 주목하고 있다. 구체적으로는 이용자수에 입각한 네트워크 효과인 네트워크 외부성과 재이용의사와의 관계를 살피면서, 그 과정에서 나타나는 네트워크 외부성의 긍정적․부정적 효과를 살피고 있다. 먼저 긍정적인 효과는 S-O-R 모형에 입각해서 네트워크 외부성이 지각된 상호작용성과 긍정감정을 통해 재이용의사의 증대로 연결되는 순차적인 매개모형을 제시하였다. 반면 네트워크 외부성의 부정적 효과는 지각된 위험의 매개과정을 통한 재이용의사의 감소로 설명하였다. 이 과정에서 상호작용성과 긍정감정이 지각된 위험을 일정부분 줄여줄 것이라는 가설을 제시하였다. 연구결과 네트워크 외부성의 긍정적인 매개효과는 분명하게 입증하지 못하였다. 대신 대안모형과의 비교를 통한 분석에서 네트워크 외부성이 이용의사에 직접적인 영향을 미쳤으며, 이 과정에서 지각된 상호작용성을 통한 간접효과를 확인할 수 있었다. 반면 지각된 위험을 통한 부정적인 매개효과는 확인하지 못했다. 이러한 연구결과들을 중심으로 이론적·실무적 시사점 및 향후 연구방향이 논의되고 있다.

Mobile instant messaging(MIM) services, for example, KakaoTalk, have begun to grab worldwide attention of the mobile phone users. The present study examines the way in which network externalities (i.e., number of users) influence their continuous usage intentions. It focus specifically on the potential positive and negative effects of the network externalities. This study proposes a conceptual model, based on the S-O-R theory, that network externalities have a positive effect on usage intentions through the experience of perceived interactivity and positive emotions. Further, this study also suggests that network externalities would be negatively related with usage intentions via perceived risk. By comparison with an alternative model, the result shows that network externalities have a directly effect on usage intentions. Meanwhile, perceived interactivity plays an important role as a partial mediator. However, network externalities do not effect on the perceived risk. Bring these discussions together, it is believed that network externalities become a crucial factor to consider for the survival and growth of MIM services.

Nowadays, many first-time Internet users start off heavily using SNSs (Social Network Sites), such as Cyworld, Facebook, and Twitter. The reason for the growth of SNS use is closely related to the various services of gaming, playing, using entertainment items, sharing knowledge etc., provided by the SNS; technically, the most important of the services provided would be the behavior of sharing knowledge among people connected and networked in the site. In sum, we assume that the users may communicate well with each other and pay attention to building a close social network using the abovementioned activities. However, researchers have just begun to focus on the issues explaining why Internet users rush into SNSs and enjoy their time there. Therefore, we investigated the reasons for posting and sharing knowledge voluntarily on the SNS and how others respond to the posted knowledge and are actually affected by the behavior. We applied social identity theory and social capital theory in this study to find which network externalities in SNSs may affect online identity-based attachment and cause them to produce a knowledge sharing generation. We found that people’s online identity in SNSs is closely related to and influences knowledge sharing. This empirical study resulted in the importance of social relations in SNSs, which leads to sharing knowledge.

인공지능 스피커가 다양한 서비스를 연결하는 플랫폼으로 주목을 받고 있다. 본 연구는 인공지능 스피커에 대한 인지된 네트워크 외부성을 중심으로 소비자를 유형화 하고, 인공지능 스피커의 지속 이용 의도에 미치는 영향력을 파악하기 위한 연구 목적을 가지고 있다. 본 연구는 네트워크 외부성을 이용자 수, 서비스 수, 양립성, 보완성이라는 네 가지 차원으로 세분화하였다. 현재 인공지능 스피커를 이용하고 있는 20-50대 소비자들을 대상으로 온라인 조사를 실시하였고, 총 354명의 데이터가 최종 분석에 사용되었다. 본 연구의 결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다. 첫째, 네트워크 외부성을 중심으로 ‘고(高) 네트워크 외부성 인식’, ‘중(中) 네트워크 외부성 인식’, ‘저(低) 네트워크 외부성 인식’이라는 세 가지 소비자 집단이 도출되었다. 둘째, 지능성이 모든 소비자 집단의 인공지능 스피커에 대한 지속 이용 의도를 증가시키는 것으로 나타났다. 셋째, 오락성과 공감성이 고(高) 네트워크 외부성 인식 집단과 중(中) 네트워크 외부성 인식 집단의 인공지능 스피커의 지속 이용 의도를 증가시키는 것으로 나타났다. 넷째, 프라이버시 위험이 중(中) 네트워크 외부성 인식과 저(低) 네트워크 외부성 인식 집단의 인공지능 스피커 지속 이용 의도를 감소시키는 것으로 나타났다. 다섯째, 기능적 위험이 고(高) 네트워크 외부성 인식과 저(低) 네트워크 외부성 인식 집단의 인공지능 스피커의 지속 이용 의도를 감소시키는 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구는 네트워크 외부성에 대한 이용자들의 인식에 차이가 있으며, 인공지능 스피커 이용자들이 다양한 소비자 집단으로 구분될 수 있음을 시사한다. 본 연구의 결과는 인공지능 스피커의 지속 이용 의도를 촉진하거나 감소시키는 요인들에 대한 이해를 증진시킬 수 있을 것이다.

Artificial intelligence speakers are voice-controlled and hands-free devices. It has become a platform for diversity services. This study demonstrates that there are differences among the four network externalities, that is, the number of users, the number of services, complementarity, and compatibility. The purpose of this paper is to categorize the consumer group with four kinds of network externalities and explore the differences between three consumer groups: “high,” “medium” and “low.” Data were collected from 354 artificial intelligence speaker users aged from their 20s to their 50s. The results are as follows: First, significant differences were found among the three consumer groups. Second, intelligence significantly influenced continuous use intention of AI speaker in all consumer groups. Third, entertainment and sympathy significantly influenced continuous use intention of AI speaker in ‘high’ and ‘medium’ consumer groups. Fourth, privacy risk significantly influenced continuous use intention of AI speaker in ‘medium’ and ‘low’ consumer groups. Fifth, functional risk significantly influenced continuous use intention of AI speaker in ‘high’ and ‘low’ consumer groups. These findings would increase the understanding the diversity AI speaker users.

본 연구는 망외부성이 있는 두 개의 내구재를 판매하는 독점기업의 상품 품질 설정과정을 분석하여 사회 최적과 비교하고 있다. 소비자에 대한 정보가 불완전한 비대칭적 정보의 상황에서 독점기업의 품질설정 행위에 대한 분석 결과는 다음과 같이 요약된다. (1) 독점기업은 사회 최적(social optimum)의 결과에 비해 두 상품간 비호환성을 증가시킬 유인이 있다. (2) 독점기업은 망외부성이 없는 표준적인 자기선택 이론(standard self-selection)의 결과에 비해 두 상품의 품질간 왜곡도를 증가시킬 유인이 있다. 이는 고품질 소비자로 하여금 저품질 상품을 소비하지 못하도록 독점기업이 전략적으로 소비자를 선별하는 과정에서 호환성을 왜곡시키는 현상이다. 이러한 결과는 고품질 소비자에 대한 정보지대를 줄이고, 저품질 소비자가 선택하는 상품의 품질을 낮추는 결과를 초래하게 된다.

We examine a monopolist’s incentive to provide quality differentiated durable goods with network externalities and compare with the social optimum. Under asymmetric information where the monopolist can not tell the consumers types, being compared to the social optimum, we show that a monopolist is more likely to make two products incompatible in order to reduce information rent for high-end consumers. We also show that, compared with the standard self-selection model, the monopolist with network externalities is more likely to distort the degree of quality difference and thus, deteriorate low?end products than the social optimum.