Rensselaer Lally School of Management doctoral student in information systems Chaoqun Deng was selected to participate in the International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) 2017 Doctoral Consortium held at Seoul National University December 6-8. ICIS is a main academic conference of the Association for Information Systems (AIS). AIS is the premier professional association for individuals and organizations who lead the research, teaching, practice, and study of information systems worldwide.
Selection to this consortium is extremely competitive and limited to a small number of Ph.D. students from colleges and universities across the globe. Participants are selected based on quality and potential significance of their proposed research to the field of information systems, potential contributions the student can make to the consortium, and potential benefits of the consortium to the student’s research and professional development.
This is the second year in a row a Lally School of Management doctoral student has been selected. Last year, Sukruth Suresh ’17 was selected to participate. Lally Associate Dean for Research and the Irene and Robert Bozzone ’55 Distinguished Professor T. Ravichandran has been the dissertation adviser for both students.
“Chaoqun’s consortium selection is a reflection of the novelty, quality, and rigor of her dissertation, and gives her a unique chance to present her work, gain feedback, and also hear about the work of peers at other top-tier schools across the globe,” said Ravichandran. “Our Rensselaer doctoral program—where faculty work closely with students to develop their research capabilities, challenge them to explore research themes of theoretical and practical importance, and mentor them to be ready for the academic job market—is instrumental for the success of our students,” said Ravichandran.
Deng knows that pursuing her doctoral research in information systems at Rensselaer was an exciting and important choice. “Lally Ph.D. students learn from and have great partnerships with faculty members who are advancing the conversation on business theory and practice,” said Deng. “My thesis adviser Dr. T. Ravichandran has been very generous with his time in mentoring me, helping me develop an appreciation of the lasting value of theory-driven research to address today’s business-related problems. It has not only inspired me to think of my research in a more fundamental way, but also has prepared me to use new methods to unearth data for my research.”
At the consortium, Deng will present, “Essays on Firm Strategies in Online Digital Platforms.” Her dissertation consists of three distinct but related essays about firms’ strategies in online digital platforms. The first essay explores why managers respond to online electronic word of mouth in the online review forums. The second essay examines the influence of managerial responses to online compliments (i.e., positive reviews) on future customers’ attitudes. The third essay examines how visual informational cues and customer opinions influence trust formation in peer-to-peer sharing economy platforms, and the effects of such perceived trustworthiness of providers on the demand for services offered in these platforms.
“It is an honor to present and get feedback on my dissertation in this fantastic international platform, and I look forward to sharing my insights with my other esteemed colleagues at the consortium,” said Deng.