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Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences


Show me, don’t tell me: Operational transparency increases trust, support of government

A new study by Harvard Business School researchers found that increased operational transparency leads to higher levels of trust and engagement with government. By providing photographs of government addressing service requests, users submitted 60% more requests than those without visual cues.

SourceInstitute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences·JournalManufacturing & Service Operations Management·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateNov 15, 2021

New research highlights motivations of reviewers

A study published in Marketing Science found that a simultaneous reveal review system on Airbnb increased review rates by shortening the time to receive reviews and making them more accurate. This is attributed to curiosity and business interest, as users want to see their own reviews right away and submit theirs quickly.

SourceInstitute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences·JournalMarketing Science·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateNov 3, 2021

Newspaper publishers rejoice! Paywalls and bundled pricing can help contribute a 7-12% boost in subscription revenues for newspapers

A new study in Management Science shows that newspapers offering free digital content to subscribers can lead to a significant increase in subscription retention and revenue. By activating paywall access, subscribers are less likely to cancel their subscriptions, contributing to higher subscription revenues.

SourceInstitute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences·JournalManagement Science·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateOct 18, 2021

New research finds algorithm meant to eliminate racial disparities in Airbnb revenue fails to enhance revenue equality

New research finds that Airbnb's smart-pricing tool has done little to solve the problem of racial disparities in revenue, with Black hosts being less likely to adopt the algorithm and facing suboptimal pricing. To address this issue, experts suggest incorporating host race into the pricing algorithm.

SourceInstitute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences·JournalMarketing Science·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateOct 12, 2021

Decision Science Digest: Highlights of peer-reviewed research published in INFORMS journals

Recent INFORMS journal research highlights the use of predictive modeling to forecast wildfire risks and optimize firefighting equipment placement. Additionally, studies investigate strategies to reduce cardiac stenting overuse and improve electric mobility service costs through optimized fleet rebalancing.

SourceInstitute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences·JournalINFORMS Journal on Applied Analytics·DateSep 28, 2021

New research analyzes investor reaction to robo-advisors, some people are missing an opportunity

Investors who need more help from robo-advisors are less likely to adopt them. Those who do use RAs often adjust their usage in response to recent performance, leading to suboptimal outcomes. The study suggests that human-artificial intelligence synergy can be counterproductive if humans have too much control over RA usage.

SourceInstitute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences·JournalInformation Systems Research·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateAug 18, 2021

Consumers are searching online but not buying. Why?

A new study published in Marketing Science reveals that customized seller recommendations are more powerful than discounting in increasing conversion rates. The research also found that auction-based pricing mechanisms improve the efficiency of retargeting campaigns, especially when consumers have high search intensity for specific pro...

Can the digital advertising market achieve privacy without regulation?

New research finds machine learning improves click-through rates by 66.8% over simpler targeting models, with behavioral data offering more accurate targeting in mobile ads. Ad networks may have economic incentives to limit granular behavioral targeting, potentially leading to self-regulation and consumer privacy protection.

Which product categories and industries benefit most from social advertising

Research found that social advertising is more effective for products that carry status, such as clothing and car manufacturers. In contrast, search goods like electronics and batteries showed no significant improvement. The study used a large-scale field experiment involving over 37 million users of the WeChat social network.

Utilizing telemedicine in the ER can reduce wait times and patient length of stay

A new study published in INFORMS Journal found that increasing telemedicine availability in emergency rooms (ERs) can significantly reduce average patients' length of stay and waiting time. This improvement comes without compromising care quality or patient cost, offering a promising solution to ER congestion.

SourceInstitute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences·JournalInformation Systems Research·DateOct 16, 2020

New research determines if political "air war" or "ground game" is most effective

A new study by Lingling Zhang and Doug J. Chung found that mass media advertising is more influential among independent voters, while grassroots outreach is more effective at reaching a candidate's base. The research also suggests that television advertising can persuade undecided voters to change their minds.

Safe work protocols can increase the likelihood the business will fail

New research in INFORMS journal Management Science suggests that organizations with safe workplaces have lower odds of survival. Employers who don't prioritize worker safety may gain an economic advantage by reducing costs and increasing productivity. The study analyzed data from 100,000 organizations across 25 years in Oregon.

Consumer-created social media visuals capture consumer brand perceptions

Consumer-created social media visuals are reflective of consumer brand perceptions, according to researchers who developed a new model called BrandImageNet. This model maps images to perceptual attributes of a brand, allowing firms to automatically monitor consumers' brand perceptions and evaluate their positioning strategies.

New research says displaying fake reviews increases consumer trust in platforms by 80%

A new study published in INFORMS Journal Information Systems Research suggests that displaying fake reviews alongside truthful ones can increase consumer trust in review platforms by 80%. Consumers want to view both types of reviews together, and this transparency can help build trust. The study also highlights the importance of provid...

SourceInstitute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences·JournalInformation Systems Research·DateJun 18, 2020

Training linked to stronger promotion chances for women in IT over work performance

A new study found that training plays a crucial role in promotions for women in the tech industry, bypassing traditional notions of work performance. Women are more likely to be promoted due to their participation in training programs, highlighting the importance of equal opportunities in overcoming biases.

SourceInstitute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences·JournalInformation Systems Research·DateApr 29, 2020

Marketing researchers identify the three most powerful drivers of effective crowdfunding

Researchers found that investors' forward-looking strategic behavior, social interactions among individual investors, and their expectations on the crowd's behavior contribute to crowdfunding dynamics. Fundraisers can optimize fundraising goals and crowdfunding platforms can predict successful campaigns by understanding these mechanisms.

Focusing continuity of care on sicker patients can save millions of dollars annually

Research by Southern Methodist University and Texas Tech University found that higher continuity of care leads to improved patient outcomes, including fewer inpatient visits and lower readmission rates. However, at the highest levels of continuity of care, outcomes worsen, suggesting a potential benefit from having multiple providers.

SourceInstitute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences·JournalManufacturing & Service Operations Management·DateMar 9, 2020

Likelihood of e-book purchases increase 31% by combining previews and reviews

Research reveals that consumers leverage a combination of e-book previews and reviews when making purchasing decisions, resulting in a 31% increase in purchase likelihood. The study found that exposure to both previews and reviews significantly influenced consumer behavior, whereas individual components had limited impact.

SourceInstitute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences·JournalInformation Systems Research·DateJan 30, 2020

Researchers find that cookies increase ad revenue for online publishers

A study published in Marketing Science found that cookies increase ad revenue for online publishers, with opt-out users generating 52% less revenue. The study also discovered a privacy paradox, where consumers' stated preferences overstate their actual behavior, and identified demographic patterns among opt-out users.