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Stevens PhD Dissertation 032816.pdf (2.73 MB)

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ANTECEDENTS AND OUTCOMES OF PERCEIVED CREEPINESS IN ONLINE PERSONALIZED COMMUNICATIONS

Stevens, Arlonda M
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6534-1207
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1459413626

Abstract Details

2016, Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, Management.
In an effort to deepen customer relationships (Relationship Marketing), marketers and online firms deliver personalized communications based on a consumers’ digital footprint and other Big Data that they think will improve its effect; but the personalized messages are sometimes perceived to be “creepy” by the recipient. Marketers are admonished to not be creepy, but, there is not a unified definition of what creepy is or isn’t, nor have the factors leading to perceived creepiness been clearly identified—there is a common feeling of discomfort, but no unified definition. The goal of this study is to address three research questions. First, what is creepy? Second, what factors lead to perceived creepiness? And third, can a scale to measure perceived creepiness be operationalized and used to validate those factors? I conducted a three-part; sequential, mixed methods study to define perceived creepiness and to identify the antecedents and consequences of perceived creepiness in personalized online messages. The study confirmed that transparency by the firm about their data collection, use and sharing practices and that enabling the consumer to exercise control over the collection, use and sharing of their personal information (including the ability to opt–out of personalized messages) are antecedents of perceived creepiness. Also, whether the message was “in context” or “out of context” had an effect on if the message was perceived to be creepy. It also suggests that trust in the sender has a direct effect on perceived creepiness; and perceived creepiness has a negative effect on customer satisfaction, which can harm brand reputation, sales, and revenue. This research makes a scholarly contribution by providing a theoretical framework for a Theory of Perceived Creepiness. It also makes a contribution to practice by providing marketers with an understanding of what leads to perceived creepiness, so that they can take action to avoid negative effects of personalized communication on customer satisfaction.
Richard Boland, Jr. (Committee Chair)
Mary Culnan (Committee Member)
Kalle Lyytinen (Committee Member)
Casey Newmeyer (Committee Member)
281 p.
Information Science; Management; Marketing; Mass Media
Creepy; Creepy Marketing; Personalized Communication; Transparency; Control; Creepy Quadrant; Online Information Privacy Concerns; Online Behavioral Advertising; Data Privacy; Trust; Customer Satisfaction

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Stevens, A. M. (2016). ANTECEDENTS AND OUTCOMES OF PERCEIVED CREEPINESS IN ONLINE PERSONALIZED COMMUNICATIONS [Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1459413626

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Stevens, Arlonda. ANTECEDENTS AND OUTCOMES OF PERCEIVED CREEPINESS IN ONLINE PERSONALIZED COMMUNICATIONS. 2016. Case Western Reserve University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1459413626.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Stevens, Arlonda. "ANTECEDENTS AND OUTCOMES OF PERCEIVED CREEPINESS IN ONLINE PERSONALIZED COMMUNICATIONS." Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1459413626

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

case1459413626
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© 2016, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies and OhioLINK.