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Papers by Jameson K M Watts

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000

One of the defining features of online social networks is that users' actions are visible to othe... more One of the defining features of online social networks is that users' actions are visible to other users. In this paper, we argue that such visibility can have a detrimental effect on users' willingness to exchange digital gifts. Gift giving is an intimate activity that comes with social risk, and the public nature of online environments can deter interactions that usually occur in smaller, more intimate settings. To study the effects of online visibility on the decision to gift, we analyze a unique dataset from a large online social network that offers users the option of buying a digital gifting service. We find that purchase rates of the service increased with the number of ties that users kept on the network, but decreased with the extent to which those ties were connected to each other.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000

An information-theoretic model of the legitimacy construct is proposed. A measure called 'languag... more An information-theoretic model of the legitimacy construct is proposed. A measure called 'language consistency' is derived from this model and operationalized using data from thirteen years of trade journal articles on the biotechnology industry. This measure is then related to the trading volume of a representative portfolio of biotech stocks.

Proceedings of the 2015 ACM on Conference on Online Social Networks - COSN '15, 2015

One of the defining features of online social networks is that users' actions are visible to othe... more One of the defining features of online social networks is that users' actions are visible to other users. In this paper, we argue that such social visibility has a detrimental effect on users' willingness to gift digital goods. The gift giving process often generates substantial anxiety, and social visibility exacerbates this anxiety to the point that it can deter gifting altogether. To study the effect of social visibility on the decision to gift, we analyze a unique dataset from a large online social network that offers users the option of buying a digital gifting service. We find that purchase rates of the service increased with the number of social ties that users kept on the network, but decreased with the extent to which those ties were tied to each other. We argue that the latter effect is due to the fact that, when a user's ties are tied themselves, any gift sent between the user and one tie is visible to their mutual contacts. This argument is bolstered by a stronger negative effect of social visibility for users with larger, less intimate, and categorically diverse networks.

In running a website, a firm balances two potential streams of revenue: sales of goods, services,... more In running a website, a firm balances two potential streams of revenue: sales of goods, services, or information content to visitors; and sales of advertising space to other organizations. Web-based businesses thus operate in "two-sided markets," selling something of value to visitors and selling visitors' attention, and advertising choices affect both sides of those markets. In this paper, we empirically investigate the determinants of ad quantity on websites. Recent theoretical literature on this topic, especially the work of Katona and Sarvary (2008) [KS]; Godes, Ofek, and Sarvary (2009) [GOS]; and Kind, Nilssen, and Sorgard (2009) [KNS], has examined the relationship of site traffic, competition, and ad quantity. However, those papers yield some contradictory predictions. We focus on three issues. Do sites that have more competition devote more space to advertising? GOS say no and KNS say perhaps yes. Do sites that have more traffic devote more space to advertising...

A preference for diversity has been identified as an important predictor of tie formation in cert... more A preference for diversity has been identified as an important predictor of tie formation in certain networks, both social and organizational, that also exhibit a high degree of suppleness–the ability to retain their general form and character under stress (Durkheim, 1893/1997; Powell et al., 1996; Powell et al., 2005; Koput & Gutek, 2010). Extant models of preferential attachment, based on popularity, similarity, and cohesion, meanwhile, produce exceedingly brittle networks (Albert et al., 2000; Callaway et al., 2000; Holme et al., 2002; Shore et al., 2013). A model of preferential attachment based on diversity is introduced and simulated, demonstrating that a preference for diversity can create a structure characterized by suppleness. This occurs because a preference for diversity promotes overlapping and redundant weak ties during the early stages of network formation.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000

One of the defining features of online social networks is that users' actions are visible to othe... more One of the defining features of online social networks is that users' actions are visible to other users. In this paper, we argue that such visibility can have a detrimental effect on users' willingness to exchange digital gifts. Gift giving is an intimate activity that comes with social risk, and the public nature of online environments can deter interactions that usually occur in smaller, more intimate settings. To study the effects of online visibility on the decision to gift, we analyze a unique dataset from a large online social network that offers users the option of buying a digital gifting service. We find that purchase rates of the service increased with the number of ties that users kept on the network, but decreased with the extent to which those ties were connected to each other.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000

An information-theoretic model of the legitimacy construct is proposed. A measure called 'languag... more An information-theoretic model of the legitimacy construct is proposed. A measure called 'language consistency' is derived from this model and operationalized using data from thirteen years of trade journal articles on the biotechnology industry. This measure is then related to the trading volume of a representative portfolio of biotech stocks.

Proceedings of the 2015 ACM on Conference on Online Social Networks - COSN '15, 2015

One of the defining features of online social networks is that users' actions are visible to othe... more One of the defining features of online social networks is that users' actions are visible to other users. In this paper, we argue that such social visibility has a detrimental effect on users' willingness to gift digital goods. The gift giving process often generates substantial anxiety, and social visibility exacerbates this anxiety to the point that it can deter gifting altogether. To study the effect of social visibility on the decision to gift, we analyze a unique dataset from a large online social network that offers users the option of buying a digital gifting service. We find that purchase rates of the service increased with the number of social ties that users kept on the network, but decreased with the extent to which those ties were tied to each other. We argue that the latter effect is due to the fact that, when a user's ties are tied themselves, any gift sent between the user and one tie is visible to their mutual contacts. This argument is bolstered by a stronger negative effect of social visibility for users with larger, less intimate, and categorically diverse networks.

In running a website, a firm balances two potential streams of revenue: sales of goods, services,... more In running a website, a firm balances two potential streams of revenue: sales of goods, services, or information content to visitors; and sales of advertising space to other organizations. Web-based businesses thus operate in "two-sided markets," selling something of value to visitors and selling visitors' attention, and advertising choices affect both sides of those markets. In this paper, we empirically investigate the determinants of ad quantity on websites. Recent theoretical literature on this topic, especially the work of Katona and Sarvary (2008) [KS]; Godes, Ofek, and Sarvary (2009) [GOS]; and Kind, Nilssen, and Sorgard (2009) [KNS], has examined the relationship of site traffic, competition, and ad quantity. However, those papers yield some contradictory predictions. We focus on three issues. Do sites that have more competition devote more space to advertising? GOS say no and KNS say perhaps yes. Do sites that have more traffic devote more space to advertising...

A preference for diversity has been identified as an important predictor of tie formation in cert... more A preference for diversity has been identified as an important predictor of tie formation in certain networks, both social and organizational, that also exhibit a high degree of suppleness–the ability to retain their general form and character under stress (Durkheim, 1893/1997; Powell et al., 1996; Powell et al., 2005; Koput & Gutek, 2010). Extant models of preferential attachment, based on popularity, similarity, and cohesion, meanwhile, produce exceedingly brittle networks (Albert et al., 2000; Callaway et al., 2000; Holme et al., 2002; Shore et al., 2013). A model of preferential attachment based on diversity is introduced and simulated, demonstrating that a preference for diversity can create a structure characterized by suppleness. This occurs because a preference for diversity promotes overlapping and redundant weak ties during the early stages of network formation.