Siva Viswanathan Directory Page
Siva Viswanathan
Dean's Professor of Information Systems
Professor Siva Viswanathan's research focuses on emerging issues related to online firms and markets, and on analyzing the competitive and strategic implications of new information and communication technologies. His current research examines the growth of online information intermediaries, and their potential to disrupt traditional business models and transform the competitive landscape in sectors such as auto-retailing, financial services, and advertising, among others. Viswanathan’s research has appeared in top academic journals including Management Science, Information Systems Research, Journal of Marketing, and Decision Support Systems. He is also an active participant in international conferences and industry forums.
News
Research
Researchers Discover Human Designers’ Level of Experience Informs Their Response
Insights
Delaying Informed Consent Turns Off Customers
Education
Ph.D.
Information Systems
Leonard N. Stern School of Business,
New York University, NY.
M. Phil
Information Systems
Leonard N. Stern School of Business,
New York University, NY.
M.B.A
Finance and General Management
Indian Institute of Management,
Bangalore, India.
B. Engg
Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Annamalai University, India.
Academic Experience
| 2019 - Present | Dean's Professor of Information Systems and Digital Innovation |
| 2016- Present | Professor of Information Systems |
| 2008 - 2016 | Associate Professor of Information Systems Decision and Information Technologies Department, Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, College Park. |
| 2008 - Present | Co-Director DIGITS - Center for Digital Innovation, Technology, and Strategy. Robert H. Smith School of Business University of Maryland, College Park. |
| 2001- 2008 | Assistant Professor of Information Systems Decision and Information Technologies Department, Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, College Park. |
| Jan - Apr. 2010 | Visiting Scholar Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, India. |
Research Interests
- Platform Design
- Information Economics
- Online Markets, Platforms, and Digital Innovations
- Social Media and Network Analytics
- Customer Analytics
- Sharing Economy, Crowdsourcing, Crowdfunding, and Open Innovations
Editorial Appointments
- December 2020 - Co-Editor, MIS Quarterly Special Issue on Digital Resilience
- January 2017 - Present: Senior Editor, MIS Quarterly
- January 2016 - Present: Associate Editor, Management Science
- September 2016: Associate Editor, Information Systems Research, Special Issue
- January 2012 - December 2015: Associate Editor, MIS Quarterly
- January 2008 - December 2011: Associate Editor, Information Systems Research.
Emerging technological developments are having a profound impact on several industries and businesses, rendering existing business models obsolete, and creating new ones. Some of these changes are not only fundamental, but also sufficiently unique to necessitate new theories of their economic and strategic impacts. My research program has been guided by the recognition of the transformative power of these technological developments, and motivated by the need to gain a better understanding of the impacts of these technological changes.
Selected Publications
Lysyakov, M., Kannan, P.K., Viswanathan, S., Zhang, K. "Retailer Differentiation in Social Media: An Investigation of Firm-Generated Content on Twitter” Journal of Marketing, Forthcoming, October 2024.
Mudambi, M., Clark, J., Rhue, L., Viswanathan, S. "Fighting Misinformation on Social Media: An Empirical Investigation of the Impact of Prominence Reduction Policies" Production and Operations Management, Forthcoming, August 2024.
Mayya, R., and Viswanathan, S. “Delaying Informed Consent: An Empirical Investigation of Mobile Apps' Upgrade Decisions,” Management Science, Forthcoming, April 2024.
Shi, L., and Viswanathan, S. “Optional Verification and Signaling in Online Matching Markets: Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment,” Information Systems Research, Vol. 34, Iss. 4, December 2023.
Lysyakov, M., and Viswanathan, S. “Threatened by AI: Analyzing Users' Responses to the Introduction of AI in a Crowd-sourcing Platform,” Information Systems Research, Vol. 34, Iss. 3, September 2023.
Boh, WF., Constantinides, P., Padmanabhan, B., and Viswanathan, S. “Building Digital Resilience,” MIS Quarterly, Vol. 47, Iss. 1, March 2023.
Mayya, R., Ye, S., Viswanathan, S., and Agarwal, R. “Who Forgoes Screening in Online Markets and Why? Evidence from Airbnb.” MIS Quarterly, Vol. 45, Iss. 4., December 2021.
Sun, T., Viswanathan, S., Huang, N., and Zheleva, E. “Designing Promotional Incentives to Embrace Social Sharing: Evidence from Field and Lab Experiments.” MIS Quarterly, Vol. 45, Iss. 2., June 2021.
Sun, T., Viswanathan, S., and Zheleva, E. “Creating Social Contagion through Firm-Mediated Message Design: Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment.” Management Science, Vol. 67, Iss. 2., February 2021.
Sun, T., Shi, L., Viswanathan, S., and Zheleva, E. “Motivating Effective Mobile App Adoption: Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment.” Information Systems Research, Vol. 30, Iss.2, June 2019.
Kim, K., and Viswanathan, S. “The Experts in the Crowd: The Role of Experienced Investors in a Crowdfunding Market.” MIS Quarterly, Vol. 43, Iss.2, June 2019.
Ye, S., Viswanathan, S., and Hann, I. “The Value of Reciprocity in Online Barter Markets: An Empirical Investigation.” MIS Quarterly, 42 (2), June 2018.
Lin, M., Liu, Y., and Viswanathan, S. “Effectiveness of Reputation in Contracting for Customized Production: Evidence from Online Labor Markets.” Management Science, 64 (1), Jan. 2018.
Li, H., Kannan, P.K., Pani, A., and Viswanathan, S. “Attribution Strategies and Return on Keyword Investment in Paid Search Advertising.” Marketing Science, 35(6), Nov.-Dec. 2016 pp.831-848.
Lin, M., and Viswanathan, S. “Home Bias in Online Investments: An Empirical Study of an Online Crowdfunding Market.” Management Science, Vol. 62, Iss. 5, May 2016.
Shun, Y., Gao, G., and Viswanathan, S. “Strategic Behavior in Online Reputation Systems: Evidence from eBay.” MIS Quarterly, Vol. 38, Iss. 4, December 2014.
De Liu and Siva Viswanathan. “Information Asymmetry and Hybrid Advertising,” Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 51, No. 5, pp. 609-624, October 2014.
Ozpalat, K., Gao, G,. Jank, W., and Viswanathan, S. “The Value of Third-Party Assurance Seals in Online Retailing: An Empirical Investigation,” Information Systems Research, Vol. 24, Issue 4, December 2013.
Lin, M., Prabhala, N., and Viswanathan, S. “Judging Borrowers By the Company They Keep: Friendship Networks and Information Asymmetry in Online Peer to Peer Lending,” Management Science. Vol. 59, Issue 1, January 2013.
Animesh, A, Viswanathan S, and Agarwal R. “‘Competing “Creatively’ in Online Markets: Evidence from Sponsored Search.” Information Systems Research, March 2011.
Kuruzovich J, Viswanathan S, and Agarwal R. “Seller Search and Market Outcomes in Online Auctions,” Management Science, October 2010.
Mantena, R., Sankaranarayanan, R., and Viswanathan, S. “Platform-Based Information Goods: The Economics of Exclusivity.” Decision Support Systems, December 2010.
Animesh, A., Ramachandran, V., and Viswanathan. S. “Quality Uncertainty and the Performance of Online Sponsored Search Markets,” Information Systems Research, Vol. 21, No. 1, March 2010.
Kuruzovich J, Viswanathan S, Agarwal R, Gosain S. “Marketspace or Marketplace? Online Information Search and Channel Outcomes in Auto Retailing,” Information Systems Research, Vol. 19, No.2, June 2008.
Viswanathan S, Gosain S, Kuruzovich J, Agarwal R. “Online Infomediaries and Price Discrimination: Evidence from the Auto-Retailing Sector.” Journal of Marketing, July 2007.
Aron R, Sundararajan A, Viswanathan S. “Intelligent Agents in Electronic Markets for Information Goods: Customization, Preference Revelation and Pricing,” Decision Support Systems, May 2006.
Bakos Y, Lucas HC, Oh W, Simon, G, Viswanathan S, Weber B. “The Impact of E-Commerce on Competition in the Retail Brokerage Industry.” Information Systems Research, December 2005.
Anandalingam G, Viswanathan S. “Pricing Strategies for Information Goods,” Sadhana, Journal of the Indian Academy of Sciences, April-June 2005.
Viswanathan S. “Competing Across Technology-Differentiated Channels: The Impact of Network Externalities and Switching Costs,” Management Science, March 2005.
Ph.D. Dissertation Chair Maya Mudambi - Assistant Professor, Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst. | 2023. |
Ph.D. Dissertation Chair Mikhail Lysysakov - Assistant Professor, Simon School of Business, University of Rochester. | 2021. |
Ph.D. Dissertation Chair Raveesh Mayya - Assistant Professor, Stern School of Business, New York University. | 2020. |
Ph.D. Dissertation Chair Lanfei Shi - Assistant Professor, McIntire School of Commerce, University of Virginia | 2019. |
Ph.D. Dissertation Chair Tianshu Sun - Assistant Professor, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California. | 2016. |
Ph.D. Dissertation Co-chair Shannon Lantzy - Booz Allen Hamilton | 2016. |
Ph.D. Dissertation Co-Chair Keongtae Kim - Assistant Professor, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. | 2014. |
Ph.D. Dissertation Committee Member Alice Li - Assistant Professor, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University. | 2014. |
Ph.D. Dissertation Chair Shun Ye - Assistant Professor, School of Management, George Mason University. | 2012. |
Ph.D. Dissertation Chair Dobin Yim - Assistant Professor, School of Business, Fordham University. | 2012. |
Ph.D. Dissertation Chair Abrar Al-Hasan - Assistant Professor, Kuwait University | 2012. |
Ph.D. Dissertation Co-Chair Anupama Kothari | 2013. |
Ph.D. Dissertation Chair Mingfeng Lin – Assistant Professor, Karl Eller School of Management, University of Arizona. | 2010. |
Ph.D. Dissertation Committee Member Jie Mein Goh – Assistant Professor, IE Business School, Madrid, Spain. | 2010. |
Ph.D. Dissertation Committee Member Gauri Kulkarni – Assistant Professor, Loyola College, Maryland. | 2010. |
Ph.D. Dissertation Committee, Dean's Representative Nat Ayewah – Microsoft Research, Redmond, WA. | 2010. |
Ph.D., Dissertation Chair Vandana Ramachandran – Assistant Professor, David Eccles School of Business, University of Utah. | 2009. |
Ph.D. Dissertation Co-Chair Animesh Animesh – Assistant Professor, Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University, Canada. | 2007. |
Ph.D. Dissertation Committee Member Jason Kuruzovich – Assistant Professor, The Lally School of Management and Technology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. | 2006. |
Master’s Thesis Committee Member Vinetreya Deshpande. | 2005. |
Mikhail Lysyakov and Siva Viswanathan. "Synthesizing Winning Strategies: What Differentiates Experienced Solvers in Crowdsourcing Markets?". Winner, 2020 International Conference on Information Systems Best Student Paper Award, December 2020.
Lanfei Shi, Siva Viswanathan, and Kunpeng Zhang. ""Your Preference or Mine? A Randomized Field Experiment on Recommender Systems in Two-sided Matching Markets". Runner up, 2020 INFORMS eBusiness Best Paper Award, November 2020.
"University of Maryland Graduate Faculty Mentor of the Year" Award, April 2020.
2016 Emerald Citations of Excellence Award: Lin, M., Prabhala, N., and Viswanathan, S. “Judging Borrowers By the Company They Keep: Friendship Networks and Information Asymmetry in Online Peer to Peer Lending”, Management Science. Vol. 59, Issue 1, January 2013.
As of July/August 2017, this highly cited paper received enough citations to place it in the top 1% of the academic field of Economics & Business based on a highly cited threshold for the field and publication year. Data from Essential Science Indicators
UMD Smith School "Distinguished Teaching Award" 2015-2016.
2015 ISS Best Paper Award: Management Science Best Paper Award in Information Systems - "Judging Borrowers By the Company They Keep" Management Science. Vol. 59, Issue 1, January 2013.
UMD Smith School "Distinguished Teaching Award" 2014-2015.
UMD Smith School PhD Program "Faculty Mentor of the Year" Award, May 2015.
Tianshu Sun, Siva Viswanathan, and Elena Zheleva. ""Understanding the Effects of Message Design on Firm-Mediated Online Social Interactions: A Randomized Field Experiment", Finalist - 2014 INFORMS Service Science Section - Student Best Paper Award, November 2014.
Tianshu Sun and Siva Viswanathan, "Understanding the Impact of Message Design on Online Social Interactions". Marketing Science Institute(link is external) Research Competition Award, Summer 2014.
Keongtae Kim and Siva Viswanathan, "The Experts in the Crowd: The Role of Reputable Investors in a Crowdfunding Market". Runner-up - Best Paper Award, TPRC(link is external) Fall 2013.