As workplaces have become more digitalized and improvements constantly being made in order to optimize performance, it becomes pivotal for managers to understand how stress within organizations can be linked to the information- and communication technology within them. This thesis addresses the research gap of several studies existing regarding technology-related stress, but where a majority of them are quantitative in nature and overlooking the important aspect of organizational culture. The purpose of this thesis is to create an understanding regarding how managers perceive technostress in their organization, and how counterstrategies, if any, are applied. The added value of this research is that it highlights how poorly understood the problem of information overload is amongst certain managers, while highlighting the cultural aspects within organizations and their contributions to the problem. The results show that while many aspects related to information overload are noticed by managers and employees alike, very few – if any – counterstrategies exists in order to highlight and combat the problems that information overload entails. While individual practices existed, few could be realized at an organizational level without first addressing company culture.

Stock market investors are making investment decisions in an information-rich environment. In their attempt to afford investors all the decision-relevant information, standard setters are continually adding to the already weighty load seemingly oblivious to the cognitive limitations of humans. Information overload has long been recognized as a problem to decision-makers. The information overload literature is robust with studies supporting the inverted U hypothesis: Decision accuracy will increase with additional information to the point of maximum processing capability, then decline. The decision style literature has supported the theory that individuals can be classified according to the quantity of information that they are able to process effectively. This study combined the two theories to develop hypotheses about how investors with differing decision styles might behave differently in an information-rich environment. The hypotheses were tested in an internet-based stock market investment experiment. In general, the study did not find significant differences in the decisions of investors with different decision styles. Though the results of the experiment failed to support most of the hypotheses, the study revealed some interesting facts about the investors who participated in this study. There was an unusually high concentration of the analytic decision style in this group. This style, according to the theory, is the one best able to manage high information processing demands. A further analysis of the respondent style dominance reveals that all of the styles had significant analytic influence. This could explain the lack of variation in the decision accuracy of the respondents. It is also possible that the respondents in this study did not reach a point of information overload. Based on prior literature, the study incorporated ten information items. However, the particular items selected may not have created a sense of information overload for the respondents. Future research should increase the information available to respondents and observe whether differences in decisions can be explained by differences in decision styles in an information overload situation. This study provides a baseline for future studies examining how investors make decisions when so much information is available.

Den digitala underhållningsbranschen utvecklas ständigt där nya innovationer lanseras och konsumtionsmönster förändras. Snabbspolad kultur är ett fenomen som syftar till den trend där våra digitala underhållningsmedier ökar i hastighet. Detta innebär att ljudböcker spelas i höger hastighet, poddar rensas på andningspauser och tempot på låtar vrids upp (Ahlström & Laurell 2023). Denna trend samspelar även med en ökad kamp om konsumentens sjunkande uppmärksamhet samt ett ökat informationsflöde på marknaden. Syftet med studien är att öka förståelsen kring hur företag som producerar audiella produkter påverkas av trenden gällande snabb kultur samt hur de, genom marknadsföring, kan påverka en informations-stressad konsument av digital audiell underhållning. Konsumenternas perspektiv bearbetas även genom att se hur de förhåller sig till audiella produkter samt marknadsföringen av dem, i en kontext av snabb digital kultur och informationsstress. De audiella underhållningsmedierna är avgränsade till att beakta musik, poddar, ljudböcker och radio. Ett ljuddesignföretag har även intervjuats för att få ett ytterligare perspektiv på ämnet. De teorier och modeller som används i studien är bland annat: samskapande av värde (co-creation of value), 7p-modellen, interaktiva & transaktionella kommunikationsmodellerna samt den inverterade U-kurvan vid informationsöverbelastning. Studien är en tvärsnittsstudie som grundas på kvalitativa, semistrukturerade intervjuer som förts med både konsumenter och branschrepresentanter. Studiens resultat visade på att marknadsföringens kärnbudskap bör presenteras direkt i en annons för störst påverkan samt att marknadsföringen bör vara informativ vid låg uppmärksamhet hos konsument. Detta motsäger tidigare teorier som anser att känslobaserad marknadsföring är mer effektiv vid låg uppmärksamhet. Denna slutsats visar på studiens teoretiska bidrag. Andra slutsatser från studien visar på att digitala audiella underhållningsprodukter fått en mer funktionell roll hos konsumenter. Konsumenter har även blivit passiviserade i fråga om deras val av audiella medier där de låter algoritmer och streamingplattformar i större utsträckning styra deras val. En annan framträdande aspekt gällande studiens resultat var att audiella produkter tenderar att vara mer känsloladdade. Detta kan ses som en direkt reflektion av den snabba kulturens påverkan. Studiens praktiska bidrag ligger i studiens värde för företag som arbetar med audiella produkter. / This study examines the trend of fast-forward digital culture within digital audio entertainment products. By high-paced digital culture this study refers to the fact that we listen to podcasts in speed up versions and that high speed versions of songs become hits on platforms like TikTok. The aim is to increase the understanding of how companies that provide these products can reach and influence an information-stressed consumer with marketing activities, as well as how this trend affects the audio products itself. How audio entertainment companies relate and act upon this trend will also be included. Qualitative, semistructured interviews with both consumers and industry representatives have been carried out to be able to investigate this topic. The term digital audio entertainment products is limited to: audiobooks, podcasts, music and radio. A sound design bureau has also been interviewed in order to gain an additional perspective. The study includes, among other, the following theories and models: Co-creation of value, the 7 p’s model, the interactive and transactional model of communication and information overload as the inverted U-curve. One conclusion from the study shows that in order to reach an information-stressed customer, ads should be informative where the core messages should be exposed during the first seconds. This indicates the study's theoretical contribution since previous studies consider emotional based marketing to be more effective for information stressed customers. The study also has a practical contribution in the form of valuable knowledge for companies in the audio entertainment industry. Conclusions from the study also exposes the fact that audio products tend to be loaded with emotions to a higher distinction, in order to cut through the noise as well as to keep the listener engaged. Audio products also seem to have evolved a more functional role where customers choose products according to current activity or desired mood.

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Background: Much has happened in information technology in the last decade, and the amount of information someone can be exposed to is enormous. There are many digital information channels today used at different organizations. This research study has investigated which channel is used the most, and if there are any methods for handling the flow of information. With these tools and methods, together with a sufficient literature review a proposed model was developed to aid organizations with their information flow. Aim: To conduct research in the field of internal communication with focus on digital channels, to finally come up with what tools and methods can be used for improved internal communication, and to propose a model for this. Method: Three sources of data collections have been used. The first one is semi-structured interviews, where six volunteers have participated, the age ranging from 31-60. The targeted volunteers were the managers, and the employees of the organizations. The second is surveys where 14 volunteers contributed, where we used snowball sampling. The third is a document study that consists of research-generated literature review. Results/Conclusion: Our analysis concluded that the most useful tools for communicating with digital channel sare, namely, email, intranet and telephone. However, the usefulness of the tools decline rapidly when too much unnecessary information flows in the wrong channels. What this research study came up with regarding contribution was an easy to use four step model to be able to classify the information and use the correct channel for it. Working alongside this model, will help with minimizing information overload in the channels used for communication. It is also important from an organization perspective when onboarding employees to learn which channels are used for which kind of information.

In this dissertation, I propose that there are multiple factors, such as the education process and the consumption environment, which work to simultaneously create an opposition framework. People are constantly exposed to rival products, which are positioned to be opposites even when they are often extremely similar in chemical content and physical appearance. Thus, the implications of the recency-frequency model of activation (Higgins, Bargh and Lombardi 1985) would be that these proximal factors could, in some sense, prime dichotomous thinking. Dichotomous or oppositional thinking, as it is defined in this dissertation, pertains to the flattening of dimensions present in a choice set such that the items can be graphically depicted at two ends of one dimension (see Figure 2 and Figure 3). I will first explore the impact of a dichotomous mindset on making a decision and then expand to the realm of opposition in choice set structures. / Ph. D.

Yes / Prominent e-commerce platforms allow users to write reviews for the available products. User reviews play an important role in creating the perception of the product and impact the sales. Online reviews can be considered as an important source of e-word of mouth (e-WOM) on e-commerce platforms. Various dimensions of e-WOM on product sales have been examined for different products. Broadly, studies have explored the effect of summary statistics of reviews on product sales using data from various e-commerce platforms. Few studies have utilized other review characteristics as length, valence, and content of the reviews. The sequence of reviews has been hardly explored in the literature. This study investigates the impact of sequence of helpful reviews along with other review characteristics as ratings (summary statistics), volume, informativeness, and valence of reviews on product sales. Hence, a holistic approach has been used to explore the role of summary statistics, volume, content and sequence of reviews on product sales with special emphasis on sequence of reviews. Relevant theories such as message persuasion, cognitive overload and belief adjustment model have also been explored during the construction of the model for review data. The proposed model has been validated using the helpful reviews available on Amazon.in website for various products.

The research examines the relationship between cyber addiction (excessive use of the Internet, CA), information overload (IO), and assesses their impact on workplace productivity. A multi-methods approach is used employing the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and a quantitative survey design to assess and test the stated hypothesis. The study used random sampling methods targeting 150 respondents from different information technology departments of various organizations. The study hypothesizes that CA and IO have a reciprocal association, which adversely affects workplace productivity and employee performance. From the findings, IAT scores increase with an associated possibility of reporting burnout, fatigue, and other components associated with CA and IO. Also, CA and IO were significantly correlated, as evaluated by the chi-square test, although the same approach did not yield significant associations between CA and perceived internet dependence. Other findings CA components, such as social media use, significantly associated with task postponement and burnout. As well, CA affected IO with substantial impacts on workplace productivity. The paper highlights managerial aspects that organizations should consider in optimizing the output of their staff. Recommendations include wellness programs, altering the leadership and management styles, and sensitizing the employees on the adverse effects caused by the two variables.

Internal marketing and internal communication are essential tools to align em-ployees’ mindsets with the necessary tasks which bring about employee satis-faction and organisational prosperity. Electronic newsletters serve as an internal marketing communication medium which can convey the necessary information to employees regarding the organisation’s goals and objectives. They also act as a medium to build relationships with employees and encourage improved service delivery and customer-oriented employee mindsets. Employees’ willingness to make use of electronic newsletters for the purpose of disseminating organisational information is an indication of employees’ acceptance of the organisational information and use thereof in performing organisational tasks successfully as the organisation intends. The purpose of the current study was to determine employees’ acceptance of electronic newsletters, as an internal marketing communication medium, in order to disseminate organisational information which contributes to the attainment of organisational goals, objectives and success. An empirical study was conducted to determine employees’ acceptance of elec-tronic newsletters by means of an adapted technology acceptance model, self-administered, e-mail survey disseminated to employees of a higher education institution. The study followed a quantitative research approach, utilising re-gression in the analysis of the data. Based on the research results, employees do accept the electronic newsletter for the dissemination of organisational information, albeit with suggestions on how it can be better utilised in future. / Business Management / M. Com (Business Management)

The customer journey is a re-submerged subject which has become increasingly relevant. The focus derives from the increased focus on customer experience as touch points are increasing as well as becoming more accessible. This is creating problems for companies to allocate their resources in marketing. Previous literature on customer journeys are also limited, mostly originating from research on customer experience. This motivates research within the field with the purpose of exploring the customer journey and connected phenomena.    The basis of this thesis was the customer journey which derives from customer experience. Further, the theoretical framework presents theories about customer experience, consumer buying decisions, customer journey and its touch points. The theoretical framework also presents two conceptual models concerning customer journey and customer experience. Focus was here on exploring the formulation of the customer journey, its steps and components. But also, on investigating how customer experiences affects customer journeys. This thesis had a qualitative research strategy and empirical material was collected through interviews. The empirical findings and the analysis resulted in several conclusions as this was an exploratory study. Reason for use of route, use of different touch points, customer experience impact and were found. Furthermore, the customer journey itself was identified as a reason for conducting a purchase. The result of this thesis might help companies allocate their resources more efficiently between touch points. As well as understanding how to create positive customer experience and the importance of it.