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Sean Harris (1)Agnieszka Kwapisz (1)Brittney Stephenson (1)Christine Sung (1)

 

Andreas Thorsen (1)Eric Van Steenburg (1)Annie Wang (1)

(Alphabetical by Faculty Last Name)

"Seasonality, Weather, and Obstetric Level of Care: An Analysis of Rural Delivery Locations"

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Andreas Thorsen · Associate Professor of Management
Co-author: Maggie Thorsen, Montana State University
Co-author: Ronald G. McGarvey, University of Missouri
Sean Harris · Assistant Professor of Accounting

Abstract:

Birth seasonality in the United States typically peaks in late summer, yet research has rarely examined these patterns in northern mountainous regions or across different hospital obstetric levels. This study investigates the temporal dynamics of maternal healthcare-seeking behavior in Montana, specifically focusing on seasonality in birth volume and obstetric bypassing (delivering at a non-local hospital). We conducted a retrospective analysis of 98,524 birth records (2014–2022) at hospitals with Level 1, 2, and 3 obstetric units, integrating driving distances and monthly county-level climate data. Statistical analyses included calculating observed-to-expected (O-E) ratios to identify seasonality and regression models to test interactions between season, hospital level, and weather. Montana birth volume is distinguished by a peak in June and a trough in January, with seasonality most pronounced at Level 3 hospitals. Obstetric bypassing significantly decreases during winter (O-E ratio 0.95), particularly for Level 1 hospitals, while increasing during warm, high-precipitation months. Over time, bypassing toward Level 3 hospitals has risen from 13.6% to 20%. We conclude that seasonality and weather correlates are associated with significant variation in care-seeking patterns, reflecting the unique challenges facing rural hospitals.

 

"Framing novelty in crowdfunding: Which words win support, where, and at what stakes"

Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal

Agnieszka Kwapisz · Professor of Management

Research Summary: We examine how promotional language (“hype”) in reward-based crowdfunding is associated with campaign success, and whether those associations vary across sector contexts and with campaign execution burden. Using dictionary-based text measures from 635 U.S. Kickstarter campaigns across five sectors, we distinguish three novelty-framing moves: capability/rigor language, excellence/status language, and attitude/affect language. We find no uniform association between aggregate hype and success. Instead, the observed associations vary systematically across rhetorical moves, sectors, and goal levels. Capability/rigor language is positively associated with success in Technology, attitude/affect language is positively associated with success in Entertainment, and excellence/status language is negatively associated with success in Design. Beyond these sector differences, the paper's clearest cross-cutting pattern is that capability/rigor language becomes more positively associated with success as funding goals increase.

Managerial Summary: The value of “hype” on Kickstarter depends on what is said, what is being offered, and how ambitious the ask is. In our data, Technology campaigns are more positively associated with success when descriptions emphasize testing, technical specificity, and execution readiness, whereas Entertainment campaigns are more positively associated with attitude/affect language. In contrast, excellence/status claims are associated with lower success in Design. Across contexts, the clearest pattern is that feasibility-oriented language becomes more positively associated with success as funding goals increase, suggesting that larger asks benefit more from cues of deliverability than from undifferentiated promotional intensity.


"The Influence of Incongruent Line Extensions on Choice of a Brand's Pre-Existing Products: The Mediating Role of Curiosity"

Journal of Consumer Behaviour

Brittney Stephenson · Professor of Marketing
Co-author: Nan Zhao, Georgia Institute of Technology
Co-author: Cynthia Cryder, Washington University in St. Louis
Co-author: Robyn A. LeBoeuf, Washington University
Co-author: Stephen M. Nowlis, Washington University in St. Louis

Abstract: Many brands have added highly incongruent products to their product lines, such as Lay's Chicken and Waffles Potato Chips, Blueberry Cheerios, and Carrot Cake Oreos. This paper investigates how highly incongruent products influence the choice of pre-existing items in the product line. In Studies 1 and 2, we show that highly incongruent line extensions, compared to congruent line extensions, make consumers more likely to buy pre-existing products within the same product line. In Study 3, we demonstrate that this effect is mediated by consumers becoming more curious about pre-existing products in the line; highly incongruent (vs. congruent) line extensions increase curiosity about the pre-existing products, which then leads to greater interest in purchasing those products. In Study 4, we show that the effect weakens for categories where consumers are less interested in learning about new products. This research provides practical implications for marketers, suggesting that even though highly incongruent products may seem like a poor fit with traditional product lines, they nevertheless have the potential to shift consumer choice within a product line, thereby increasing selection of a brand's pre-existing products.

Research Findings: In four studies, we test how the introduction of highly incongruent line extensions affects the purchase likelihood of pre-existing products. Our studies show that introducing highly incongruent items to a product line can increase selection of the pre-existing items compared to introducing standard extensions, particularly for product categories where curiosity is more relevant. For example, introducing a highly incongruent extension like cinnamon bun Oreos does more to shift consumer choice toward original Oreos than does introducing a more congruent extension like peanut butter Oreos. In the contexts we examined, this effect holds both for well-known national brands and for real purchase choices. We demonstrate that the effect of highly incongruent extensions is driven by an increase in curiosity about the pre-existing items. Further, we show that this effect is attenuated in categories where consumers do not have a high interest in learning about and trying products.

"Emotional intelligence of artificial intelligence: Generation Z's digital connectedness and virtual-to-real behavioral spillover"

Journal of Consumer Marketing

Christine (Eunyoung) Sung · Professor of Marketing

Research Purpose: This study’s aim is to examine the effects of actual metaverse users’ parasocial relationships with artificial intelligence– (AI-) controlled non-player characters (NPCs) on digital luxury non-fungible token (NFT) brand preferences leading to behavioral intentions (e.g. online and offline purchase intentions, virtual-to-real behavioral activities, NFT luxury brand endorsements on social medial platforms). The study focuses on Gen Z users who seek escapism by forming parasocial relationships with NPCs, which ultimately leads to digital NFT brand preference and, in turn, affects their behavioral intentions to consume luxury fashion brands.

Research Findings: Among the metaverse users, the parasocial relationships with AI-controlled NPCs formed through NPCs’ emotional and cognitive intelligence lead to metaverse social connectedness, which in turn results in luxury NFT brand preferences and a virtual-to-real behavioral spillover. Furthermore, Gen Z users’ positive virtual social connectedness influences not only their metaverse purchase intentions but also their real-world purchase intentions through a virtual-to-real behavioral spillover, highlighting the positive function of AI.

"Public Policy Perception Processing: A Conceptual Framework and Theory-Based Research Agenda"

Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing

Eric Van Steenburg · Associate Professor of Marketing
Co-author: Riley Van Steenburg, American University

Abstract: If the electorate is as polarized as evidence suggests, the opportunity to galvanize stakeholders around public policy may be a pipe dream. Yet, that is the charge of marketers involved in policymaking. Therefore, it is crucial to understand what is not yet known—the cognitive process individuals follow when considering a policy. Drawing on theory from marketing, psychology, and political science, this research builds a conceptual framework that identifies the cognitive process individuals follow that results in attitudes and behavior. Implementation examples offer opportunities for practitioners to apply the concepts, and a research agenda provides direction for academics.



"The Unintended Consequences of the FASB’s Simplification Initiative: Does ASU 2016-09 Reduce the Usefulness of Earnings?"

American Accounting Association  ·   Accounting Horizons

Annie Wang · Assistant Professor of Accounting
Co-author: Elizabeth Chuk, University of California, Irvine
Co-author: Tonni Shijun Xia, San Diego State University

Synopsis: ASU 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, significantly alters the financial reporting for stock-based compensation by requiring the recognition of excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies in net income. We examine whether this change reduces the usefulness of earnings. We find that after ASU 2016-09, the stock market reaction to earnings news becomes weaker for firms affected by ASU 2016-09, contrary to the FASB Simplification Initiative’s explicit goal of reducing cost and complexity in financial reporting while maintaining or improving the usefulness of the reported information. The weaker market reaction is more prevalent among firms with more extensive stock-based compensation and greater stock price volatility. Additional analyses suggest the weaker market reaction is driven by increased earnings volatility and lower earnings persistence. Our results are important to the FASB for understanding the potential costs of simplification, especially as regulators appear poised to continue the trend of simplifying financial reporting.

 

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