Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: E-mail emerged not only as a major communication device but also as a new campaign tool in recent years. Due to its easy and low operating cost, major parties and candidates do not monopolize e-mail campaign. On-line activist groups take an advantage of e-mail campaign for their election goals. John Kerry’s official e-mail campaign targeted not only democrats but also moderates and independents. Thus they have some restrictions in selecting words and attacking opponent. On-line activist, on the other hand, have much more specific targeted (more liberals in moveon.org’s case). Thus On-line activists have less restriction to attack their opponents. John Kerry was able to send less negative message due to his attack dog: moveon.org.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Use of e-mails as a marketing channel has been rapidly growing. Although e-mail ads are found to generate more interactions from consumers than banner ads, only few studies have examined the effectiveness of e-mail ads. Besides, current concerns on unsolicited e-mails (i.e., spam mails) pose a threat, as many of the messages are being avoided and deleted before even being opened. The current study focused on the subscription status of Korean consumers (i.e., opt-in mails vs. spam mails), different types of the title of the e-mails, and the consumers¡¯ need for cognition. The results have found significant impacts of message types and subscription status on the consumer¡¯s attitude toward the ad and intention to click, whereas need for cognition was not found to be related to the intention to click.

Publication Type: Paper/Poster Proposal
Abstract: Successful use of e-mail to notify potential respondents of an Internet survey partially depends upon the completeness and accuracy of the e-mail database. In the case of a customer satisfaction survey, when a client’s database contains e-mail addresses on only half of its customers, selection bias may occur if only the customers with e-mail addresses are asked to participate.
A state agency proposed a customer satisfaction survey using its list of superintendents, business managers and principals within the school districts it serves. Approximately half of the records in the agency’s database included an e-mail address for the contact person on record. All records included a postal mailing address. The agency estimated that nearly all of the potential respondents had Internet access in the office even though the agency did not have a complete listing of e-mail addresses.
To be sure that all customers had the opportunity to participate, potential respondents were notified about the Internet survey in one of two ways. Respondents with e-mail addresses on file were sent an e-mail notification and respondents without an e-mail address were mailed a letter notifying them about the online questionnaire. A follow-up notification was sent about two-weeks later to most non-responders using the same method as used in the first wave. A subset of randomly selected non-responders who were e-mailed the first notification were sent a second notification via postal mail. Thus, three groups resulted from the two wave notification process: (1) e-mail/e-mail (2) e-mail/paper (3) paper/paper.
The response rate effectiveness of these three methods was tracked over time. Differences in response rate and question response by customer type will be examined for each of the methods. Implications for using Internet surveys with paper notifications will be discussed.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Mass email campaigns are a favored tool for a wide array of interests. This paper describes the background in which these campaigns are constructed and presents data from a handful of very large campaigns. Tools for sorting the emails and taking systematic samples are discussed. The particular sample coded and presented here consists of the 1000 longest additions to the MoveOn.org form letter. The paper argues that while there are legitimate incentives pushing groups to adopt this technique, over time it may be undermining the role of public participation in rulemaking.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Electronic mail (e-mail) has become one of the most prominent communication media in the office. Today, substantial information is processed by e-mail. Organizations were traditionally viewed as information processing systems facing uncertainty. Yet, information processing in the contemporary office entails both uncertainty and equivocality reduction. Uncertainty can be reduced by an increase in the amount of information, whereas equivocality can be reduced by richer qualitative information. Building upon the concept of equivocality reduction, media richness theory was developed. The theory suggests that the characteristics of media determine the ability of equivocality reduction. According to the theory, lean e-mail can maximize performance only for less equivocal tasks. Yet, e-mail is also used for equivocal tasks in the actual workplace. In addition, e-mail has been increasing the total volume of communication. In this study, eight dimensions of communication satisfaction were examined among a total of 303 university employees considering the two critical dimensions of information processing: uncertainty and equivocality.