Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Using quantitative content analysis, this study examines Internet search term patterns from various countries included on Google Zeitgeist in the display of its top ten lists. The lists of the most popular search terms from the countries were examined within the context of political differences (free, partially free, and not free), socioeconomic differences (high SES, medium SES, and low SES), and cultural differences (masculine country, mixed/neutral country, and feminine country, based on the cultural gender index of Hofstede).

Publication Type: Paper/Poster Proposal
Abstract: This study examined how people in feeling of alienation from mainstream media message consciously engage in information search through the Internet, by introducing the concept of “media dissociation”- the discrepancy between mainstream media portrayals and an individual’s own view on an issue. Our analysis focused particularly on individuals’ information seeking behavior over the Internet, in doing so we proposed that the more individuals dissociate their views from media portrayals, the more they are engaged in the issue-related information search.
Using an experimental design embedded within a Web survey, we exposed Korean college students to mainstream news stories that were manipulated in slants on the deployment of South Korean troops in Iraq. The manipulation focused on whether the mainstream news story was supporting for or opposing to the issue. Following the exposure to the mainstream news stories, accessible 10 online news articles were offered in a Web-style format page that presented hyperlinks with the headlines and leads of the articles. Research participants were instructed to follow their own personal interest in choosing and reading the articles. The headlines and leads of the articles were adjusted to show the tone of the article clearly so that readers recognized the slant of the article easily. The respondents’ hyperlinks usage was monitored and recorded into a log file.
The results showed that the respondents in dissonant news story condition read the news articles more in both supporting for and opposing to their own views than those in consonant condition. In addition, the respondents in dissonant condition were attracted to news articles that were consistent with their views significantly more than the respondents in consonant condition. The further implication of the study was discussed.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Search engines are the principal parties mediating information flows between online information providers and Internet users worldwide. As a result, search engines have an increasing impact on the distribution of, e.g., commercial, political, and health-related information. Currently, Google dominates the search engine industry, and scholars have expressed concerns regarding its all-too-powerful position as “gatekeeper” of the Web. A more differentiated search engine industry would be preferable, as societal influence would then be distributed over more actors. To explore circumstances that could facilitate more differentiation, this study reviews the competitive dynamics in the search engine industry from its inception, in 1993, to 2000. It particularly focuses on the period 1996-2000, which showed a sudden inflow of new, mostly specialized, search engines. We propose organization ecology, a theoretical approach neighbouring evolutionary economics, as a possible explanation for the observed market dynamics. Organization ecology argues that in concentrated markets, generalists are forced to focus on the market core, which inevitably goes at the cost of their more peripheral interests. This, in turn, creates opportunities for new firms to enter the market. To test this theory, we analyzed micro- and macro-level competitive processes in a population of 137 international search engines, measured for each quarter year, over seven years. Results suggest that the inflow of new search engines indeed coincided with (1) intensified competition between large generalists (e.g. Altavista, Infoseek, Hotbot), and (2) declining competitive pressure in the market periphery. As a result, conditions for new search engines to enter the market improved.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This study aims to investigate consumers’ information search patterns in online purchases. To explore consumers’ information search process in online purchase, the hypothesized model was tested among product categories (digital cameras, laptop computers, and plasma TVs). The hypothesized model was based on Bettman’s framework for determinants of external search, and modified for the study context, including accessibility of favored product brands. As the interest group of the study was online users who had the experience of online purchases, an online consumer panel was used for a study sample. For data analysis, a two-step process was used, beginning with a confirmatory factor analysis procedure, followed by the structural equation modeling tests. The causal relationships among study variables were inconsistent across sample sub-groups and further investigation on consumers’ information search process is provided with sample sub-groups comparison.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Although the establishment of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 put pressure on individuals to find work, urban poverty rates remain high and many low-income women have a difficult time establishing labor market attachment. The four traditionally posited explanations for the persistence of urban poverty – skills mismatch, spatial mismatch, supply-side theories, and demand-side theories – often do not take into account the ways that low-income women search for employment, a process that has tremendous implications for job satisfaction and self-sufficiency. This qualitative analysis examines 169 interviews with Baltimore and Chicago low-income black women to explore job search strategies. These data reveal that a search mismatch exists between employed and unemployed women; employed women are most likely to use social networks when searching for employment, and unemployed women are most likely to rely on more formal, unsuccessful methods of job hunting that include direct application. Social networks only help this sample of low-income Baltimore and Chicago black women find jobs if one or more of the following conditions are met: the individual has adequate levels of human capital, the job conditions match the individual’s preferences for employment, or the individual exhibits persistence in securing employment.