Christoph Lutz

Miguel, Cristina; Lutz, Christoph, Majetić, Filip & Perez Vega, Rodrigo (2023)

Working from paradise? An analysis of the representation of digital nomads’ values and lifestyle on Instagram

New Media & Society, online first Doi: 10.1177/14614448231205892 - Full text in research archive

Digital nomads (DNs) are highly mobile professionals who work while travelling and travel while working. Their lifestyle has gained increasing academic attention, also from a communication perspective. Despite initial work on the topic, little is known about the self-presentation practices of DNs on social media. To address this lack of evidence and focusing on Instagram as a key platform for this group, we adopt a Goffmanian perspective. By using semi-structured interviews, we provide an in-depth analysis of their self-presentational practices, specifically their content strategies, imagined audience and use of platform affordances. The interviews included photo elicitation as a central element. The findings show how DNs highlight independence and freedom, de-emphasize work in favour of leisure and travel, develop audience management strategies that are mindful of the imagined audiences’ situation, while trying to foster reliability and authenticity and greatly value the flexibility and ephemerality of the Stories feature.

Ranzini, Giulia; Lutz, Christoph & Hoffmann, Christian Pieter (2023)

Privacy Cynicism: Resignation in the Face of Agency Constraints

Trepte, Sabine & Masur, Philipp (red.). The Routledge Handbook of Privacy and Social Media

Cameron, Lindsey; Lamers, Laura, Leicht-Deobald, Ulrich, Lutz, Christoph, Meijerink, Jeroen & Möhlmann, Mareike (2023)

Algorithmic Management: Its Implications for Information Systems Research

Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 52, s. 556- 574.

In recent years, the topic of algorithmic management has received increasing attention in information systems (IS) research and beyond. As both emerging platform businesses and established companies rely on artificial intelligence and sophisticated software to automate tasks previously done by managers, important organizational, social, and ethical questions emerge. However, a cross-disciplinary approach to algorithmic management that brings together IS perspectives with other (sub-)disciplines such as macro- and micro-organizational behavior, business ethics, and digital sociology is missing, despite its usefulness for IS research. This article engages in cross-disciplinary agenda setting through an in-depth report of a professional development workshop (PDW) entitled “Algorithmic Management: Toward a Cross-Disciplinary Research Agenda” delivered at the 2021 Academy of Management Annual Meeting. Three leading experts (Mareike Möhlmann, Lindsey Cameron, and Laura Lamers) on the topic provide their insights on the current status of algorithmic management research, how their work contributes to this area, where the field is heading in the future, and what important questions should be answered going forward. These accounts are followed up by insights from the breakout group discussions at the PDW that provided further input. Overall, the experts and workshop participants highlighted that future research should examine both the desirable and undesirable outcomes of algorithmic management and should not shy away from posing ethical and normative questions.

Lutz, Christoph (2023)

Privacy and Human-Machine Communication

Guzman, Andrea; McEwen, Rhonda & Jones, Steve (red.). The SAGE Handbook of Human–Machine Communication

Miguel, Cristina; Lutz, Christoph, Majetić, Filip, Perez Vega, Rodrigo & Sanchez-Razo, Miguel (2023)

It's not All Shiny and Glamorous: Loneliness and Fear of Missing Out among Digital Nomads

Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS), 56, s. 4628- 4637.

The term 'digital nomad' has gained popularity to describe professionals who work remotely from different locations facilitated by using information and communication technology. This study explores the interaction between digital nomadism and loneliness, digital nomads' coping mechanisms to fight loneliness (with a special focus on social media use), as well as the phenomenon of fear of missing out (FoMO). Digital nomads who often experience isolation may turn to the use of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram to keep in contact with family and friends and other social media like Facebook groups, Slack, and MeetUp to meet new people. However, intensive use of social media can generate FoMO. By using 15 in-depth interviews, this paper aims to explore loneliness and FoMO as issues that might negatively intersect with digital nomads' wellbeing, thus spotlighting some of the hidden dark sides of digital nomadism that go too often unnoticed.

Jarrahi, Mohammad Hossein; Lutz, Christoph, Boyd, Karen, Østerlund, Carsten & Willis, Matthew (2023)

Artificial intelligence in the work context

Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 74(3), s. 303- 310. Doi: 10.1002/asi.24730

Hoffmann, Christian Pieter & Lutz, Christoph (2023)

The contextual role of privacy concerns in online political participation

European Journal of Communication, 38(4), s. 363- 379. Doi: 10.1177/02673231221139040

Research on online political participation highlights how online platforms may facilitate or encumber political participation. In this contribution, we add to existing research on digital inequalities in online political participation by focusing on privacy concerns as a critical construct. We follow a contextual understanding on online privacy and examine a variety of online political behaviours to differentiate the distinctive roles privacy concerns play in higher and lower-threshold forms of participation. Based on a survey of German Internet users, we find that social media use exerts a strong positive effect on political participation, especially lower-threshold forms of participation. As privacy concerns are spread quite evenly throughout the population, they contribute little to the socioeconomic stratification of online political participation. Privacy concerns relate positively to higher-threshold forms of political participation. We discuss how higher- and lower-threshold participation constitute distinct contexts for users' considerations of privacy risks.

Fosch-Villaronga, E.; van der Hof, S, Lutz, C. & Tamò-Larrieux, A. (2023)

Toy story or children story? Putting children and their rights at the forefront of the artificial intelligence revolution

AI & Society: The Journal of Human-Centred Systems and Machine Intelligence, 38(1), s. 133- 152. Doi: 10.1007/s00146-021-01295-w

Policymakers need to start considering the impact smart connected toys (SCTs) have on children. Equipped with sensors, data processing capacities, and connectivity, SCTs targeting children increasingly penetrate pervasively personal environments. The network of SCTs forms the Internet of Toys (IoToys) and often increases children's engagement and playtime experience. Unfortunately, this young part of the population and, most of the time, their parents are often unaware of SCTs’ far-reaching capacities and limitations. The capabilities and constraints of SCTs create severe side effects at the technical, individual, and societal level. These side effects are often unforeseeable and unexpected. They arise from the technology's use and the interconnected nature of the IoToys, without necessarily involving malevolence from their creators. Although existing regulations and new ethical guidelines for Artificial Intelligence provide remedies to address some of the side effects, policymakers did not develop these redress mechanisms having children and SCTs in mind. This article provides an analysis of the arising side effects of SCTs and contrasts them with current regulatory redress mechanisms. We thereby highlight misfits and needs for further policy making efforts.

Jarrahi, Mohammad Hossein; Lutz, Christoph & Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie (2022)

Artificial Intelligence, Human Intelligence and Hybrid Intelligence Based on Mutual Augmentation

Big Data & Society (BD&S), 9(2) Doi: 10.1177/20539517221142824

There is little consensus on what artificial intelligence (AI) systems may or may not embrace. While this may point to multiplicity of interpretations and backgrounds, a lack of conceptual clarity could thwart development of a common ground around the concept among researchers, practitioners and users of AI and pave the way for misinterpretation and abuse of the concept. This article argues that one of the effective ways to delineate the concept of AI is to compare and contrast it with human intelligence. In doing so, the article broaches unique capabilities of humans and AI in relation to one another (human and machine tacit knowledge), as well as two types of AI systems: one that goes beyond human intelligence and one that is necessarily and inherently tied to it. It finally highlights how humans and AI can augment their capabilities and intelligence through synergistic human-AI interactions (i.e., human-augmented AI and augmented human intelligence), resulting in hybrid intelligence, and concludes with a future-looking research agenda.

Lutz, Christoph (2022)

Inequalities in Social Media Use and their Implications for Digital Methods Research

Quan-Haase, Anabel & Sloan, Luke (red.). The SAGE Handbook of Social Media Research Methods

Blyth, Dorothy; Jarrahi, Mohammad Hossein, Lutz, Christoph & Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie (2022)

Self-branding strategies of online freelancers on Upwork

New Media & Society Doi: 10.1177/14614448221108960 - Full text in research archive

Self-branding is crucial for online freelancers as they must constantly differentiate themselves from competitors on online labor platforms to ensure a viable stream of income. By analyzing 39 interviews with freelancers and clients on the online labor platform Upwork, we identify five key self-branding strategies: boosting a profile, showcasing skills, expanding presence, maintaining relationships with clients, and individualizing brand. These self-branding strategies are contextualized within Goffman's dramaturgical theory and through an affordances lens, showing immanent tensions. While online freelancers successfully leverage self-branding to improve their visibility on Upwork and beyond, the client perspective reveals a fine line between too little and too much self-branding. Online freelancers must brand themselves in visibility games when the game rules are largely opaque, riddled with uncertainty, and constantly evolving. We connect the findings to adjacent platform economy research and derive a self-branding as a performance framework.

Ciuchita, Robert; Medberg, Gustav, Penttinen, Valeria, Lutz, Christoph & Heinonen, Kristina (2022)

Affordances Advancing User-Created Communication (UCC) in Service: Interactivity, Visibility, and Anonymity

Journal of Service Management (JOSM), 33(4-5), s. 688- 704. Doi: 10.1108/JOSM-10-2021-0407

Purpose: Digital platform users not only consume but also produce communication related to their experiences. Although service research has explored users’ motivations to communicate and focused on outcomes such as electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM), it remains largely unexplored how users iteratively interact with communication artifacts and potentially create value for themselves, other users, and service providers. We thus introduce communicative affordances as a framework to advance user-created communication (UCC) in service. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing from the literature in communication, service research, and interactive marketing, we introduce an affordance perspective on UCC in service. Findings: We present three UCC affordances for the service context—interactivity, visibility, and anonymity—discuss opportunities and challenges for service providers associated with these affordances, and, finally, offer affordance-specific research questions and general recommendations for future research. Research limitations/implications: By conceptualizing UCC in service from an affordances perspective, this paper moves beyond the traditional sender–receiver communication framework and emphasizes opportunities and challenges for service research and practice. Practical implications: Instead of focusing separately on specific technologies or user behaviors, we recommend that service managers adopt a holistic perspective of user goals and motivations, use experiences, and platform design. Originality: By conceptualizing UCC as an augmenting, dialogical process concerning users experiences, and by introducing communicative affordances as a framework to advance UCC in service, we offer an in-depth understanding of the diverse and ever-evolving landscape of communication in service.

Miguel, Cristina; Lutz, Christoph, Alonso-Almeida, María del Mar, Jones, Brian, Majetić, Filip & Perez Vega, Rodrigo (2022)

Perceived impacts of short-term rentals in the local community in the United Kingdom

Farmaki, Anna; Ioannides, Dimitri & Kladou, Stella (red.). Peer-to-peer accommodation and community resilience : Implications for sustainable development

This study explores the perceived impacts of short-term rental (STRs) in the United Kingdom through a quantitative analysis. A 57-item questionnaire covering socio-cultural, economic, political, environmental, and technological impacts of STRs was distributed online among guests, hosts, and aware non-users. Apart from descriptive statistics, the data analysis encompassed a principal component analysis to explore the dimensionality of the perceived impacts and an ANOVA to assess differences in the community-related dimensions among the included groups. The results reveal that: a) STRs are perceived relatively ambivalently but slightly more positively than negatively; b) that Environmental Care, Urban Transformation, Social Capital and Lifestyle, Housing, Infrastructure and Events, and Antisocial Behavior and Crime are the key dimensions of perceived impact; and c) that more involved stakeholder groups, especially hosts but also guests and hosts, perceived the impacts of STRs most positively. We discuss the findings in light of community resilience literature.

Booth, Peter; Evers, Lucas, Fosch Villaronga, Eduard, Lutz, Christoph, McDermott, Fiona, Riccio, Piera, Rioux, Vincent, Sears, Alan M., Tamò-Larrieux, Aurelia & Wieringa, Maranke (2021)

Artountability: Art & Algorithmic Accountability

Hallinan, Dara; Leenes, Ronald & De Hert, Paul (red.). Data Protection and Privacy: Enforcing Rights in a Changing World

Angelovska, Julijana; Čeh Časni, Anita & Lutz, Christoph (2021)

The Influence of Demographics, Attitudinal and Behavioural Characteristics on Motives to Participate in the Sharing Economy and Expected Benefits of Participation

Teli, Maurizio & Bassetti, Chiara (red.). Becoming a Platform in Europe: On the Governance of the Collaborative Economy

The sharing economy is a relevant economic phenomenon of recent times and important for sustainable economic growth. This chapter considers the motivational factors that drive and hinder participation in the sharing economy. It investigates the impact of both economic or non-economic drivers and what role demographics, attitudinal and behavioural characteristics play as antecedents of those drivers. We rely on rich data from a 12-country survey to conduct our analysis, and we distinguish between three categories of respondents: providers, consumers and aware non-users. Trust, innovativeness and materialism are considered as important attitudinal antecedents, while volunteering is used as the key behavioural antecedent. We find that economic motives outperform noneconomic motives overall. However, compared with providers and aware non-users, consumers are more strongly driven by economic motives, especially those who are more educated and trusting. Additionally, younger, more educated, more innovative, materialistic and volunteering respondents are driven more than others by non-economic motives. Finally, providers with lower household income, who are more educated and innovative are more likely to be driven by economic motives, while providers that have more trust in people and volunteer more frequently are more likely to be driven by non-economic motives. Overall, the chapter contributes to a more differentiated understanding of participation in the sharing economy in terms of motives and their antecedents. We discuss theoretical and practical implications of the findings.

Lutz, Christoph & Angelovska, Julijana (2021)

The sharing economy and its implications for inclusive tourism

Farmaki, Anna & Pappas, Nikolaos (red.). Emerging Transformations in Tourism and Hospitality

Büchi, Moritz; Fosch-Villaronga, Eduard, Lutz, Christoph, Tamò-Larrieux, Aurelia & Velidi, Shruthi (2021)

Making sense of algorithmic profiling: User perceptions on Facebook

Information, Communication & Society, online first Doi: 10.1080/1369118X.2021.1989011 - Full text in research archive

Algorithmic profiling has become increasingly prevalent in many social fields and practices, including finance, marketing, law, cultural consumption and production, and social engagement. Although researchers have begun to investigate algorithmic profiling from various perspectives, socio-technical studies of algorithmic profiling that consider users’ everyday perceptions are still scarce. In this article, we expand upon existing user-centered research and focus on people’s awareness and imaginaries of algorithmic profiling, specifically in the context of social media and targeted advertising. We conducted an online survey geared toward understanding how Facebook users react to and make sense of algorithmic profiling when it is made visible. The methodology relied on qualitative accounts as well as quantitative data from 292 Facebook users in the United States and their reactions to their algorithmically inferred ‘Your Interests’ and ‘Your Categories’ sections on Facebook. The results illustrate a broad set of reactions and rationales to Facebook’s (public-facing) algorithmic profiling, ranging from shock and surprise, to accounts of how superficial – and in some cases, inaccurate – the profiles were. Taken together with the increasing reliance on Facebook as critical social infrastructure, our study highlights a sense of algorithmic disillusionment requiring further research.

Lutz, Christoph & Hoffmann, Christian Pieter (2021)

Inequalities in online political participation: the role of privacy concerns

Hargittai, Eszter (red.). Handbook of Digital Inequality

Digital inequalities research has investigated the question of who engages in online political participation, finding gaps along socioeconomic variables such as gender, age or education. Recent research has also highlighted how online platforms may facilitate or encumber political participation. Especially for multi-purpose platforms such as Facebook, where users are supposed to use their real names, issues of adequate self-presentation arise. The diversity of multiple audiences engenders privacy concerns, particularly when controversial political issues are at play. In this contribution, we add to existing research on digital inequalities in online political participation by focusing on privacy concerns as a critical construct. We use a survey of German Internet users to test the effect of privacy concerns on online political participation. Contrary to initial expectations, privacy concerns are found to increase political participation. As privacy concerns are spread quite evenly throughout the population, they contribute little to the socioeconomic stratification of online political participation. Social media use, however, exerts a strong positive effect on political participation, and differs significantly among socioeconomic segments of the population.

Aroyo, Alexander; De Bruyne, Jan, Dheu, Orian, Fosch-Villaronga, Eduard, Gudkov, Aleksei, Hoch, Holly, Jones, Steve, Lutz, Christoph, Sætra, Henrik Skaug, Solberg, Mads & Tamò-Larrieux, Aurelia (2021)

Overtrusting Robots: Setting a Research Agenda to Mitigate Overtrust in Automation

Paladyn - Journal of Behavioral Robotics, 12(1), s. 423- 436. Doi: 10.1515/pjbr-2021-0029

There is increasing attention given to the concept of trustworthiness for artificial intelligence and robotics. However, trust is highly context-dependent, varies among cultures, and requires reflection on others’ trustworthiness, appraising whether there is enough evidence to conclude that these agents deserve to be trusted. Moreover, little research exists on what happens when too much trust is placed in robots and autonomous systems. Conceptual clarity and a shared framework for approaching overtrust are missing. In this contribution, we offer an overview of pressing topics in the context of overtrust and robots and autonomous systems. Our review mobilizes insights solicited from in-depth conversations from a multidisciplinary workshop on the subject of trust in human-robot interaction, held at a leading robotics conference in 2020. A broad range of participants brought in their expertise, allowing formulation of a forward-looking research agenda on overtrust and automation biases in robotics and autonomous systems. Key points include the need for multidisciplinary understandings that are situated in an eco-system perspective, the consideration of adjacent concepts such as deception and anthropomorphization, a connection to ongoing legal discussions through the topic of liability and a socially embedded understanding of overtrust in education and literacy matters. The article integrates diverse literature and provides a ground for common understanding for overtrust in the context of human-robot interaction.

Lutz, Christoph & Tamò-Larrieux, Aurelia (2021)

Do Privacy Concerns about Social Robots Affect Use Intentions? Evidence from an Experimental Vignette Study

Frontiers in Robotics and AI Doi: 10.3389/frobt.2021.627958 - Full text in research archive

While the privacy implications of social robots have been increasingly discussed and privacy-sensitive robotics is becoming a research field within human-robot interaction, little empirical research has investigated privacy concerns about robots and the effect they have on behavioral intentions. To address this gap, we present the results of an experimental vignette study that includes antecedents from the privacy, robotics, technology adoption, and trust literature. Using linear regression analysis, with the privacy-invasiveness of a fictional but realistic robot as the key manipulation, we show that privacy concerns affect use intention significantly and negatively. Compared to earlier work done through a survey, where we found a robot privacy paradox, the experimental vignette approach allows for a more realistic and tangible assessment of respondents’ concerns and behavioral intentions, showing how potential robot users take into account privacy as consideration for future behavior. We contextualize our findings within broader debates on privacy and data protection with smart technologies.

Lutz, Christoph & Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie (2021)

Privacy and smart speakers: A multi-dimensional approach

The Information Society, 37(3), s. 147- 162. Doi: 10.1080/01972243.2021.1897914 - Full text in research archive

Over the last few years, smart speakers such as Amazon Echo and Google Home have become increasingly present within British households. Yet, privacy remains a prominent concern in the public discourse about smart speakers, as well as in the nascent academic literature. We argue that privacy in the context of smart speakers is more complex than in other settings due to smart speakers’ specific technological affordances and also the axial relationships between users, the device, device manufacturers, application developers, and other third parties such as moderation contractors and data brokers. With survey data from Amazon Echo and Google Home users in the UK, we explore users’ privacy concerns and privacy protection behaviors related to smart speakers. We rely on a contextual understanding of privacy, assessing the prevalence of seven distinct privacy concern types as well as three privacy protection behaviors. The results indicate that concerns about third parties, such as contractors listening to smart speaker recordings, are most pronounced. Privacy protection behaviors are uncommon but partly affected by privacy concerns and motives such as social presence and utilitarian benefits. Taken together, our research paints a picture of privacy pragmatism or privacy cynicism among smart speaker users.

Jarrahi, Mohammad Hossein; Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie, Butler, Brian S., Savage, Saiph, Lutz, Christoph, Dunn, Michael & Sawyer, Steve (2021)

Flexible work and personal digital infrastructures

Communications of the ACM, 64(7), s. 72- 79. Doi: 10.1145/3419405

As flexible work arrangements such as remote working or digital nomadism are normalized, the structure of work, performance expectations, and employee-employer relationships fundamentally change, presenting both benefits and risks for workers. Currently,the design and management of ICT systems for work is still geared towards ‘standard’ organizational settings and traditional forms of work. However, Personal Digital Infrastructures (PDIs) emerge as alternative sociotechnical infrastructures that can help workers realize the opportunities of flexible work while avoiding challenges of precarious work. Building on extensive empirical work, we present PDIs as consumerized, connective, adaptive, and temporally hybrid systems which reflect and reinforce multiple dimensions of flexibility: spatial, temporal, organizational, and technological. We provide implications on how the design and management of ICT systems for work can be made more amenable to the needs of flexible workers.

Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie & Lutz, Christoph (2021)

Crowdwork and the Mobile Underclass: Barriers to Participation in India and the United States

New Media & Society, 23(6), s. 1341- 1361. Doi: 10.1177/1461444820901847 - Full text in research archive

Online crowdwork platforms have been praised as powerful vehicles for economic development, particularly for workers traditionally excluded from the labor market. However, there has been insufficient scrutiny as to the feasibility of crowdwork as an income-source among socio-economically deprived populations. This paper examines device requirements and differential access to digital infrastructure, both of which act as potential barriers to not only basic participation but also to economic success online. Given the increasing prevalence of mobile-first and mobile-only populations, research on this topic aids in understanding the crowdwork ecosystem among differing socio-economic sectors. Based on a survey of 606 crowd workers across the United States and India, this paper uses both quantitative and qualitative data to explore whether reliance on mobile devices is detrimental for economic outcomes of crowdwork. The results point to substantial inequalities in device use and received benefits from crowdwork, within each country and between the two contexts.

Hoffmann, Christian Pieter & Lutz, Christoph (2021)

Digital Divides in Political Participation: The Mediating Role of Social Media Self-Efficacy and Privacy Concerns

Policy & Internet, 13(1), s. 6- 29. Doi: 10.1002/poi3.225 - Full text in research archive

Scholarship on political participation and the Internet has found that Internet use may foster both online and offline political participation, while also finding pronounced inequalities in online political participation based on demographic and psychological characteristics. The article advances our theoretical understanding of how inequalities in online and offline political participation emerge through cognitive pathways, by applying social cognitive theory to conceptualize the relationship between environmental influences, cognition and behavior. Using survey data from 1,488 Internet users in Germany, we investigate how the cognitive dispositions of social media self‐efficacy and online privacy concerns mediate the effect of socio‐demographics on Internet use, and online as well as offline political participation. Results indicate that younger citizens are more likely to engage in online political participation, while older, more educated, and male citizens are more likely to engage in offline political participation. Internet use is positively associated with online political participation, which is closely related to offline participation. Self‐efficacy fully mediates the effect of education and gender on Internet use and online political participation. Thus, Internet use simultaneously amplifies and mitigates pre‐existing participation divides, depending on users’ cognitive dispositions.

Ranzini, Giulia; Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie & Lutz, Christoph (2020)

Sharenting, Peer Influence, and Privacy Concerns: A Study on the Instagram-Sharing Behaviors of Parents in the United Kingdom

Social Media + Society, 6(4) Doi: 10.1177/2056305120978376 - Full text in research archive

Parental sharing of child-related content on social network sites, termed “sharenting,” is often the target of criticism. Yet, through sharenting, parents can find support systems, a way to stay in touch with relevant others, and even an opportunity for additional income. This study contributes to knowledge on antecedents of sharenting. It explores the impact of parents’ privacy concerns on the sharing of child-related content, as well as on their general Instagram sharing. In this study, we differentiate between general and situational privacy. Moreover, we investigate whether parents’ privacy self-efficacy and the support of their peers influence parental sharing practices. Drawing on a rich body of literature on privacy and information sharing, we discuss the results of an online survey distributed among 320 Instagram users who are parents of children younger than 13 and reside in the United Kingdom. We find that parents’ privacy concerns are uncorrelated to sharenting and only situational concerns marginally correlate to parents’ general sharing. Parents’ reported privacy self-efficacy also did not play a role in parents’ sharing of either personal or children-related content. On the contrary, both Instagram sharing and having a network supportive of parental sharenting positively predict sharenting. Our results indicate that (a) neither situational nor general privacy concerns influence parents’ sharenting behavior, and (b) a parent’s supportive network and frequent sharing habits make frequent sharenting more likely.

Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie; Lutz, Christoph, Tamò-Larrieux, Aurelia, Fosch Villaronga, Eduard, Harasgama, Rehana & Scheitlin, Gil (2020)

Innovation under Pressure: Implications for Data Privacy during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Big Data & Society (BD&S), 7(2), s. 1- 14. Doi: 10.1177/2053951720976680 - Full text in research archive

The global Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in social and economic disruption unprecedented in the modern era. Many countries have introduced severe measures to contain the virus, including travel restrictions, public event bans, non-essential business closures, and remote work policies. While digital technologies help governments and organizations to enforce protection measures, such as contact tracing, their rushed deployment and adoption also raises profound concerns about surveillance, privacy, and data protection. This article presents two critical cases on digital surveillance technologies implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic and delineates the privacy implications thereof. We explain the contextual nature of privacy trade-offs during a pandemic and explore how regulatory and technical responses are needed to protect privacy in such circumstances. By providing a multi-disciplinary conversation on the value of privacy and data protection during a global pandemic, this article reflects on the implications digital solutions have for the future and raises the question of whether there is a way to have expedited privacy assessments that could anticipate and help mitigate adverse privacy implications these may have on society.

Felzmann, Heike; Fosch Villaronga, Eduard, Lutz, Christoph & Tamò-Larrieux, Aurelia (2020)

Towards Transparency by Design for Artificial Intelligence

Science and Engineering Ethics, 26(6), s. 3333- 3361. Doi: 10.1007/s11948-020-00276-4 - Full text in research archive

In this article, we develop the concept of Transparency by Design that serves as practical guidance in helping promote the beneficial functions of transparency while mitigating its challenges in automated-decision making (ADM) environments. With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and the ability of AI systems to make automated and self-learned decisions, a call for transparency of how such systems reach decisions has echoed within academic and policy circles. The term transparency, however, relates to multiple concepts, fulfills many functions, and holds different promises that struggle to be realized in concrete applications. Indeed, the complexity of transparency for ADM shows tension between transparency as a normative ideal and its translation to practical application. To address this tension, we first conduct a review of transparency, analyzing its challenges and limitations concerning automated decision-making practices. We then look at the lessons learned from the development of Privacy by Design, as a basis for developing the Transparency by Design principles. Finally, we propose a set of nine principles to cover relevant contextual, technical, informational, and stakeholder-sensitive considerations. Transparency by Design is a model that helps organizations design transparent AI systems, by integrating these principles in a step-by-step manner and as an ex-ante value, not as an afterthought.

Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie & Lutz, Christoph (2020)

Fairness, legitimacy and the regulation of home-sharing platforms

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 32(10), s. 3177- 3197. Doi: 10.1108/IJCHM-08-2019-0733 - Full text in research archive

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to contribute to current hospitality and tourism research on the sharing economy by studying the under-researched aspects of regulatory desirability, moral legitimacy, and fairness in the context of home-sharing platforms (e.g., Airbnb). Design/methodology/approach – Three separate 2x1 between-subjects experimental vignette surveys are used to test the effects of three types of fairness (procedural, interpersonal, informational) on two outcomes: moral legitimacy and regulatory desirability. Findings – The results of the research show that high perceived fairness across all three types increases moral legitimacy and reduces regulatory desirability. Respondents who perceive a fictional home-sharing platform to be fair consider it to be more legitimate and want it to be less regulated. Research limitations/implications – Following established practices and reducing external validity, the study uses a fictional scenario and a fictional company for the experimental vignette. The data collection took place in the United Kingdom, prohibiting cultural comparisons. Practical implications – The research is useful for home-sharing platform managers by showing how they can boost moral legitimacy and decrease regulatory desirability through a strong focus on fairness. It can also help policymakers and consumer protection advocates by providing evidence about regulatory desirability and how it is affected by fairness perceptions. Originality/value – The article adds to hospitality and tourism research by offering theoretically meaningful and practically relevant conclusions about the importance of fairness in driving stakeholder opinions about home-sharing platforms.

Bucher, Eliane; Fieseler, Christian, Lutz, Christoph & Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie (2020)

Shaping Emotional Labor Practices in the Sharing Economy

Maurer, Indre; Mair, Johanna & Oberg, Achim (red.). Theorizing the Sharing Economy: Variety and Trajectories of New Forms of Organizing

Independent actors operating through peer-to-peer sharing economy platforms co-create service experiences, such as shared car-rides or homestays. Emotional labor among both parties, manifested in the mutual enactment of socially desirable behavior, is essential in ensuring that these experiences are successful. However, little is known about emotional labor practices and about how sharing economy platforms enforce emotional labor practices among independent actors, such as guests, hosts, drivers, or passengers. To address this research gap, we follow a mixed methods approach. We combine survey research among Airbnb and Uber users with content analysis of seven leading sharing economy platforms. The findings show that (1) users perform emotional labor despite not seeing is as necessarily desirable and (2) platforms actively encourage the performance of emotional labor practices even in the absence of direct formal control. Emotional labor practices are encouraged through (hard) design features such as mutual ratings, reward systems, and gamification, as well as through more subtle (soft) normative framing of desirable practices via platform and app guidelines, tips, community sites, or blogs. Taken together, these findings expand our understanding of the limitations of peer-to-peer sharing platforms, where control over the service experience and quality can only be enforced indirectly.

Angelovska, Julijana; Čeh Časni, Anita & Lutz, Christoph (2020)

Turning Consumers into Providers in the Sharing Economy: Exploring the Impact of Demographics and Motives

Ekonomska Misao i Praksa, 2020(1), s. 79- 100. - Full text in research archive

The sharing economy is an emerging industry with potential for ensuring sustainable economic growth since it is based on underused resources. The aim of this study is to explore the impact of demographic characteristics (age, gender, education and income) and motives (financial benefits, fun, meeting people and social responsibility) on turning a sharing economy consumer into a provider. Descriptive and multivariate statistical analysis has been carried out on data from a large survey conducted in twelve European countries on the state of the sharing economy. The empirical results show that men and individuals under 35 years of age are more likely to participate in the sharing economy as providers. Moreover, consumers who are more driven by altruistic motives and less by financial benefits are more likely to offer their services as providers. This research can be useful to policy makers and managers in exploring the opportunities of supporting broader participation in offering services as providers in the sharing economy.

Fosch Villaronga, Eduard; Lutz, Christoph & Tamò-Larrieux, Aurelia (2020)

Gathering Expert Opinions for Social Robots' Ethical, Legal, and Societal Concerns: Findings from Four International Workshops

International Journal of Social Robotics, 12(2), s. 441- 458. Doi: 10.1007/s12369-019-00605-z

Social robots, those that exhibit personality and communicate with us using high-level dialogue and natural cues, will soon be part of our daily lives. In this paper, we gather expert opinions from different international workshops exploring ethical, legal, and social (ELS) concerns associated with social robots. In contrast to literature that looks at specific challenges, often from a certain disciplinary angle, our contribution to the literature provides an overview of the ELS discussions in a holistic fashion, shaped by active deliberation with a multitude of experts across four workshops held between 2015 and 2017 in major international workshops (ERF, NewFriends, JSAI-isAI). It also explores pathways to address the identified challenges. Our contribution is in line with the latest European robot regulatory initiatives but covers an area of research that the latest AI and robot governance strategies have scarcely covered. Specifically, we highlight challenges to the use of social robots from a user perspective, including issues such as privacy, autonomy, and the dehumanization of interactions; or from a worker perspective, including issues such as the possible replacement of jobs through robots. The paper also compiles the recommendations to these ELS issues the experts deem appropriate to mitigate compounding risks. By then contrasting these challenges and solutions with recent AI and robot regulatory strategies, we hope to inform the policy debate and set the scene for further research.

Lutz, Christoph & Tamò-Larrieux, Aurelia (2020)

The Robot Privacy Paradox: Understanding How Privacy Concerns Shape Intentions to Use Social Robots

Human-Machine Communication, 1(1), s. 87- 111. Doi: 10.30658/hmc.1.6 - Full text in research archive

Lutz, Christoph; Hoffmann, Christian Pieter & Ranzini, Giulia (2020)

Data capitalism and the user: An exploration of privacy cynicism in Germany

New Media & Society, 22(7), s. 1168- 1187. Doi: 10.1177/1461444820912544 - Full text in research archive

Ever since empirical studies found only a weak, if any, relationship between privacy concerns and privacy behavior, scholars have struggled to explain the so-called privacy paradox. Today, a number of theoretical arguments illuminate users’ privacy rationales, including the privacy calculus, privacy literacy and contextual differentiations. A recent approach focuses on user resignation, apathy or fatigue. In this piece, we concentrate on privacy cynicism, an attitude of uncertainty, powerlessness, mistrust and resignation towards data handling by online services, which renders privacy protection subjectively futile. We discuss privacy cynicism in the context of data capitalism, as a coping mechanism to address the tension between digital inclusion and a desire for privacy. Moreover, we introduce a measure for privacy cynicism and investigate the phenomenon based on a large-scale survey in Germany. The analysis highlights the multidimensionality of the construct, differentiating its relationships with privacy concerns, threat experience, Internet skills and protection behavior.

Felzmann, Heike; Fosch Villaronga, Eduard, Lutz, Christoph & Tamò-Larrieux, Aurelia (2019)

Transparency You Can Trust: Transparency Requirements for Artificial Intelligence between Legal Norms and Contextual Concerns

Big Data & Society (BD&S), 6(1), s. 1- 14. Doi: 10.1177/2053951719860542 - Full text in research archive

Transparency is now a fundamental principle for data processing under the General Data Protection Regulation. We explore what this requirement entails for artificial intelligence and automated decision-making systems. We address the topic of transparency in artificial intelligence by integrating legal, social, and ethical aspects. We first investigate the ratio legis of the transparency requirement in the General Data Protection Regulation and its ethical underpinnings, showing its focus on the provision of information and explanation. We then discuss the pitfalls with respect to this requirement by focusing on the significance of contextual and performative factors in the implementation of transparency. We show that human–computer interaction and human-robot interaction literature do not provide clear results with respect to the benefits of transparency for users of artificial intelligence technologies due to the impact of a wide range of contextual factors, including performative aspects. We conclude by integrating the information- and explanation-based approach to transparency with the critical contextual approach, proposing that transparency as required by the General Data Protection Regulation in itself may be insufficient to achieve the positive goals associated with transparency. Instead, we propose to understand transparency relationally, where information provision is conceptualized as communication between technology providers and users, and where assessments of trustworthiness based on contextual factors mediate the value of transparency communications. This relational concept of transparency points to future research directions for the study of transparency in artificial intelligence systems and should be taken into account in policymaking.

Felzmann, Heike; Fosch Villaronga, Eduard, Lutz, Christoph & Tamò-Larrieux, Aurelia (2019)

Robots and transparency: The multiple dimensions of transparency in the context of robot technologies

IEEE robotics & automation magazine, 26(2), s. 71- 78. Doi: 10.1109/MRA.2019.2904644 - Full text in research archive

Lutz, Christoph; Schöttler, Maren & Hoffmann, Christian Pieter (2019)

The Privacy Implications of Social Robots: Scoping Review and Expert Interviews

Mobile Media & Communication, 7(3), s. 412- 434. Doi: 10.1177/2050157919843961 - Full text in research archive

In this contribution, we investigate the privacy implications of social robots, as an emerging mobile technology. Drawing on a scoping literature review and expert interviews, we show how social robots come with privacy implications that go beyond those of established mobile technology. Social robots challenge not only users’ informational privacy but also affect their physical, psychological, and social privacy due to their autonomy and potential for social bonding. These distinctive privacy challenges require study from varied theoretical perspectives, with contextual privacy and human-machine communication emerging as particularly fruitful lenses. Findings also point to an increasing focus on technological privacy solutions, complementing an evolving legal landscape as well as a strengthening of user agency and literacy.

Bucher, Eliane; Fieseler, Christian & Lutz, Christoph (2019)

Mattering in Digital Labor

Journal of Managerial Psychology, 34(4), s. 307- 324. Doi: 10.1108/JMP-06-2018-0265 - Full text in research archive

Purpose: Online gig labor platforms bring together a global and fast-growing workforce to complete highly granular, remote and decontextualized tasks. While these environments might be empowering to some workers, many others feel disenfranchised and removed from the final product of their labor. To better understand the antecedents of continued participation in forms of crowdsourced digital labor, we explore the relationship between worker’s ability to create a narrative of their work mattering regardless, and their continued work engagement in these work setups. Design: We approach the relationship between individual mattering and digital work engagement through a longitudinal study among workers on the crowdworking platform Amazon Mechanical Turk. We further provide qualitative insight into individual perceptions of mattering based on essay data. Findings: We develop a measure of mattering in crowdworking with four dimensions: reliance, social recognition, importance, and interaction. Reliance is the most pronounced dimension, followed by interaction, importance and social recognition. In the final longitudinal model, only importance affects work engagement positively, while the other three mattering dimension do not have a significant effect. Originality: The findings indicate that individuals who feel that they themselves and their work ‘count’ and ‘make a difference’ will be more engaged in their digital labor. By clarifying the dimensionality of mattering in crowdwork and studying its differentiated effect on work engagement, the paper makes a contribution to research on crowdwork and the future of work. Beyond the theoretical contributions, the finding that perceived importance fosters work engagement has important implications for task and platform design.

Lutz, Christoph (2019)

Digital Inequalities in the Age of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data

Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 1(2), s. 141- 148. Doi: 10.1002/hbe2.140 - Full text in research archive

In this literature review, I summarize key concepts and findings from the rich academic literature on digital inequalities. I propose that digital inequalities research should look more into labor- and big data-related questions such as inequalities in online labor markets and the negative effects of algorithmic decision-making for vulnerable population groups. The article engages with the sociological literature on digital inequalities and explains the general approach to digital inequalities, based on the distinction of first-, second-, and third-level digital divides. First, inequalities in access to digital technologies are discussed. This discussion is extended to emerging technologies, including the Internet-of-things and AI-powered systems such as smart speakers. Second, inequalities in digital skills and technology use are reviewed and connected to the discourse on new forms of work such as the sharing economy or gig economy. Third and finally, the discourse on the outcomes, in the form of benefits or harms, from digital technology use are is taken up. Here, I propose to integrate the digital inequalities literature more strongly with critical algorithm studies and recent discussions about datafication, digital footprints, and information privacy.

Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie; Lutz, Christoph & Fieseler, Christian (2019)

Trading on the Unknown: Scenarios for the Future Value of Data

Law & Ethics of Human Rights, 13(1), s. 97- 114. Doi: 10.1515/lehr-2019-0004 - Full text in research archive

In this article, we explore the practices of extensive data collection among sharing economy platforms, highlighting how the unknown future value of big data creates an ethical problem for a fair exchange relationship between companies and users. Specifically, we present a typology with four scenarios related to the future value of data. In the remainder of the article, we first describe the status quo of data collection practices in the sharing economy, followed by a discussion of the value-generating affordances of big data. We then introduce the typology of four scenarios for the future value of data. Finally, the paper concludes with a short discussion on the implications of information asymmetries for a fair exchange process.

Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie; Lutz, Christoph & Fieseler, Christian (2019)

The Conditioning Function of Rating Mechanisms for Consumers in the Sharing Economy

Internet Research, 29(5), s. 1090- 1108. Doi: 10.1108/INTR-03-2018-0134

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how rating mechanisms encourage emotional labor norms among sharing economy consumers. Design/methodology/approach – This study follows a mixed-methods research design. Survey data from 207 consumers were used to quantify the impact of three distinct rating dimensions on a consumer behavioral outcome (emotional labor). In the second step, 18 focus groups with 94 participants were used to investigate the conditioning functions of ratings in more depth. Findings – Rating mechanisms condition consumers toward performing socially desirable behaviors during sharing transactions. While consumers accept the necessity of bilateral rating mechanisms, they also recognize their coercive nature. Furthermore, the presence of bilateral rating mechanisms leads to negative outcomes such as annoyance and frustration. Originality/value – This study contributes to sharing economy literature by examining bilateral rating mechanisms as a means of behavioral conditioning for consumers. This study points to improvements in platform design and informs theory on tripartite markets as well as trust.

Lutz, Christoph & Tamò-Larrieux, Aurelia (2018)

Communicating with Robots: ANTalyzing the Interaction between Healthcare Robots and Humans with Regards to Privacy

Guzman, Andrea (red.). Human-Machine Communication: Rethinking Communication, Technology, and Ourselves

Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie; Lutz, Christoph & Hoffmann, Christian Pieter (2018)

Sharing by Proxy: Invisible Users in the Sharing Economy

First Monday, 23(11), s. 1- 14. Doi: 10.5210/fm.v23i11.8159 - Full text in research archive

With the future of work increasingly data-driven, platforms automate decisions based on the collection of vast quantities of user data. However, non-users constitute a challenge as they provide little to no data for either platforms or other users. We focus on a category of (non-)users that has not received any attention in research: users-by-proxy. Users-by-proxy make use of sharing services but they are not themselves part of the sharing transaction. Platforms cannot analyze their behavior to tailor services or allocate labor most effectively. Users-by-proxy also have significant implications for trust and reputation mechanisms. In this conceptual contribution, we provide a definition of users-by-proxy as a third category between users and non-users, developing a typology of users-by-proxy based on motives of non-/use. We focus on the ramifications of users-by-proxy for the future of work and their significance for the limits of data-driven decision making.

Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie; Lutz, Christoph & Fieseler, Christian (2018)

Collective Action and Provider Classification in the Sharing Economy

New technology, work and employment, 33(3), s. 250- 267. Doi: 10.1111/ntwe.12119

Conditions in the sharing economy are often favourably designed for consumers and platforms but entail new challenges for the labour side, such as substandard social-security and rigid forms of algorithmic management. Since comparatively little is known about how providers in the sharing economy make their voices heard collectively, we investigate their opinions and behaviours regarding collective action and perceived solidarities. Using cluster analysis on representative data from across twelve European countries, we determine five distinct types of labour-activists, ranging from those opposed to any forms of collective action to those enthusiastic to organise and correct perceived wrongs. We conclude by conjecturing that the still-ongoing influx of new providers, the difficulty of organising in purely virtual settings, combined with the narrative of voluntariness of participation and hedonic gratifications might be responsible for the inaction of large parts of the provider base in collectivist activities.

Rueben, Matthew; Aroyo, Alexander, Lutz, Christoph, Schmölz, Johannes, Van Cleynenbreugel, Pieter, Corti, Andrea, Agrawal, Siddharth & Smart, William D. (2018)

Themes and Research Directions in Privacy-Sensitive Robotics

Advanced Robotics and its Social Impacts (ARSO), s. 77- 84. Doi: 10.1109/ARSO.2018.8625758

Privacy is crucial for healthy relationships, but robots will impact our privacy in new ways—this warrants a new area of research. This paper presents work from the first workshop on privacy-sensitive robotics. We identify the seven research themes that should comprise privacy-sensitive robotics research in the near future: data privacy; manipulation and deception; trust; blame and transparency; legal issues; domains with special privacy concerns; and privacy theory. We intend for the research directions proposed for each of these themes to serve as a roadmap for privacy-sensitive robotics research.

Micheli, Marina; Lutz, Christoph & Büchi, Moritz (2018)

Digital footprints: an emerging dimension of digital inequality

Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, 16(3), s. 242- 251. Doi: 10.1108/JICES-02-2018-0014

Purpose: This conceptual contribution is based on the observation that digital inequalities literature has not sufficiently considered digital footprints as an important social differentiator. Design/methodology/approach: Literature on digital inequalities is combined with research on privacy, big data, and algorithms. The focus on current findings from an interdisciplinary point-of-view allows for a synthesis of different perspectives and conceptual development of digital footprints as a new dimension of digital inequality. Findings: Digital footprints originate from active content creation, passive participation, and platform-generated data. The literature review shows how different social groups may experience systematic advantages or disadvantages based on their digital footprints. A special emphasis should be on those at the margins, for example users of low socioeconomic background. Originality/value: By combining largely independent research fields, the contribution opens new avenues for studying digital inequalities, including innovative methodologies to do so.

Lutz, Christoph & Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie (2018)

Consumer segmentation within the sharing economy: The case of Airbnb

Journal of Business Research, 88, s. 187- 196. Doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.03.019

The sharing economy is a global phenomenon with rapid growth potential. While research has begun to explore segmentation between users and non-users, only limited research has looked at consumer segmentation within sharing economy services. In this paper, we build on this research gap by investigating consumer segmentation within a single sharing economy platform: Airbnb. Utilizing a mixed methods approach, with both a quantitative survey and a qualitative content analysis of Airbnb listings, we compare two different types of accommodation offered on Airbnb: shared room and entire home. Our findings indicate that within a single platform, the variety between offerings can create distinct consumer segments based on both demographics and behavioral criteria. We also find that Airbnb hosts use marketing logic to target their listings towards specific consumer segments. However, there is not, in all cases, strong alignment between consumer segmentation and host targeting, leading to potentially reduced matching efficiency.

Lutz, Christoph; Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie & Fieseler, Christian (2018)

Emotional Labor in the Sharing Economy

Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS), s. 636- 645. Doi: 10.24251/HICSS.2018.081

The peer-to-peer nature of the sharing economy encourages participants to alter their behavior in ways that resemble traditional notions of emotional labor. A key element in this shift lies in the coercive nature of feedback mechanisms which condition both providers and consumers to perform emotional labor during service encounters. Using survey data from 207 sharing economy consumers in the US, we show how different facets of the feedback mechanisms employed by sharing economy services influence consumers’ emotional labor. In addition, we show how platforms and their policies matter in encouraging emotional labor, indicating the need to analyze the topic on a fine-grained level. We conclude by deriving propositions for future research and practical recommendations.

Bucher, Eliane; Fieseler, Christian, Fleck, Matthes & Lutz, Christoph (2018)

Authenticity and the Sharing Economy

Academy of Management Discoveries, 4(3), s. 294- 313. Doi: 10.5465/amd.2016.0161 - Full text in research archive

Based on a qualitative interview-study as well as on a quantitative survey among users of the room sharing platform Airbnb, we show that situational closeness between sharing economy consumers and providers may prompt instances of interpersonal contamination which in turn negatively impact reviewer behaviour and intention to engage in room sharing in the future. However, we also show that authenticity plays a significant alleviating role in shaping such closeness perceptions. Users whose sense of authenticity is evoked in their sharing experiences are significantly less bothered by negative instances of interpersonal closeness and are thus more liable to use sharing services. Our results point to the integral nature of both authenticity and the invocation of notions of authenticity for sharing business models who are reliant, by their very nature, on alleviating the imperfections of amateur production.

Maltseva, Kateryna & Lutz, Christoph (2018)

A Quantum of Self: A Study of Self-Quantification and Self-Disclosure

Computers in Human Behavior, 81, s. 102- 114. Doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2017.12.006 - Full text in research archive

An increasing number of people are tracking their fitness activities, work performance and leisure experiences using body sensors (e.g., wrist-bands or smart watches) and mobile applications. This trend, referred to as self-quantification, is driven by various motivations, from curiosity to a desire to improve performance. As self-quantification by means of digital devices is a new behavioural trend, the phenomenon has only recently received academic attention. Neither antecedents nor the implications of this phenomenon have been thoroughly investigated. This paper aims to address these gaps. Based on the literature on selfquantification, privacy and self-disclosure, we empirically test the relationship among personality traits, privacy, self-quantification and self-disclosure. The findings suggest that conscientiousness and emotional stability are associated with self-quantification. In addition, we find a significant effect of self-quantification on self-disclosure in the survey context, indicating that individuals who habitually use self-tracking applications and wearable devices are also more likely to disclose personal data in other contexts.

Lutz, Christoph & Hoffmann, Christian Pieter (2018)

Making Academic Social Capital Visible: Relating SNS-Based, Alternative and Traditional Metrics of Scientific Impact

Social science computer review, 36(5), s. 632- 643. Doi: 10.1177/0894439317721181

The reliable assessment of individual faculty members’ contributions is a key challenge in the governance of research institutions. Traditionally, scientific impact is estimated based on bibliographic analyses. With online platforms, particularly social media, gaining popularity among academics, new opportunities for the analysis of scientific impact arise. Proponents of the “altmetrics” approach hold that both general purpose social media and services tailored to the scientific community allow for a range of usage metrics that may inform scientific impact assessment. We propose that relational analyses of social media platforms may shed new light on these understudied dimensions of scientific impact and may enrich assessment efforts. Based on a sample of Swiss management scholars’ active on ResearchGate, we conduct a social network analysis, derive relational metrics, and correlate these metrics with bibliometrics, webometrics, and altmetrics to gauge their potential to inform scientific impact assessment, specifically in business and management research.

Lutz, Christoph; Hoffmann, Christian Pieter, Bucher, Eliane & Fieseler, Christian (2018)

The Role of Privacy Concerns in the Sharing Economy

Information, Communication & Society, 21(10), s. 1472- 1492. Doi: 10.1080/1369118X.2017.1339726 - Full text in research archive

Internet-mediated sharing is growing quickly. Millions of users around the world share personal services and possessions with others—often complete strangers. Shared goods can amount to substantial financial and immaterial value. Despite this, little research has investigated privacy in the sharing economy. To fill this gap, we examine the sharing-privacy nexus by exploring the privacy threats associated with Internet-mediated sharing. Given the popularity of sharing services, users seem quite willing to share goods and services despite the compounded informational and physical privacy threats associated with such sharing. We develop and test a framework for analyzing the effect of privacy concerns on sharing that considers institutional and social privacy threats, trust and social-hedonic as well as monetary motives.

Blank, Grant & Lutz, Christoph (2018)

Benefits and harms from Internet Use: A differentiated analysis of Great Britain

New Media & Society, 20(2), s. 618- 640. Doi: 10.1177/1461444816667135 - Full text in research archive

Recent studies have enhanced our understanding of digital divides by investigating outcomes of Internet use. We extend this research to analyse positive and negative outcomes of Internet use in the United Kingdom. We apply structural equation modelling to data from a large Internet survey to compare the social structuration of Internet benefits with harms. We find that highly educated users benefit most from using the web. Elderly individuals benefit more than younger ones. Next to demographic characteristics, technology attitudes are the strongest predictors of online benefits. The harms from using the Internet are structured differently, with educated users and those with high levels of privacy concerns being most susceptible to harm. This runs counter to intuitions based on prior digital divide research, where those at the margins should be most at risk. While previous research on digital inequality has only looked at benefits, the inclusion of harms draws a more differentiated picture.

Blank, Grant & Lutz, Christoph (2017)

Representativeness of Social Media in Great Britain: Investigating Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, and Instagram

American Behavioral Scientist, 61(7), s. 741- 756. Doi: 10.1177/0002764217717559 - Full text in research archive

Sociological studies show that Internet access, skills, uses, and outcomes vary between different population segments. However, we lack differentiated statistical evidence of the social characteristics of users of distinct social media platforms. We address this issue using a representative survey of Great Britain and investigate the social characteristics of six major social media platforms. We find that age and socioeconomic status are driving forces of several—but not all—of these platforms. The findings suggest that no social media platform is representative of the general population. The unrepresentativeness has major implications for research that uses social media as a data source. Social media data cannot be used to generalize to any population other than themselves.

Lutz, Christoph & Ranzini, Giulia (2017)

Where Dating Meets Data: Investigating Social and Institutional Privacy Concerns on Tinder

Social Media + Society, 3(1), s. 1- 12. Doi: 10.1177/2056305117697735 - Full text in research archive

The widespread diffusion of location-based real-time dating or mobile dating apps, such as Tinder and Grindr, is changing dating practices. The affordances of these dating apps differ from those of “old school” dating sites, for example, by privileging picture-based selection, minimizing room for textual self-description, and drawing upon existing Facebook profile data. They might also affect users’ privacy perceptions as these services are location based and often include personal conversations and data. Based on a survey collected via Mechanical Turk, we assess how Tinder users perceive privacy concerns. We find that the users are more concerned about institutional privacy than social privacy. Moreover, different motivations for using Tinder—hooking up, relationship, friendship, travel, self-validation, and entertainment—affect social privacy concerns more strongly than institutional concerns. Finally, loneliness significantly increases users’ social and institutional privacy concerns, while narcissism decreases them.

Lutz, Christoph & Hoffmann, Christian Pieter (2017)

The dark side of online participation: exploring non-, passive and negative participation

Information, Communication & Society, 20(6), s. 876- 897. Doi: 10.1080/1369118X.2017.1293129 - Full text in research archive

Studies on the “second-level digital divide” explore the socio-economic antecedents and effects of (a lack of) user participation on the Internet. At the same time, some have criticized a normatively affirmative bias in online participation research as well as a one-sided focus on observable user activity. This contribution addresses the ensuing call for a more nuanced understanding of online participation in general, and online political participation in particular. We differentiate the online participation concept based on a focus group study among 96 Internet users from a broad range of social backgrounds in Germany. We derive a framework of eight types of online (non-)participation along three conceptual axes: activity, agency and social valence. Taking user experiences and terminology into account, we differentiate participation from non-participation, active from passive and positive from negative (non-)participation. The proposed typology allows for a more balanced evaluation and more focused exploration of phenomena such as destructive or involuntary online participation as well as online abstention, boycotts, self-censorship, lurking or digital exclusion.

Ranzini, Giulia & Lutz, Christoph (2017)

Love at First Swipe? Explaining Tinder Self-Presentation and Motives

Mobile Media & Communication, 5(1), s. 80- 101. Doi: 10.1177/2050157916664559

The emergence of Location-Based-Real-Time-Dating (LBRTD) apps such as Tinder has introduced a new way for users to get to know potential partners nearby. The design of the apps represents a departure from “old-school” dating sites as it relies on the affordances of mobile media. This might change the way individuals portray themselves as their authentic or deceptive self. Based on survey data collected via Mechanical Turk and using structural equation modeling, we assess how Tinder users present themselves, exploring at the same time the impact of their personality characteristics, their demographics and their motives of use. We find that self-esteem is the most important psychological predictor, fostering real self-presentation but decreasing deceptive self-presentation. The motives of use – hooking up/sex, friendship, relationship, traveling, self-validation, and entertainment – also affect the two forms of self-presentation. Demographic characteristics and psychological antecedents influence the motives for using Tinder, with gender differences being especially pronounced. Women use Tinder more for friendship and self-validation, while men use it more for hooking up/sex, traveling and relationship seeking. We put the findings into context, discuss the limitations of our approach and provide avenues for future research into the topic.

Lutz, Christoph; Hoffmann, Christian Pieter & Meckel, Miriam (2017)

Online Serendipity: A Contextual Differentiation of Antecedents and Outcomes

Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 68(7), s. 1698- 1710. Doi: 10.1002/asi.23771

Lutz, Christoph; Strathoff, Pepe, Tamò, Aurelia & Kehr, Flavius (2016)

Privacy through Multiple Lenses: Applying the St. Galler Privacy Interaction Framework

ex ante, 1(2), s. 49- 56. Doi: 10.2139/ssrn.3319831

Hoffmann, Christian Pieter; Lutz, Christoph & Ranzini, Giulia (2016)

Privacy cynicism: A new approach to the privacy paradox

Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 10(4) Doi: 10.5817/CP2016-4-7

Privacy concerns among Internet users are consistently found to be high. At the same time, these concerns do not appear to generate a corresponding wave of privacy protection behavior. A number of studies have addressed the apparent divergence between users’ privacy concerns and behavior, with results varying according to context. Previous research has examined user trust, lack of risk awareness and the privacy calculus as potential solutions to the “privacy paradox”. Complementing these perspectives, we propose that some users faced with seemingly overwhelming privacy threats develop an attitude of “privacy cynicism”, leading to a resigned neglect of protection behavior. Privacy cynicism serves as a cognitive coping mechanism, allowing users to rationalize taking advantage of online services despite serious privacy concerns. We conduct an interdisciplinary literature review to define the core concept, then empirically substantiate it based on qualitative data collected among German Internet users.

Bucher, Eliane; Fieseler, Christian & Lutz, Christoph (2016)

What's mine is yours (for a nominal fee) – Exploring the spectrum of utilitarian to altruistic motives for Internet-mediated sharing

Computers in Human Behavior, 62, s. 316- 326. Doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2016.04.002

In this contribution, we scrutinize the diverse motives for internet-mediated sharing as well as their role in shaping attitudes towards sharing one's possessions in commercialized as well as non-commercialized settings. On the basis of qualitative and quantitative research, we first develop a scale of sharing motives, showing that the reasons for participating in online sharing platforms are more nuanced than previously thought. Second, employing a motivational model of sharing, rooted in the theory of planned behavior, we show that sharing attitudes are driven by moral, social-hedonic and monetary motivations. Furthermore, we identify materialism, sociability and volunteering as predictors of sharing motives in different sharing contexts. Against this background, we explore the possible role of monetary incentives as a necessary but not sufficient condition for sharing one's possessions with others

Hoffmann, Christian Pieter; Lutz, Christoph & Meckel, Miriam (2016)

A relational altmetric? Network centrality on ResearchGate as an indicator of scientific impact

Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 67(4), s. 765- 775. Doi: 10.1002/asi.23423

Social media are becoming increasingly popular in scientific communication. A range of platforms, such as academic social networking sites (SNS), are geared specifically towards the academic community. Proponents of the altmetrics approach have pointed out that new media allow for new avenues of scientific impact assessment. Traditional impact measures based on bibliographic analysis have long been criticized for overlooking the relational dynamics of scientific impact. We therefore propose an application of social network analysis to researchers' interactions on an academic social networking site to generate potential new metrics of scientific impact. Based on a case study conducted among a sample of Swiss management scholars, we analyze how centrality measures derived from the participants' interactions on the academic SNS ResearchGate relate to traditional, offline impact indicators. We find that platform engagement, seniority, and publication impact contribute to members' indegree and eigenvector centrality on the platform, but less so to closeness or betweenness centrality. We conclude that a relational approach based on social network analyses of academic SNS, while subject to platform-specific dynamics, may add richness and differentiation to scientific impact assessment.

Lutz, Christoph (2016)

A Social Milieu Approach to the Online Participation Divides in Germany

Social Media + Society, 2(1), s. 1- 14. Doi: 10.1177/2056305115626749

Hoffmann, Christian Pieter; Lutz, Christoph & Meckel, Miriam (2015)

Digital Natives or Digital Immigrants? The Impact of User Characteristics on Online Trust

Journal of Management Information Systems, 31(3), s. 138- 171. Doi: 10.1080/07421222.2014.995538

Hoffmann, Christian Pieter & Lutz, Christoph (2015)

The impact of online media on stakeholder engagement and the governance of corporations

Journal of Public Affairs, 15(2), s. 163- 174. Doi: 10.1002/pa.1535

Hoffmann, Christian Pieter; Lutz, Christoph, Meckel, Miriam & Ranzini, Giulia (2015)

Diversity by Choice: Applying a Social Cognitive Perspective to the Role of Public Service Media in the Digital Age

International Journal of Communication, 9, s. 1360- 1381.

Hoffmann, Christian Pieter; Lutz, Christoph & Meckel, Miriam (2015)

Content creation on the Internet: A social cognitive perspective on the participation divide

Information, Communication & Society, 18(6), s. 696- 716. Doi: 10.1080/1369118X.2014.991343

Lutz, Christoph; Hoffmann, Christian Pieter & Meckel, Miriam (2014)

Beyond just politics: A systematic literature review of online participation

First Monday, 19(7) Doi: 10.5210/fm.v19i7.5260

Lutz, Christoph; Ranzini, Giulia & Meckel, Miriam (2014)

Stress 2.0: Social Media Overload Among Swiss Teenagers

Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Purpose Technostress and information overload are serious challenges of the information age. An alarming number of people exhibit dangerously intensive media consumption, while Internet and mobile phone addictions are a widespread phenomenon. At the same time, new media overexposure among young people is understudied, even more so when social network sites are concerned. Methodology/approach This study explores how feelings of overexposure and stress relate to the self-expressive needs of teenagers. It presents and discusses the results of a large-scale survey conducted during an exhibition on media overload in Switzerland. A total of 6,989 adolescents provided answers on their media overload and stress. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to quantify the influence of demographic characteristics on social network site related stress. Findings While only a minority of 13 percent of respondents feels stressed by social network sites, more than one third has the feeling of spending too much time on such platforms. Age, gender, and language background (French vs. German speaking) shape the overload propensity, with older, male and French-speaking teenagers most at risk for social network site stress. Social implications The study proposes that social divides exist in teenagers’ ability to cope with a specific affordance of social network sites, namely their constant status updates and potential of overexposure. Furthermore, it reflects upon the relation between identity performance and stress. Originality of chapter The chapter is one of the first to investigate social network site overload with a broad sample approach, quantifying antecedents of the phenomenon.

Lutz, Christoph; Gmyrek, Pawel & Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie (2024)

A Technological Construction of Society: Comparing GPT-4 and Human Respondents for Occupational Evaluation in the UK

[Academic lecture]. 74th ICA Annual Conference.

Large language models (LLMs) such as GPT-4 have raised questions about the changing nature of work. Research has started to investigate how this technology affects labor markets and might replace or augment different types of jobs. Beyond their economic implications in the world of work, there are important sociological questions about how LLMs connect to subjective evaluations of work, such as the prestige and perceived social value of different occupations, and how the widespread use of LLMs perpetuate often biased views on the labor markets reflected in their training datasets. Despite initial research on LLMs’ world model, their inherent biases, attitudes and personalities, we lack evidence on how LLMs themselves evaluate occupations as well as how well they emulate the occupational evaluations of human evaluators. We present a systematic comparison of GPT-4 occupational evaluations with those from an in-depth, high-quality and recent survey in the UK context. Our findings indicate that GPT-4 and human scores are highly correlated across all ISCO-08 major groups for prestige and social value. At the same time, GPT-4 substantially under- or overestimates the occupational prestige and social value of many occupations, particularly emerging occupations as well as stigmatized or contextual ones. In absolute terms, GPT-4 scores are more generous than those of the human respondents. Our analyses show both the potentials and risks of using LLM-generated data for occupational research. We also discuss the policy implications of our findings for the integration of LLM tools into the world of work.

Lutz, Christoph & Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie (2024)

Bits, Bytes, Badges of Honour: Assessing the Prestige and Social Value of Digital Economy Occupations

[Academic lecture]. 74th ICA Annual Conference.

With the emergence of the digital economy, the occupational landscape in many countries has undergone major transformations. Researchers have begun to investigate the economic impacts and working conditions of nascent digital economy occupations, such as app-based food delivery couriers, social media influencers, and cryptocurrency miners. However, how these occupations are evaluated in terms of their prestige and social value remains a pressing question, particularly as societal evaluations are significant determinants of occupational self-selection, identification, and remuneration. To address this gap, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the societal evaluations of 76 digital economy occupations in the United Kingdom, examining both perceived prestige and perceived social value. Based on two large-scale generalizable surveys, we show that most of these nascent digital economy occupations are low-prestige and score substantially lower in their perceived social value than comparable non-digital economy occupations. However, large variations in social perceptions exist along socio-economic and attitudinal antecedents.

Lutz, Christoph (2023)

How will artificial intelligence affect our work life?

[Popular scientific article]. BI Business Review

Gmyrek, Pawel; Lutz, Christoph & Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie (2023)

A Technological Construction of Society: Comparing GPT-4 and Human Respondents in Occupational Evaluation

[Academic lecture]. ILO Research Seminar.

Lutz, Christoph (2023)

The Digital Economy in Perspective: Occupational Evaluations and the Rise of Generative AI

[Academic lecture]. Henley Business School Early Career Researcher Seminar.

Lutz, Christoph; Hoffmann, Christian Pieter & Ranzini, Giulia (2023)

Privacy Cynicism and Agency Constraints in the Platform Society

[Academic lecture]. Meeting of COST Action 19121 "Network on Privacy-Aware Audio- and Video-Based Applications for Active and Assisted Living (GoodBrother)".

Lutz, Christoph & Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie (2023)

The Organizational Shaping of Inequalities in Intelligent Technologies: Spanning Disciplinary Boundaries

[Academic lecture]. IAMCR Annual Conference.

Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie & Lutz, Christoph (2023)

External Perceptions of the Digital Economy: Occupational Social Value and Occupational Prestige

[Academic lecture]. 39th EGOS Colloquium.

Lutz, Christoph; Hoffmann, Christian Pieter & Ranzini, Giulia (2023)

Privacy cynicism and agency constraints in the datafied society

[Academic lecture]. Data Justice Conference.

Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie & Lutz, Christoph (2023)

Examining the Societal Perceptions of Digital Economy Occupations in the United Kingdom: Occupational Prestige and Social Value

[Academic lecture]. Disrupting Technology: Contextualising Continuity and Change in Technology, Work and Employment Conference.

Enabled by technological developments, wide-scale industrial change, and socio-cultural shifts, the occupational landscape in many countries has seen major transformations in recent decades. A key change is the emergence of the digital economy, with new occupations such as app-based food delivery courier, social media influencer, cryptocurrency miner, artificial intelligence trainer, data protection officer, and e-commerce seller. Researchers across disciplines have started to investigate these occupations, but the literature is scattered and a comprehensive mapping of the external evaluation of digital economy occupations is missing. To address this, we provide an in-depth analysis of the perceptions of 76 digital economy occupations in the United Kingdom. Based on two large-scale, generalisable surveys with 2429 respondents, we show that many digital economy occupations are not very prestigious and score substantially lower in their perceived social value than comparable non-digital economy occupations. However, large variations in social perceptions exist depending on the occupation group. We clustered the 76 digital economy occupations into nine occupation groups, including 1) six occupations in the gig economy (e.g., App-Based Ride-Hail Driver); 2) nine occupations in online freelancing (e.g., Online Freelance Graphic Designer); 3) eleven occupations in social media (e.g., Social Media Travel Influencer); 4) three occupations in fintech (e.g., Cryptocurrency Miner); 5) ten occupations in data entry, validation, and trading (e.g., Online Microworker); 6) twelve occupations in digital development and design (e.g., Machine Learning Programmer); 7) eleven IT professionals occupations (e.g., Data Scientist); 8) nine occupations in digital marketing and sales (e.g., E-Commerce Manager); and 9) five occupations in technology entrepreneurship (e.g., Technology Start-Up Founder). Our analysis also covers occupations that are less socially accepted and stigmatised such as Online Pornographic Content Creator, Spam Email Writer and Online Drug Dealer. Of these nine occupation groups, the later ones – especially groups 6 Digital Development and Design and 7 IT Professionals – have considerably higher occupational prestige and perceived occupational social value. Particularly low scores were given to occupations that are in the spotlight, such as social media occupations (e.g., Beauty Blogger), fintech occupations (e.g., Cryptocurrency Trader), gig economy occupations (e.g., App-Based Food Delivery Courier), and customer-oriented sales (e.g., Email Marketer). Overall, the digital economy in the UK suffers from an image deficit. Only 15 occupations (19.74%) scored higher in occupational social value than occupational prestige. We also found considerable variation in social perceptions along socio-economic and attitudinal lines, with ethnic minority, younger and more urban respondents assessing digital economy occupations more favourably. These findings add a new dimension to nascent research into the quality of work in these sectors. Of special interest are the generally low perceived social value scores in the digital economy, which contributes to the ongoing discourse around the expansion of jobs considered socially ‘useless’.

Lutz, Christoph & Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie (2023)

The Organizational Shaping of AI Inequalities

[Academic lecture]. "AI and Emerging Technologies: Beyond the Hype" Workshop.

Angulo-Brunet, Ariadna; Lutz, Christoph & Soto-Sanfiel, Maria Teresa (2023)

Development of a Comprehensive AI Literacy Scale for General Audiences

[Academic lecture]. 73rd ICA Annual Conference.

Lutz, Christoph; Majetić, Filip, Miguel, Cristina, Perez Vega, Rodrigo & Jones, Brian (2023)

The Perceived Impacts of Short-Term Rental Platforms: Comparing the United States and United Kingdom

[Academic lecture]. 73rd ICA Annual Conference.

Short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb have enjoyed considerable success in recent years. However, critics accuse the platforms of having negative impacts, leading to gentrification, disruption, and increased rent/house prices. While research has investigated actual impacts of short-term rental platforms, we lack systematic, generalizable, and comparative evidence on the perceived impacts of such platforms. To address this shortcoming, we conducted a representative survey in the US and UK with a holistic set of perceived impacts. US residents assess short-term rental platforms more positively than UK residents, especially for recreational, amenities-oriented and economic impacts. Among respondents who have used short-term rental platforms as guests, the perceptions are more alike between the two countries, suggesting a homogenization effect.

Masur, Philipp; Lutz, Christoph, Quinn, Kelly, Epstein, Dmitry, Wilhelm, Carsten & Baruh, Lemi (2023)

Conceptualizing Comparative Privacy Research

[Academic lecture]. 73rd ICA Annual Conference.

This presentation outlines a comparative privacy research framework anchored in five interrelated axes along which privacy can be analyzed comparatively: cultural, social, political, economic, and technological. Based on the work of the Comparative Privacy Research Network, including several workshops and pre-conferences, the presentation then offers potential directions for how this framework might be applied, showing the advantages of comparative privacy through exemplary cases. Finally, the following presentations and all panelists are introduced.

Miguel, Cristina; Lutz, Christoph, Majetić, Filip, Perez Vega, Rodrigo & Sanchez-Razo, Miguel (2023)

'Life Is Not All About Work': Self-(Re)Presentation of Digital Nomads' Values and Lifestyle on Instagram

[Academic lecture]. 73rd ICA Annual Conference.

Digital nomads are highly mobile professionals who work while traveling and travel while working. Their lifestyle has gained increasing academic attention, also from a communication perspective. Digital tools in general and social media in particular constitute an important part of digital nomads’ routines, with many of them frequently engaged in private-facing (e.g., WhatsApp, Snapchat), community-facing (e.g., Facebook groups, MeetUp), and public-facing (e.g., Twitter, Instagram) platforms. Despite initial work on the topic, little is known about the self-presentation and self-branding practices of digital nomads on social media. To address this lack of evidence and focusing on Instagram as a key platform for this group, we adopt a Goffmanian perspective. We provide an in-depth analysis of qualitative interviews with DNs on their self-presentational practices, specifically their content strategies, use of platform affordances, and imagined audience. The interviews include photo elicitation as a central element and are complemented by a computational content analysis of the interviewees’ Instagram posts (both image and text data). The findings show how digital nomads highlight independence and freedom, de-emphasize work in favour of leisure and travel, greatly value the flexibility and ephemerality of the Stories feature, and develop audience management strategies that are mindful of the imagined audiences’ situation, while trying to foster reliability and authenticity.

Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie & Lutz, Christoph (2023)

The Occupational Prestige and Perceived Social Value of Digital Economy Occupations

[Academic lecture]. 73rd ICA Annual Conference.

Lutz, Christoph; Xu, Meihe, Tamò-Larrieux, Aurelia, Guitton, Clement & Chan, Shawnkit (2023)

Personalized Transparency: A Scoping Review of Approaches to Personalized Privacy Disclosures

[Academic lecture]. ICA Preconference "Building the Conditions for Responsible Human-Centric AI Systems".

Personalization is on the rise, driven by advancements in AI, big data, and computing. In the 1990s, Google found success by selling personalized advertising to marketers, paving the way for others to follow suit. Recently, there have been breakthroughs in personalized healthcare, customizing treatments based on a person’s genetics and other factors. In the legal field, the idea of personalized law, where laws are tailored to specific situations or characteristics, is also being explored. Our focus in this contribution is on personalized transparency disclosures in privacy and data protection. The goal is to present privacy notices in a way that is tailored to the user, with the aim of increasing effectiveness. But the question remains: Can privacy notices be personalized and if so, how effective is this customization? What factors should be considered when personalizing privacy policies and disclosures? To answer these questions, we conducted a systematic scoping review of the literature on personalized privacy notices. We examined studies on user perceptions of personalization and its impact on outcomes like trust and satisfaction. After reviewing over 2000 Google Scholar entries, we selected 54 relevant texts to closely analyze, based on stringent exclusion criteria and common protocols for systematic literature reviews. We organized these texts into distinct categories based on their focus, such as empirical vs. non-empirical, different contexts of application, and key stakeholders. We also distilled broader themes, using a SOR process model to structure the themes into: - Triggers - What drives the personalization of privacy notices? - Operationalization - How is privacy personalized in practice, for example through machine learning? - Outputs - How do personalized privacy notices affect outcomes such as trust and satisfaction? We are in the final stages of the review and synthesis process. The disciplines involved in the study of personalized transparency for privacy notices include information systems (e.g., Awad & Krishnan, 2006), communication and media studies (e.g., Segijn et al., 2021), computer science and machine learning (e.g., Chang et al., 2019), human-computer interaction (e.g., Eslami et al., 2018) and law (e.g., Porat & Strahilevitz, 2013). If accepted at the pre-conference, we will present the finalized study and discuss the implications personalized transparency can have from an individual but also from a societal perspective, connecting the findings to emerging policy and legal discourse, for example in AI regulation and ethics.

Lutz, Christoph (2023)

Privacy Cynicism and Digital Resignation in the Context of Smart Speakers

[Academic lecture]. Voice Assistants in Private Homes Conference.

Smart speakers are a key consumer-facing application of artificial intelligence. They have been widely adopted but raise substantial privacy risks, for example in terms of data protection and peer surveillance (Maccario & Naldo, 2023). In the context of other digital technologies, such as social media and e-commerce platforms, extant research has noted privacy cynicism (Hoffmann et al., 2016; Lutz et al., 2020), privacy apathy (Hargittai & Marwick, 2016), surveillance realism (Dencik & Cable, 2017), privacy fatigue (Choi et al., 2018) or digital resignation (Draper & Turow, 2019) as an emerging theme. While slightly different, each of these concepts describes the pronounced power asymmetries between users and institutions, especially digital businesses such as Alphabet/Google, Amazon, and Meta or governments. Users report feelings of powerlessness, uncertainty, mistrust and resignation around their (digital) privacy in relation to these institutions. Based on a survey of smart speaker users in the United Kingdom, Lutz and Newlands (2021) apply such notions of privacy cynicism or digital resignation to smart speakers. However, their analysis does not thoroughly discuss the larger political economy of privacy around smart speakers. In this contribution we address this issue by contextualizing user attitudes of cynicism or resignation in the socio-technical and socio-political eco-system of smart speakers. We reflect on how certain agency constellations, especially cultural, technological, political, and economic ones, foster cynicism as a relatively rational user reaction on the individual level. For example, in technological terms, the opacity of the technology, its interoperability within larger datafication streams, and the intuitive conversational design, which de-prioritizes privacy issues, all create fertile conditions for privacy cynicism. The presentation goes through different contextual factors and agency constellations, thus situating privacy cynicism in the context of smart speakers. - Choi, H., Park, J., & Jung, Y. (2018). The role of privacy fatigue in online privacy behavior. Computers in Human Behavior, 81, 42-51. - Dencik, L., & Cable, J. (2017). The advent of surveillance realism: Public opinion and activist responses to the Snowden leaks. International Journal of Communication, 11, 763-781. - Draper, N. A., & Turow, J. (2019). The corporate cultivation of digital resignation. New Media & Society, 21(8), 1824-1839. - Hargittai, E., & Marwick, A. (2016). “What can I really do?” Explaining the privacy paradox with online apathy. International Journal of Communication, 10, 3737-3757. - Hoffmann, C. P., Lutz, C., & Ranzini, G. (2016). Privacy cynicism: A new approach to the privacy paradox. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 10(4), article 7. - Lutz, C., Hoffmann, C. P., & Ranzini, G. (2020). Data capitalism and the user: An exploration of privacy cynicism in Germany. New Media & Society, 22(7), 1168-1187. - Lutz, C., & Newlands, G. (2021). Privacy and smart speakers: A multi-dimensional approach. The Information Society, 37(3), 147-162. - Maccario, G., & Naldi, M. (2023). Privacy in smart speakers: A systematic literature review. Security and Privacy, 6(1), e274.

Lutz, Christoph (2022)

Are you paying to be under surveillance?

[Popular scientific article]. BI Business Review

Lutz, Christoph (2022)

User Privacy and the Digital Society: Cynicism in the Face of Emerging Technologies

[Academic lecture]. Analysis of Social and Economic Processes (ASEP) Colloquium Series.

The concept of privacy cynicism will be discussed as a cognitive coping mechanism to the complex privacy landscape users are confronted with in digital societies. The concept will be contextualized within the privacy paradox and privacy calculus literature, offering a definition, and exploring its four dimensions (mistrust, powerlessness, uncertainty, resignation). Privacy cynicism will be contrasted with privacy apathy (Hargittai & Marwick, 2016), surveillance realism (Dencik & Cable, 2017), privacy fatigue (Choi et al., 2018), and privacy helplessness (Cho, 2021). Privacy cynicism will then be connected to constraints to user agency that pertain to emerging technologies such as social media, artificial intelligence and the Internet-of-things. An agenda for future research on the topic will be proposed at the end of the seminar.

Laamanen, Mikko; Stocker, Volker & Lutz, Christoph (2022)

New Perspectives on the Digital Economy: Sharing, Platforms & Regulation

[Academic lecture]. Online Symposium "New Perspectives on the Digital Economy: Sharing, Platforms & Regulation".

Costa, Janaina; Perrone, Christian, Bottino, Celina, Cortesi, Sandra, Esayas, Samson Yoseph, Lutz, Christoph & Pather, Shaun (2022)

Inclusive AI regulation: Perspectives from four continents

[Academic lecture]. Internet Governance Forum 2022.

The diffusion of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the daily life of several societies urge regulations that embrace its global character, with a lens for inclusion and diversity, so that technology works as a tool for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In view of the benefits and harms of AI, it is imperative to focus on propositional debates, in order to enhance the positive aspects and diminish the destructive potential of technology through regulation. This panel should follow on a major global endeavor from the proponents and will bring multiple perspectives and regulatory backgrounds to debate the relationship between inclusion and AI regulation. The aim is to leverage globally diverse viewpoints, and practical experience, thereby contributing to the development of regulatory efforts of AI technologies to foster inclusion and diversity. The main questions to be addressed on the panel are: What are the salient concerns and drivers of the AI governance discourse related to inclusion and diversity in your region? Are the main stakeholders participating in the debate on AI regulation? Are their aspirations contemplated? Are there outside key actors who should be included in the regulatory and governance process? What do you think other regions can learn from the initiatives and responses from your region? How do you see (and hope to see) the discourse developing in your region in the coming years? The session will explore a two part methodology, one thought-provoking experience and a second interactive. In the first part, the dynamic will be an exchange between the panelists, focusing on the proposed questions from their regional perspectives. In the second part, the floor will be opened to the audience. Individuals will be able to bring forward their perceptions regarding the future of inclusive regulation for AI. Throughout the whole session, there will be a digital mural where people may present their views of inclusive regulation of AI. The moderator and the rapporteur will be in charge of cataloging the perceptions and insights noted starting with the 4 speakers and moving on with the speakers. In the end we should have a cloud of words and map of perceptions.

Ake-Kob, Alin; Aleksic, Slavisa, Alexin, Zoltán, Blaževičienė,, Aurelija, Čartolovni, Anto, Colonna, Liane, Fedosov, Anton, Dantas, Carina, Fosch-Villaronga, Eduard, Florez-Revuelta, Francisco, He, Zhicheng, Jevremović, Aleksandar, Klimczuk, Andrzej, Lambrinos Lambros, Maksymilian, Lutz, Christoph, Malešević, Anamaria, Mekovec, Renata, Miguel, Cristina, Mujirishvili, Tamar, Pajalic, Zada, Perez Vega, Rodrigo, Pierscionek, Barbara K., Ravi, Siddarth, Sarf, Pika, Solanas, Augusti & Tamò-Larrieux,, Aurelia (2022)

Position paper on ethical, legal and social challenges linked to audio- and video-based AAL solutions

[Popular scientific article]. Zendo Doi: 10.5281/zenodo.7326184 - Full text in research archive

Lutz, Christoph (2022)

Comparative Privacy Research: Countries as a Basis of Comparison

[Academic lecture]. Minvera-Gentner Symposium "Studying a concept in disarray: Cross-cultural, comparative analysis of digital privacy".

Lutz, Christoph (2022)

Towards Transparency by Design

[Academic lecture]. Global Summit on Responsible AI.

Lutz, Christoph (2022)

Digital Inequalities and Organizational Inequalities: Closing Missing Links

[Academic lecture]. 72nd ICA Annual Conference.

Organizational research has become increasingly interested in inequality as a topic. In parallel, research in communication and sociology has investigated digital inequalities in the form of unequal access to digital technology, differentiated digital skills and uses, as well as stratified outcomes from digital technology between different social groups. On their own, however, both organizational inequalities research and digital inequalities research have deficits. Organizational inequalities research has focused strongly on visible inequalities, for example those pertaining to gender, race and ethnicity, but largely neglected invisible or hidden inequalities. Moreover, while organizational research more generally increasingly deals with aspects and contexts of digital transformation, this rarely happens from an inequalities perspective. Digital inequalities research, by contrast, neglects the embeddedness of individuals into larger collectives and seldom considers work-related and organizational factors. Bringing organizational inequalities research and digital inequalities research into conversation leads to fruitful results. To bridge the two research streams, I develop a framework that foregrounds important inequality implications of digital technology in organizational settings. The framework has two dimensions and structures existing scholarship into six thematic areas. To synthesize, I use affordances theory and carve out how digital technology in organizational settings perpetuates or increases inequalities, rather than reducing them. Finally, the article concludes with recommendations for managers and policymakers to reduce digital inequalities as well as a forward-looking research agenda.

Lutz, Christoph; Ranzini, Giulia & Hoffmann, Christian Pieter (2022)

Privacy Apathy, Fatigue, Cynicism, Digital Resignation and Adjacent Concepts: An Overview of Concepts and Findings

[Academic lecture]. 72nd ICA Annual Conference.

In recent years, researchers have documented attitudes of apathy, cynicism, fatigue, and resignation among lay users, in relation to their online privacy. Many individuals feel powerless and overwhelmed when confronted with the platform economy and data capitalism. On the one hand, these individuals are concerned about their privacy and personal data. On the other hand, they face social and economic pressure for digital inclusion; that is, they find it hard to abstain from dominant online applications. As a coping mechanism, some users have adopted attitudes of privacy cynicism, apathy, or resignation. A scattered landscape of studies has conceptualized this phenomenon from different theoretical lenses. In this contribution, we provide an overview of the key concepts and their foundations, interrelations and distinctions, empirical findings, and current research directions relating to privacy apathy, cynicism, fatigue, and digital resignation. Thus, we set the scene for the following contributions in the panel.

Ake-Kob, Alin; Blazeviciene, Aurelija, Colonna, Liane, Čartolovni, Anto, Colantonio, Sara, Dantas, Carina, Fedosov, Anton, Florez-Revuelta, Francisco, Fosch-Villaronga, Eduard, He, Zhicheng, Klimczuk, Andrzej, Kuźmicz,, Maksymilian, Lukács, Adrienn, Lutz, Christoph, Mordini, Emilio, Mekovec, Renata, Pajalic, Zada, Pierscionek, Barbara Krystyna, Santofimia Romero, Maria Jose, Ali Salah, Albert, Sobecki, Andrzej, Solanas, Augusti & Tamò-Larrieux, Aurelija (2021)

State of the art on ethical, legal, and social issues linked to audio- and videobased AAL solutions

[Report]. https://goodbrother.eu/publications/.

Abstract Ambient assisted living (AAL) technologies are increasingly presented and sold as essential smart additions to daily life and home environments that will radically transform the healthcare and wellness markets of the future. An ethical approach and a thorough understanding of all ethics in surveillance/monitoring architectures are therefore pressing. AAL poses many ethical challenges raising questions that will affect immediate acceptance and long-term usage. Furthermore, ethical issues emerge from social inequalities and their potential exacerbation by AAL, accentuating the existing access gap between high-income countries (HIC) and low and middle-income countries (LMIC). Legal aspects mainly refer to the adherence to existing legal frameworks and cover issues related to product safety, data protection, cybersecurity, intellectual property, and access to data by public, private, and government bodies. Successful privacy-friendly AAL applications are needed, as the pressure to bring Internet of Things (IoT) devices and ones equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) quickly to market cannot overlook the fact that the environments in which AAL will operate are mostly private (e.g., the home). The social issues focus on the impact of AAL technologies before and after their adoption. Future AAL technologies need to consider all aspects of equality such as gender, race, age and social disadvantages and avoid increasing loneliness and isolation among, e.g. older and frail people. Finally, the current power asymmetries between the target and general populations should not be underestimated nor should the discrepant needs and motivations of the target group and those developing and deploying AAL systems. Whilst AAL technologies provide promising solutions for the health and social care challenges, they are not exempt from ethical, legal and social issues (ELSI). A set of ELSI guidelines is needed to integrate these factors at the research and development stage. Keywords Ethical principles, Privacy, Assistive Living Technologies, Privacy by Design, General Data Protection Regulation.

Halvorsen, Trond; Lutz, Christoph & Barstad, Johan (2021)

The Sharing Economy in Norway: Emerging Trends and Debates

Klimczuk, Andrzej; Česnuitytė, Vida & Avram, Gabriela (red.). The Collaborative Economy in Action: European Perspectives

2019 was a year when the sharing economy and collaborative consumption was starting to make a significant impact on Norwegian society and way of life. With international hospitality and mobility services leading the way, several home-grown digital platforms also saw noticeable growth in users and income. New legislation was put in place to support an orderly transition to an economy that makes better use of idle resources. While the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 has dealt a major temporary setback to this development, this chapter documents how the Norwegian economy was experiencing rapid change that may soon return.

Fosch-Villaronga, Eduard; Tamò-Larrieux, Aurelia & Lutz, Christoph (2021)

Artountability: Accountability, AI, and Art

[Academic lecture]. 14th International Conference on Computers, Privacy and Data Protection (CPDP).

This panel combined perspectives on Art, Society, & Technology. In particular, it focused on artistic perspectives on algorithmic accountability. The panel started with an overview of how the Arts play an essential role in intervening in critical social issues, such as labor politics, privacy, and education. The panel then drew attention to a specific case scenario, i.e., urban algorithmic accountability. It then engaged with the digitization of cities and how municipal data professionals can give testimony of algorithmic-based decisions that affect citizens. The panel closed with artistic perspectives on transparency and the role that education plays in stressing the importance of being accountable in an increasingly algorithmic society. The panel discussion was divided into three clusters: - The Interplay of Art, Society and Technology - Algorithmic Accountability and Art - Art, Education, and Responsibility The panel was organized and moderated by Eduard-Fosch Villaronga (Leiden University), Aurelia Tamò-Larrieux, and Christoph Lutz. The invited speakers were: Lucas Evers (WAAG Foundation, NL), Fiona McDermott (University of Dublin, IE), Peter Booth (BI Norwegian Business School, NO), Piera Riccio (Oslo Metropolitan University and MetaLAB at Harvard, NO/US), Vincent Rioux (National Superior School of Fine Arts, FR), Maranke Wieringa (Utrecht University, Datafied Society, NL).

Lutz, Christoph & Hoffmann, Christian Pieter (2021)

The Role of Privacy Concerns in Online Political Participation

[Academic lecture]. 71st ICA Annual Conference.

Recent research on online political participation highlights how online platforms may facilitate or encumber political participation. Especially for multi-purpose platforms such as Facebook, where users may be subject to context collapse, issues of adequate self-presentation arise. The diversity of multiple audiences engenders privacy concerns, particularly when controversial political issues are at play. In this contribution, we add to existing research on digital inequalities in online political participation by focusing on privacy concerns as a critical construct. We use a survey of German Internet users to test the effect of privacy concerns on online political participation. Contrary to initial expectations, privacy concerns are found to increase political participation. As privacy concerns are spread quite evenly throughout the population, they contribute little to the socioeconomic stratification of online political participation. Social media use, however, exerts a strong positive effect on political participation, and differs significantly among socioeconomic segments of the population.

Büchi, Moritz; Fosch-Villaronga, Eduard, Lutz, Christoph, Tamò-Larrieux, Aurelia, Velidi, Shruthi & Viljoen, Salome (2021)

Algorithmic Disillusionment: Perceptions of Algorithmic Profiling on Facebook

[Academic lecture]. 71st ICA Annual Conference.

Algorithmic profiling has become increasingly common, affecting many social fields and practices, including finance, marketing, the law, cultural consumption and production, as well as socializing. Research has started to investigate algorithmic profiling from various perspectives. However, socio-technical studies of algorithmic profiling that consider users themselves as key agents, and their awareness, knowledge, opinions, and imaginaries of algorithmic profiling, are still scarce. In this article, we follow up on existing user-centered research on algorithmic profiling and focus on social media. More specifically, we present the results of an online survey geared towards understanding the perceptions of algorithmic profiling in the context of Facebook. We rely on rich qualitative accounts as well as quantitative data of around 300 Facebook users in the United States and their reactions to their “Your interests” and “Your categories” sections on Facebook. The results show a broad variety of reactions to Facebook’s (portrayal of) algorithmic profiling, ranging from shock and surprise, to accounts of how superficial – and in some cases inaccurate – the profiles created by Facebook are. Taken together, our study paints a picture of algorithmic disillusionment among Facebook users.

Lutz, Christoph & Hoffmann, Christian Pieter (2021)

Digital Inequalities across Online Fields: Applying Bourdieu's Sociological Theory to the Study of Platforms as Critical Social Infrastructure

[Academic lecture]. 71st ICA Annual Conference.

Lutz, Christoph & Tamò-Larrieux, Aurelia (2021)

Is There a Privacy Paradox for Social Robots? Evidence From an Experimental Vignette Study

[Academic lecture]. 71st ICA Annual Conference.

While the privacy implications of social robots have been increasingly discussed and privacy-sensitive robotics is becoming a research field within human-robot interaction, little research has tested the privacy paradox in this context. Thus, we have limited knowledge how privacy concerns in the context of social robots transfer into behavioral intentions. To address this gap, we present the results of an experimental vignette study that includes antecedents from the privacy, robotics, technology adoption, and trust literature. Using linear regression analysis, with the privacy-invasiveness of a fictional but realistic robot as the key manipulation, we show that privacy concerns affect use intention significantly and negatively. The privacy paradox is therefore not supported in our research. Compared to earlier work done through a survey, where we found a robot privacy paradox, the experimental vignette approach allows for a more realistic and tangible assessment of respondents’ concerns and behavioral intentions. We contextualize our findings within broader debates on privacy and data protection with smart technologies.

Lutz, Christoph & Fieseler, Christian (2020)

What is your data worth?

[Popular scientific article]. BI Business Review

Lutz, Christoph (2020)

Rich get richer, also in the platform economy

[Popular scientific article]. BI Business Review

Fosch Villaronga, Eduard; Tamò-Larrieux, Aurelia & Lutz, Christoph (2020)

Overtrusting Robots

[Academic lecture]. Workshop at 29th IEEE International Conference on Robot & Human Interactive Communication (RoMan).

We are living in a time where we increasingly rely on algorithmic systems for a multitude of activities. Simple activities, such as finding the nearest shared bike on an app, and more complex ones, such as voting or getting a job, are often directly affected by decision-making processes carried out by algorithms. Thus, as a society, we need to trust that the systems run correctly and that we can rely upon them. The case of autonomous vehicles or surgery robots very intuitively illustrates this need for trust in automation. Yet, while many researchers and policymakers highlight the importance of trust in a (robotically) mediated world, comparatively little research exists on what happens when too much trust is placed in robots. Therefore, we call for new research on overtrust and automation biases. In this workshop, we will investigate what happens when trust becomes overtrust and automation bias seeps in. We will analyze scenarios when trust in automation becomes destructive for an individual, groups of individuals, and society at large, in particular when such overtrust leads to physical (e.g., injuries, damages) and psychological (e.g., manipulation) consequences. Upon this basis we will determine the policy implications of our findings and set a research agenda that we will publish as an expert opinion. The workshop will bring together a group of researchers across disciplines and practitioners interested in sharing their knowledge and expertise on how to address the topic of overtrust in robots. We welcome input statements from researchers that have studied trust in robots, experts from the HRI and HCI communities, experts in NLP, design, psychology, and the social sciences including ethics, law, sociology, and philosophy.

Tamò-Larrieux, Aurelia; Fosch Villaronga, Eduard, Velidi, Shruthi, Viljoen, Salome, Lutz, Christoph & Büchi, Moritz (2020)

Perceptions of Algorithmic Profiling on Facebook and their Social Implications

[Academic lecture]. Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) Annual Conference.

With every digital interaction, individuals are increasingly subject to algorithmic profiling, understood as the systematic and purposeful recording and classification of data related to individuals. Large Internet firms, such as Facebook and Google/Alphabet, as well as third-party data brokers collect and combine detailed personal data to create sophisticated profiles for predictive purposes. Research has started to look into people’s perception and engagement of algorithms, showing that many users are unaware of the existence of algorithms, for example those which curate news feeds, and that a majority feels uncomfortable with algorithmic profiling on Facebook. In our research, we investigate perceptions of algorithmic profiling on Facebook by addressing the following questions: What user narratives of profiling on Facebook exist? What reactions do users have when confronted with Facebook’s inferred profiles? What are the social implications of user perceptions of profiling? Drawing on rich and recent survey data from 292 US-based Facebook users, we identified four overarching themes relating to Facebook's profiling activities: uncertainty, naiveté, realism, and fatalism. While the third theme is the most prevalent, Facebook is perceived as very powerful when it comes to algorithmic profiling. However, when confronted with their own profiles through the "My interests" and "My categories" sections in the Facebook Ad preferences menu, many users indicated surprise at how imprecise or even wrong some of the inferred interests and categories were. We discuss the social implications of our findings with regards social exclusion and social justice.

Hoffmann, Christian Pieter & Lutz, Christoph (2020)

Contextualizing the Participation Divide: Digital Inequalities in Politics, Health, Culture, Commerce and Education

[Academic lecture]. 11th International Conference on Social Media & Society.

Boons, Mark; Fieseler, Christian, Lutz, Christoph & Stanoevska-Slabeva, Katarina (2020)

How Cooperative Behaviors Activate Members to Submit Ideas on Crowdsourcing Platforms for Innovation

[Academic lecture]. Academy of Management Annual Meeting.

Crowd-based platform organizations critically depend for their success on the willingness of their registered members to participate and perform in tasks, such as idea generation and innovative problem solving. A widely held assumption is that these platform organizations are successful, because they have such large member bases. For any given task, even though they might require specialist capabilities, someone within the ranks of their members will be able to perform it well. In reality, however, only a fraction of the crowd actively engages with tasks and if that, then in most cases, only for a limited period of time before phasing out of active participation. Crowdsourcing platforms therefore in effect depend heavily on a comparatively small number of active members. In this study, we aim to uncover these dynamics and investigate how members’ experiences with cooperative behaviors on a platform affect their willingness to continue to participate and perform for the platform organization over time. Specifically, we explore how their own commenting and rating behaviors and that of other members affect members’ idea submission behavior over time. Based on the longitudinal analysis of the activity of more than 11,000 crowd members over a period of 9 years, we show that engaging in commenting behavior makes members more likely to start submitting ideas and to continue to do so over a longer period of time."

Lutz, Christoph (2020)

User-Platform Relationships and Regulation in the European Sharing Economy

[Academic lecture]. Talking Europe: Sharing Economy in Croatia and other European Countries.

Lutz, Christoph (2020)

Privacy Issues in Robotics

[Academic lecture]. Against Robot Dystopias - Full-Day Workshop at ICRA2020.

Lutz, Christoph (2020)

Cross-Cultural (Privacy) Research: Opportunities and Challenges

[Academic lecture]. 2020 CPRN – Online Workshop.

Lutz, Christoph & Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie (2020)

(In)Conspicuous Consumption in the On-Demand Economy

[Academic lecture]. Reshaping Work Stockholm.

Lutz, Christoph & Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie (2020)

Glitch Studies and Smart Speakers: A Spotlight on User Experiences of Unexpected Behaviors

[Academic lecture]. 70th ICA Annual Conference.

Ranzini, Giulia; Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie & Lutz, Christoph (2020)

Sharenting and Situational Privacy: A Study on the Instagram-Sharing Behaviors of Parents in the UK and Italy

[Academic lecture]. 70th ICA Annual Conference.

Lutz, Christoph (2019)

What Is the Relationship Between Digital Technologies and Inequality?

[Popular scientific article]. BI Business Review

Lutz, Christoph; Hoffmann, Christian Pieter & Ranzini, Giulia (2019)

Explaining the Privacy Paradox with Privacy Cynicism: Scale Development and Structural Equation Model

[Academic lecture]. 10th International Conference on Social Media & Society.

Lutz, Christoph; Velidi, Shruthi, Tamò-Larrieux, Aurelia, Büchi, Moritz, Fosch Villaronga, Eduard & Viljoen, Salome (2019)

Chilling Effects of Profiling Activities: Exploring the Consequences of Big Data-Driven Surveillance

[Academic lecture]. 10th International Conference on Social Media & Society.

Lutz, Christoph; Hoffmann, Christian Pieter & Ranzini, Giulia (2019)

Powerless and Distrustful, But Not Resigned: An Exploration of Privacy Cynicism in Germany

[Academic lecture]. 69th ICA Annual Conference.

Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie & Lutz, Christoph (2019)

Crowdwork and the mobile underclass: Mobile connectivity on Amazon Mechanical Turk

[Academic lecture]. 69th ICA Annual Conference.

Crowdwork platforms, such as Amazon Mechanical Turk, have had their economic development potential stressed, with workers in the Global South and individuals traditionally excluded from the labor market, such as refugees, targeted for participation. Yet, one aspect that has not received sufficient attention in the debate about the inclusivity of crowdwork is differential usage of devices and access to digital infrastructure. In particular, the role of mobile devices and mobile connectivity in crowdwork is understudied, a particular oversight given the increasing prevalence of mobile-first and mobile-only populations. Drawing on discussions surrounding the mobile underclass and based on a survey of 606 crowd workers in the United States and India, we explore through quantitative and qualitative data whether reliance on mobile devices is detrimental for both the work experience and the economic outcomes of crowdwork. Our results point to substantial inequalities in device use and benefits from crowdwork, both within each country and between the two contexts. We find a negative effect of smartphone use on the financial outcomes of crowdwork in the US, while in both countries mobile-only users seem practically excluded from this type of work. Mobile-first users also face considerable barriers, as mobile crowdwork on Amazon Mechanical Turk comes with huge functional barriers and is discouraged by many requesters. Moreover, the need to invest in infrastructure could increase the inequalities within the workforce.

Lutz, Christoph (2019)

Inequalities in Online Political Participation: The Role of Privacy Concerns

[Academic lecture]. 69th ICA Annual Conference.

Lutz, Christoph; Lamprecht, Helene & Hoffmann, Christian Pieter (2019)

Tinder Together: Collective Uses of Mobile Dating Apps

[Academic lecture]. 69th ICA Annual Conference.

Previous research on mobile dating has investigated user motives, self-presentation, specific user communities, and the affordances of apps such as Tinder and Grindr. However, an understudied aspect is the collective use of mobile dating apps in group settings. We investigate such collective uses through qualitative methods, drawing on in-depth interviews with 12 German-based Tinder users aged 20-34. We find that the primary motive for collective Tinder use is entertainment, where the app is sometimes used ironically to increase the fun factor. Profiles are judged more impulsively and more superficially than during private use. Finally, Tinder is a popular topic of discussion and can thus serve as an ice-breaker for private topics such as love and sexuality.

Lutz, Christoph & Hoffmann, Christian Pieter (2019)

How Privacy Concerns and Social Media Platform Use Affect Online Political Participation in Germany

[Academic lecture]. Weizenbaum Conference.

Digital inequalities research has investigated who engages in online political participation, finding gaps along socioeconomic variables such as gender and education. Recent research has also high-lighted how online platforms may facilitate political participation. Especially for multi-purpose plat-forms such as Facebook, where users are supposed to use their real names, issues of adequate self-presentation arise. The diversity of multiple audiences engenders privacy concerns, particularly when controversial political issues are discussed. We add to existing research on digital inequalities by focusing on privacy concerns as a critical construct. Using a survey of German Internet users, we test the effect of privacy concerns on online political participation. Unexpectedly, privacy concerns in-crease political participation. As privacy concerns are spread evenly throughout the population, they contribute little to the socioeconomic stratification of online political participation. Social media use, however, exerts a strong positive effect on political participation, and differs significantly among socioeconomic groups.

Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie & Lutz, Christoph (2019)

Platform Labor and the Mobile Underclass: Barriers to Participation in the United States and India

[Academic lecture]. Weizenbaum Conference.

Online crowdwork platforms have been praised as powerful vehicles for economic develop-ment, particularly for workers traditionally excluded from the labor market. However, there has been insufficient scrutiny as to the feasibility of crowdwork as an income-source among socio-economically deprived populations. This paper examines device requirements and dif-ferential access to digital infrastructure, both of which act as potential barriers to not only basic participation but also to economic success. Given the increasing prevalence of mobile-first and mobile-only populations, research on this topic aids in understanding the crowdwork ecosystem among differing socio-economic sectors. Based on a survey of 606 crowd workers in the United States and India, this paper uses both quantitative and qualita-tive data to explore whether reliance on mobile devices is detrimental for the economic out-comes of crowdwork. The results point to substantial inequalities in device use and received benefits from crowdwork, within each country and between the two contexts.

Lutz, Christoph & Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie (2018)

How Mobile-Friendly is Crowdwork? Mobile Affordances, Perpetual Contact and Inequalities in the Gig Economy

[Academic lecture]. Reshaping Work in the Platform Economy Conference.

Lampinen, Airi; Lutz, Christoph, Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie, Light, Ann & Immorlica, Nicloe (2018)

Power Struggles in the Digital Economy: Platforms, Workers, and Markets

[Academic lecture]. CSCW'18: The 21st ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing.

This workshop addresses the changing nature of work and the important role of exchange platforms as both intermediaries and managers. It aims to bring together interdisciplinary and critical scholars working on the power dynamics of digitally mediated labor. By doing so, the workshop provides a forum for discussing current and future research opportunities on the digital economy, including the sharing economy, the platform economy, the gig economy, and other adjacent framings. Of particular interest to this workshop is the intersection between worker and provider subjectivities and the roles platforms take in managing work through algorithms and software. Our one-day workshop accommodates up to 20 participants.

Lutz, Christoph & Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie (2018)

Mobile Devices and Crowdwork: A Study of Amazon Mechanical Turk

[Academic lecture]. Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) Annual Conference.

This contribution was part of the panel "Revisiting Perpetual Contact: Global Voices on the Connective Potentials and Constraints of Mobile Media". Below is the description of the overall panel and then a short description of the individual contribution. The theory of "perpetual contact" was initially developed in the age of feature phones to discuss how the availability and portability afforded by mobile phones brings opportunities and risks. Since then, the rapid development of social media, alongside the popularization of smartphones, commercial platforms, media convergence, and wireless connectivity across the globe, has expanded the scope of perpetual contact. Now, more than ever, people can be constantly connected with distant others around the globe. This panel brings together a group of international researchers who examine perpetual contact in light of today’s mobile media. Four contributions, together with a notable area scholar serving as the respondent, raise critical debates and ask the following questions: What are the consequences when perpetual contact intervenes in maintaining relationships with family, friends, and colleagues, as well as the wider local and national community? How do diverse global social and cultural contexts affect experiences of perpetual contact? How does perpetual contact inform social change at personal, interpersonal, economic, political, and industrial levels? The four empirical contributions cover topics as diverse as long-distance nationalism, weak-bond friend maintenance, migrant-workers’ personal network and their mental health, and algorithmic management in the gig economy. Diverse contexts (the Philippines, US, China, Europe, and Taiwan) and methodological approaches (questionnaire survey, in-depth interview, ethnography, and online ethnography) are presented. The panel thus amplifies the voices of individuals with a range of subjectivities while also demonstrating the agency that people across geographies implement when determining how to initiate, sustain, and negotiate perpetual contact. In the individual contribution, we investigate the use of mobile devices in crowdwork, based on two online surveys: one conducted in the US and one done in India. The data is anlyzed based on the "emerging mobile underclass" framework (Napoli and Obar, 2014), which postulates that mobile Internet access is is second class Internet access due to lowered functionality, diminished participation, and less open protocols. The results generally support the emerging mobile underclass framework and point to differences between the US and India. While in both countries functionality constraints prevent the widespread use of mobile devices for crowdwork, in India affordability constraints are much more pronounced than in the US.

Felzmann, Heike; Fosch Villaronga, Eduard, Lutz, Christoph & Tamò-Larrieux, Aurelia (2018)

How Transparent Is your AI? Ethical, Legal, and Societal Understanding of Transparency in the Context of AI

[Academic lecture]. Amsterdam Privacy Conference.

Lutz, Christoph; Ranzini, Giulia & Hoffmann, Christian Pieter (2018)

Powerless and Distrustful, but not Resigned: An Exploration of Privacy Cynicism in Germany

[Academic lecture]. Amsterdam Privacy Conference.

In this contribution, we look at the phenomenon of privacy cynicism in Germany. Privacy cynicism describes an attitude of uncertainty, powerlessness and mistrust towards the handling of personal data by online services, rendering privacy protection behavior subjectively futile. Using data from a large survey in Germany in 2017 (N=1008), we develop an instrument to measure privacy cynicism. Based on a principal component analysis, we identify four dimensions of privacy cynicism towards institutions handling personal data (such as Internet companies): mistrust, uncertainty, powerlessness and resignation. Powerlessness and mistrust are most pronounced and prevalent among the survey respondents, while resignation is the least prevalent dimension.

Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie; Lutz, Christoph & Fieseler, Christian (2018)

Between Pressure and Flexibility: Provider Scheduling in the Sharing Economy

[Academic lecture]. 5th International Conference on Management and Organization.

The sharing economy offers individuals various opportunities to generate additional income through sharing their personal possessions with strangers. The flexibility promised by sharing platforms , to share when and how often individuals prefer, has been highlighted as the key advantage of the sharing economy model. However, for sharing platforms which rely on ongoing and reliable sharing among private individuals, a tension can be observed between platforms encouraging and discouraging this flexibility. Simultaneously, the ostensible flexibility and informality of the sharing economy must increasingly reconcile itself with the reality of overwork and full-time engagement, whereby individuals may face pressure to provide a mixture of platform and individual factors. In this contribution, we conduct an initial exploration into this tension between flexibility and pressure in the sharing economy. Using data across twelve European countries, we differentiate perceptions of flexibility and control among those who share their assets. The findings indicate that perceived pressure to provide varies by country, sharing frequency, motivation, most frequently used platform, and is based on whether individuals depend on the income from sharing. Perceived schedule control varies by age, education, country , and motivation. Taken together, the results show a picture where those most involved and dependent on sharing their assets feel the most pressured, while young, lesser educated providers also have least perceived schedule control. Thus, our study presents providing in the sharing economy as a more hierarchical activity than one might assume based on media and platform narratives.

Bucher, Eliane; Fieseler, Christian, Lutz, Christoph & Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie (2018)

Managing Emotional Labor in the Sharing Economy

[Academic lecture]. Academy of Management Annual Meeting.

In the sharing economy, independent actors routinely get together to co-create service experi-ences. Here, emotional labor plays a central role in creating successful encounters. Little is known about how organizations in the sharing economy instill emotional labor practices among actors outside their direct sphere of influence. Based on a mixed methods approach which combines survey research and correspondence analysis with content analysis, we show first how both providers (hosts, drivers) and consumers (guests, passengers) of the sharing economy engage in emotional labor for the benefit of the overall quality of the sharing experi-ence. Second, we argue that platforms as facilitators of the exchange relationship actively encourage such emotional labor practices – even in the absence of direct formal power – through (hard) design features such as mutual ratings, reward systems and gamification, and through more subtle (soft) normative framing of desirable practices via platform and app guidelines, tips, community sites or blogs.

Lutz, Christoph & Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie (2018)

User Perceptions of Fairness and Regulation in the Sharing Economy

[Academic lecture]. Academy of Management Annual Meeting.

The evolution of the sharing economy over the last decade has ushered in a variety of techno-logical advances, particularly with regard to intelligent matching software and connectivity services. However, these advancements are often framed within a dichotomy of ‘beneficial innovation’ and ‘obstructive regulation’. Although greater insight into the necessity of regula-tion is crucial, current discussions surrounding the merits and desirability of regulation, among policy makers, academics, and platform advocates, are conducted in a top-down fashion. What is often left out is the user perspective - a critical oversight if the purpose regulation is presented as resolving social concerns. In an attempt to resolve this omission, for the context of the sharing economy at least, we therefore examine user perceptions on regulatory desira-bility. In particular, we suggest that one of the most fundamental shapers of a user’s perspec-tive on regulation may be a user’s own experiences of the sharing economy, where a key fac-tor is the perceived fairness of the service. As such, we examine the impact of procedural, interpersonal, and informational fairness perceptions on regulatory desirability, in addition to other demographic and use-based antecedents. Based on a large-scale survey in 12 European countries, we find that procedural fairness has a positive effect on the desire for regulation, while interpersonal fairness has a negative effect. The findings are interpreted in light of the sharing economy, fairness, and regulation literature.

Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie; Lutz, Christoph & Hoffmann, Christian Pieter (2018)

Sharing by Proxy: Invisible Users in the Sharing Economy

[Academic lecture]. Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA).

With the future of work increasingly data-driven, platforms automate decisions based on the collection of vast quantities of user data. However, non-users constitute a challenge as they provide little to no data for either platforms or other users. We focus on a category of (non-)users that has not received any attention in research: users-by-proxy. Users-by-proxy make use of sharing services but they are not themselves part of the sharing transaction. Platforms cannot analyze their behavior to tailor services or allocate labor most effectively. Users-by-proxy also have significant implications for trust and reputation mechanisms. In this conceptual contribution, we provide a definition of users-by-proxy as a third category between users and non-users, developing a typology of users-by-proxy based on motives of non-/use. We focus on the ramifications of users-by-proxy for the future of work and their significance for the limits of data-driven decision making.

Lutz, Christoph; Fosch Villaronga, Eduard & Tamò-Larrieux, Aurelia (2018)

Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues of Healthcare Robots: Consulting Expert Voices

[Academic lecture]. 2018 ICA Preconference "Communicating with Machines: Theory and Practice".

This contribution investigates the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) of social robots in healthcare. Typical examples of such robots are mobile assistants, cognitive therapeutic robots, and drones. Our research contributes to the existing literature by providing preliminary findings from four international workshops held between 2015 and 2017 that gathered experts in the field. Specifically, we highlight challenges to the use of social robots in healthcare that are connected to human-machine-communication, such as privacy, autonomy, and dehumanization of interactions. Potential solutions to these ELSI, as discussed in the workshops, are summarized.

Lutz, Christoph & Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie (2018)

Choice and Discrimination in the Sharing Economy

[Academic lecture]. Weizenbaum Symposium: The Future of Work and Innovation in a Networked Society.

Sharing economy services enable flexible access to underused assets. However, the selection process of such services can swiftly transition into a mechanism of discrimination. Previous research has found evidence for discrimination and noted a tension between the principles of freedom of choice and anti-discrimination. We complement these investigations through a mixed-methods study that combines focus groups and a quantitative survey. Our results indicate that large part of sharing economy users desire a high degree of choice and flexibility. Sharing platforms are thus in the difficult situation of allowing choice while curbing discrimination.

Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie; Lutz, Christoph & Fieseler, Christian (2018)

Regulation and Fairness in the Sharing Economy

[Academic lecture]. AOM Specialized Conference: Big Data and Managing in a Digital Economy.

Sharing economy platforms frame a dichotomy between innovation and regulation. Current discussions surrounding the merits and desirability of regulatory oversight, among policy makers, academics, and platform advocates, are nevertheless conducted in a top-down fashion on both sides. What is often left out is the user perspective. We suggest that one of the most fun-damental shapers of a users perspective on regulation is their own experiences of the sharing economy. A key factor in user experience is perceived fairness. In this contribution, we inves-tigate how the perceived fairness of a platform can impact regulatory desirability among users, based on a survey in 12 European countries. We find that procedural fairness has a positive effect on the desire for regulation, while interactional fairness has a negative one.

Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie; Lutz, Christoph & Fieseler, Christian (2018)

Algorithmic Management in the Sharing Economy

[Academic lecture]. AOM Specialized Conference: Big Data and Managing in a Digital Economy.

Sharing economy platforms have contributed to the global economy by opening up previously un-tapped sources of income. However, the on-demand nature of many dominant sharing economy platforms problematizes accompanying narratives of provider agency, autonomy, and self-determination. Through a tripartite system of algorithmic management, namely surveillance, prohibitive architectures, and behavioural nudging, platforms have been accused of leveraging managerial control over their providers. To broaden the picture, we present the results of a survey study across 12 European countries. Results indicate that a substantial minority of providers feel they have to provide more often than they would like and lack control over the parameters of their sharing participation. Uber drivers, providers in Italy, and those motivated by social benefits are particularly vulnerable to algorithmic pressure.

Lutz, Christoph; Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie & Fieseler, Christian (2018)

Class-Consciousness in the Sharing Economy

[Academic lecture]. AOM Specialized Conference: Big Data and Managing in a Digital Economy.

The professed ethos of collaboration among the sharing economy does not extend to the provider base, who largely offer their services in a distributed and disconnected fashion. Sharing platforms, which mediate between users, neither enable nor encourage interaction between providers, restricting a sense of provider class-consciousness and the fundamental first steps towards collective action. Providers, separated both through platform narratives and architectures, nevertheless do variably take part in collective action, such as online communication and even attempted unions. In this study, we addressed the topic of collective action and class-consciousness among the heterogeneous provider base of the sharing economy, using a cluster analysis to determine four distinct clusters: Self-Oriented Pragmatists, Collective Action Enthusiasts, Modern Collectivists, and Collective Action Opponents.

Quan-Haase, Anabel; Gosse, Chandell, Lutz, Christoph, Bronson, Zak & McDougall, Alyssa (2018)

Motivations for Engaging in Social and Political Online Campaigns

[Academic lecture]. General Online Research 2018.

Much debate has surrounded the value of online campaigns for social and political activism. On the one hand, networked publics provide alternative means of engaging, reaching out, and keeping activists involved. On the other hand, they are dismissed as 'slacktivism' and simple 'feel good' measures, geared toward short-term, low-risk forms of engagements with no long-lasting impact. We examine three research questions about social and political online campaigns (SPOCs) and build on the theory of networked publics: 1) What are the key motivations and factors influencing participation in SPOCs? 2) What influences non-participation in SPOCs? 3) Do SPOCs mobilize actions beyond the immediate campaign and create spill-over effects? An online survey was used (active December 2015 until June 2016) for data collection because of its potential to reach diverse social groups and its convenience to both participants and researchers. The total number of respondents was N=324. Facebook was the most frequently used SNS; for 94% Facebook was one of the top-3 SNS, for 53% it was Instagram (53%), and for 46% it was Twitter. Using Poisson regression, we found that awareness and a desire for effecting change were overarching motivations across all SPOCs. Awareness was the top motive for all campaigns (312 reports), followed by a desire to see change and being nominated. Knowing a friend or family member who has a relationship to the cause, hearing about the SPOC in the news, and the SPOC having a motivational marketing strategy were only considered top motives for one campaign each. Social pressure, having a personal relationship to the cause, believing that participation in the SPOC counts as activism, and participating so that people in one’s social network know they support that cause were not considered top motivations for any campaign. In addition, we found that a third of participants are very engaged online in SPOCS, while 38 per cent did not participate in any form of digital activism. The data demonstrate that social pressure is less important, but respondents did want their friends to know they participated.

Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie; Lutz, Christoph & Fieseler, Christian (2018)

Recommendations for the Sharing Economy: (Re-)Balancing Power

[Report]. Social Science Research Network (SSRN).

This report, ‘Recommendations for the Sharing Economy: (Re-)Balancing Power’, forms one element of a European Union Horizon 2020 Research Project on the sharing economy: Ps2Share ‘Participation, Privacy, and Power in the Sharing Economy’. It presents a set of 25 recommendations for five key stakeholders in the sharing economy: providers, consumers, platforms, educators, and policy makers. This report focuses on aspects of power in the sharing economy, addressing topics such as ratings and reviews, regulation, social responsibility, information asymmetries, transparency, algorithms, narratives, and communication. It aims at providing a roadmap for a more balanced and equitable sharing economy, particularly in Europe.

Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie; Lutz, Christoph & Fieseler, Christian (2017)

Power in the Sharing Economy: European Perspectives

[Report]. Social Science Research Network.

This report, ‘Power in the Sharing Economy: European Perspectives’, forms one element of a European Union Horizon 2020 Research Project on the sharing economy: Ps2Share ‘Participation, Privacy, and Power in the Sharing Economy’. Within the survey and in the following report, we addressed various items towards four distinct sub-categories of Europeans (N=6111): Consumers, Providers, Aware Non-Users, and Non-Aware Non-Users. To present a more fine-grained overview of the perceived power-dynamics, we also provide deeper insights into the results on a cross-country level, as well as analyzing demographic and platform differences. The first section of the report focuses on the Peer-to-Peer Relationships which form the foundation of the sharing economy. Aspects covered in this section include emotional labor, perceived interpersonal treatment, and feedback systems. The second section of the report focuses on the Peer-to-Platform Relationships. This section addresses the role of the sharing platforms in establishing and maintaining power asymmetries, covering aspects such as dispute resolution mechanisms, terms and conditions, pricing, algorithmic control, and collective action. The final section provides a more macro-approach to power dynamics, focusing on the Platform-to-Society Relationships. This includes elements such as regulation and platform narratives.

Hoffmann, Christian Pieter; Lutz, Christoph, Müller, Severina & Meckel, Miriam (2017)

Accidental Online Political Engagement: The Role of Social Media Escapism in Online Political Participation

[Academic lecture]. Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) Annual Conference.

Recently, much scholarship has investigated how social media affect citizens’ political participation, online and offline. In general, social media use has a positive but weak effect on participation. However, different use types exert a differentiated influence. While information-rich and active uses result in more participation, entertainment-oriented and passive uses lead to less participation. In this contribution, we introduce the concept of escapist Facebook use. We argue that Facebook might activate users to participate politically through what we call accidental political engagement, even if used in escapist ways. Based on a survey of 762 Facebook users in Germany and using linear regression, we test the influence of three Facebook use types on online political participation: consumptive, participatory and productive. Consumptive use has a negative and productive use a positive effect on online political participation. Escapism has a small positive effect. It moderates consumptive use negatively and productive use positively, strengthening existing tendencies.

Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie & Lutz, Christoph (2017)

So Close, Yet So Far Away: The Paradox of Status and Distinction among Instagram Influencers

[Academic lecture]. Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) Annual Conference.

Founded in 2010 as a platform for image-based sharing among friends, Instagram has evolved into a locus of economic activity due to the emergence of ‘Influencer marketing’. Some users monetise their followers by integrating sponsored ‘advertorials’ into posts. By cultivating a façade of honesty when making product recommendations to their audiences, Influencers leverage their perceived intimacy and relatability into profit. Influencers largely frame their success as merely the result of self-motivated perseverance. However, this framing obscures the offline-capital necessary for emulation. In line with previous research, we propose that Instagram is a highly unequal platform, reproducing or even reinforcing status hierarchies. Our contribution explores the paradoxical nature of the ‘Instagram Influencer’: they require different forms of capital to succeed but must suggest counterfactually that there is only limited distinction between them and their personal audience. To investigate this paradox, we conducted a mixed-methods empirical investigation in February 2017, relying on user-generated data. Firstly, Instagram posts were compiled (n=14,555) from two hashtags, #sponsored and #sponsoredpost. An initial social network analysis was carried out on this data. Secondly, 50 Influencer accounts were selected based on network centrality. Textual and visual data was collected from each account for in-depth qualitative coding. The data analysis revealed a proliferation of markers of socio-economic elevation, suggestive of the offline-capital necessary to succeed. However, corresponding to the need for Influencers to maintain relatability, there was limited ostensible distinction in the data. Instead, Influencers used language suggestive of intimacy and friendship, sharing their success with their followers. PaperSession-34: Politics 2

Etter, Michael; Lutz, Christoph, Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie & Ranzini, Giulia (2017)

Coping with Surveillance Capitalism in the Sharing Economy

[Academic lecture]. Reshaping Work in the Platform Economy.

Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie; Lutz, Christoph & Hoffmann, Christian Pieter (2017)

Proxy Users in the Sharing Economy

[Academic lecture]. Reshaping Work in the Platform Economy.

Bucher, Eliane; Lutz, Christoph & Fleck, Matthes (2017)

The Oversharing Economy – Investigating Authenticity on Airbnb

[Academic lecture]. Academy of Management Annual Meeting.

The peer-to-peer sharing economy facilitates instances of situational closeness between con-sumer and provider that would usually occur only within a closed circle of family and friends. In the context of room sharing experiences, temporary spatial closeness with the provider (host) may create for the consumer (guest) instances of perceived interpersonal contamination in the form of ambient contamination, artifact contamination, interpersonal contact, or privacy intrusion. Based on a qualitative interview-study as well as on a quantitative survey among users of the room sharing platform Airbnb, we show that authenticity plays a significant role in shaping closeness perceptions. Further, we show that users who seek authenticity in their sharing experiences are significantly less disturbed by instances of interpersonal contamina-tion and that negative closeness perceptions, such as interpersonal contact or contaminating objects, have a strong impact on intentions to engage in room sharing in the future. Our results may help to explain one of the core drivers behind both the success of the sharing business model and the success of secondary services in the sharing economy such as key handling or house cleaning services. However, while this secondary service layer reduces instances of interpersonal contamination, it also reduces the potential for authenticity in the sharing economy.

Lutz, Christoph & Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie (2017)

Participation Divides Amongst Airbnb Users

[Academic lecture]. 8th International Conference on Social Media & Society.

Ranzini, Giulia; Etter, Michael, Lutz, Christoph & Vermeulen, Ivar (2017)

Privacy in the Sharing Economy

[Report]. Social Science Research Network.

This paper gives an in-depth overview of the topic of power in the sharing economy. It forms one part of a European Union Horizon 2020 Research Project on the sharing economy: "Ps2Share Participation, Privacy, and Power in the Sharing Economy". We aim to foster better awareness of the consequences which the sharing economy has on the way people behave, think, interact, and socialize across Europe. Our overarching objective is to identify key challenges of the sharing economy and improve Europe’s digital services through providing recommendations to Europe’s institutions. The initial stage of this research project involves a set of three literature reviews of the state of research on three core topics in relation to the sharing economy: participation (1), privacy (2), and power (3). This piece is a literature review on the topic of privacy. It addresses key privacy challenges for different stakeholders in the sharing economy. Throughout, we use the term "consumers" to refer to users on the receiving end (e.g., Airbnb guests, Uber passengers), "providers" to refer to users on the providing end (e.g., Airbnb hosts, Uber drivers) and "platforms" to refer to the mediating sites, apps and infrastructures matching consumers and providers (e.g., Airbnb, Uber).

Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie; Lutz, Christoph & Fieseler, Christian (2017)

Power in the Sharing Economy

[Report]. Social Science Research Network.

This paper gives an in-depth overview of the topic of power in the sharing economy. It forms one part of a European Union Horizon 2020 Research Project on the sharing economy: "Ps2Share: Participation, Privacy, and Power in the Sharing Economy". We aim to foster better awareness of the consequences which the sharing economy has on the way people behave, think, interact, and socialize across Europe. Our overarching objective is to identify key challenges of the sharing economy and improve Europe's digital services through providing recommendations to Europe's institutions. The initial stage of this research project involves a set of three literature reviews of the state of research on three core topics in relation to the sharing economy: participation (1), privacy (2), and power (3). This piece is a literature review on the topic of power. It addresses three core topics related to power: voice and feedback mechanisms, algorithms, and regulation.

Fieseler, Christian; Bucher, Eliane & Lutz, Christoph (2017)

Alone in the Crowd – Alienation in Digital Labor

[Academic lecture]. 33rd EGOS Colloquium, Copenhagen 2017.

On the basis of a survey among 804 workers on the crowdsourcing platform Amazon Mechanical Turk, we show that (1) alienation, a form of detachment from working life, in the form of powerlessness, meaninglessness, normlessness, isolation, and self-estrangement, is often present among workers. On the basis of qualitative vignettes, we furthermore argue that (2) the perception of digital labor as alienating is not universal, depending on the perceived importance of workers’ labor and the relational nature with their contractors.

Newlands, Gemma Elisabeth Marjorie & Lutz, Christoph (2017)

Some #Influencers Are More Equal Than Others: Normalising Distinction On Instagram

[Academic lecture]. Connected Life Conference.

Founded as a platform for image-based sharing among friends, Instagram has recently evolved into a locus of economic activity due to the emergence of Influencer marketing. Some users have become Instagram Influencers who monetise their follower base by integrating sponsored advertorials into their posts. By cultivating a façade of honesty when making product recommendations, Influencers leverage their perceived relatability into profit through calculated authenticity. As part of their self-branding, Influencers frame their success as the result of passion-driven perseverance. However, framing success as being universally achievable obscures the offline capital necessary for emulation, particularly given the widespread use of professional management services for account curation and photography. Success and opportunities for sponsorship are thus largely limited to those who can afford the outlay of money and time required. In line with previous research, we propose that Instagram is a highly unequal platform, reproducing or even reinforcing status hierarchies through subtle mechanisms. Our contribution explores the paradoxical nature of the Instagram Influencer. Becoming an Influencer requires different forms of capital to succeed. However, Influencers must suggest counterfactually that there is only limited distinction between them and their personal audience, maintaining the relatability and authenticity required for Influencer marketing. Our research questions are thus concerned with how Influencers negotiate this paradox: Do Instagram Influencers display status markers of socio-economic elevation? How do Instagram Influencers normalise their status markers, maintaining relatability with their audiences? To address these questions, we conducted a mixed-methods empirical investigation in February 2017, combining social network analysis and qualitative textual analysis. The analysis revealed wide proliferation of markers of socio-economic elevation. Economic capital was evoked through hashtags such as #luxury and references to high-end fashion brands. A recurring theme was the use of expensive professional ‘secondary services’. Cultural capital markers appeared frequently. Influencers revealed extensive background knowledge and distinct tastes. Moreover, Influencers used certain cues, such as famous connections, to indicate their social capital. However, corresponding to the need for Influencers to maintain relatability, we noted limited overt distinction in the data. Affective language was employed and private details were presented to suggest a personal, almost intimate, relationship. Sponsored posts were framed as merely sharing a secret among friends and the Influencer’s success was even described as being a ‘shared journey’ among equal partners, regardless of the unequal division of financial rewards.

Bucher, Eliane; Fieseler, Christian & Lutz, Christoph (2017)

Alienation in Digital Labor

[Academic lecture]. 67th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA).

On the basis of a survey among 804 workers on the crowdsourcing platform Amazon Mechanical Turk, we show that (1) alienation, a form of detachment from working life, may be present in digital workplaces in the form of powerlessness, meaninglessness, normlessness, isolation, and self-estrangement. Furthermore, on the basis of qualitative vignettes, we argue that (2) the perception of digital labor as alienating is not universal, perhaps because it is often wrapped in a learned narrative of entrepreneurial belonging and empowerment. Finally, on the basis of a multiple-group analysis, we propose that (3) individual mattering (high vs. low), in the form of perceived awareness, importance and reliance may be the key to explaining differences in the effect of alienating factors such as powerlessness, meaninglessness, normlessness, isolation and self-estrangement on emotional exhaustion, work engagement and organizational commitment in the digital workplace.

Lutz, Christoph (2016)

Four Roles European PR professionals play

[Popular scientific article]. BI Business Review

Lutz, Christoph (2016)

A Match made in Heaven?

[Popular scientific article]. BI Business Review

Lutz, Christoph & Hoffmann, Christian Pieter (2016)

The Dark Side of Online Participation: Exploring Non- and Negative Participation

[Academic lecture]. Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) Annual Conference.

Lutz, Christoph; Bucher, Eliane, Fieseler, Christian & Hoffmann, Christian Pieter (2016)

The Sharing Paradox: The Role of Privacy in the Sharing Economy

[Academic lecture]. 32nd European Group for Organizational Studies Conference.

Internet-mediated sharing is booming to an unprecedented degree. Millions of people around the world share their possessions with others – often with complete strangers. The shared goods can amount to substantial financial and immaterial value, as is the case for shared rooms and flats via Airbnb and similar services. While the question of trust in the sharing economy is being increasingly explored, surprisingly little research is devoted to privacy in the sharing economy. In this contribution, we tackle that research gap and explore the sharing-privacy nexus. In analogy to the privacy paradox in online contexts such as social media, we propose a sharing paradox for the sharing economy: Users attach considerable value to their goods, yet they share them quite willingly. We describe ways that privacy can be endangered with sharing, present a variety of explanations how the sharing paradox can be entangled and finally suggest how empirical studies could go about researching it.

Lutz, Christoph; Hoffmann, Christian Pieter & Meckel, Miriam (2016)

Academic Social Capital? Relating Centrality on ResearchGate to Established Impact Measures

[Academic lecture]. Academy of Management Annual Meeting.

The reliable assessment of individual faculty members’ contributions is a key challenge in the governance of research institutions. Traditionally, scientific impact is estimated based on bibliographic analyses. With online platforms, particularly social media, gaining popularity among academics, new opportunities for the analysis of scientific communication, cooperation, attention, and esteem arise. Proponents of the “altmetrics” approach hold that both general purpose social media as well as services tailored to the scientific community allow for a range of usage metrics that may inform scientific impact assessment. One important criticism aimed at traditional bibliographic approaches to impact assessment is their lack of regard for the social dynamics of the scientific process and the importance of social capital for researchers’ impact and advancement. We propose that relational analyses of social media platforms may shed new light on these understudied dimensions of scientific impact and may enrich assessment efforts. Based on a sample of Swiss management scholars active on ResearchGate, we conduct a social network analysis, derive relational metrics and correlate these metrics with bibliometrics, webometrics and altmetrics to gauge their potential to inform scientific impact assessment, specifically in business and management research.