The first report, entitled Reciprocal Sharing in IoT Supply Chains: The Signaling Effect of IoT Data Mining Efforts, was delivered by Dr. Sun Can, a Tenure-Track Research Fellow at the University of Science and Technology of China. Dr. Sun graduated from the University of Alberta, Canada, and his research focuses on the impact of information technology (especially the Internet of Things) on supply chains and business models. In his report, he conducted an in-depth analysis of how manufacturers can send product quality signals to retailers by investing in IoT data mining efforts, thereby achieving reciprocal sharing and supply chain collaboration. Dr. Sun currently serves as an Associate Editor of the SSCI journal Information Technology and Management, and his research results have been published in top international journals such as Information Systems Research (ISR) and Production and Operations Management (POM).

Dr. Zhang Haozhao, Assistant Professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, presented his research titled Service Differentiation Through Priority Matching in Two-sided Matching Platforms. Dr. Zhang holds a Bachelor of Economics degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, a Master of Accounting degree from Ohio State University, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Management Science from the University of Texas at Dallas. His research focuses on the sharing economy and blockchain. In this report, he discussed how two-sided platforms can use priority matching mechanisms to provide differentiated services for different user groups, thereby optimizing platform efficiency and revenue. His relevant research outcomes have been published in authoritative journals such as MIS Quarterly and Production and Operations Management.

Dr. Cheng Lihong, Tenure-Track Associate Professor at the School of Management of the University of Science and Technology of China, shared her research named The Dark Side of Consumer Data Masking in Algorithmic Personalized Pricing. Dr. Cheng obtained her Ph.D. in Management from the University of Science and Technology of China in 2022, and her research fields include platform supply chains, digital business models, and smart logistics. She pointed out that consumers' behavior of masking personal data for privacy protection may have unexpected negative consequences in the context of algorithmic personalized pricing, such as exacerbating price discrimination or reducing market efficiency. Dr. Cheng’s research provides important implications for platform enterprises’ data strategies and regulatory design, and her findings have also been published in journals including ISR and POM.

The closing report, Brand-owned Live-streaming or KOL Live-streaming? Strategic Choices Based on Brand Awareness and Product Characteristics, was given by Dr. Zhang Xin, Tenure-Track Associate Professor at the School of Management of the University of Science and Technology of China. Dr. Zhang obtained both a Ph.D. in Management from the University of Science and Technology of China and a Ph.D. in Information Systems from City University of Hong Kong in 2022. His research focuses on the intersection of economics of information systems and operations management. He conducted an in-depth analysis of the core strategic choice faced by brands in live-streaming e-commerce—whether to build their own live-streaming rooms or leverage the influence of key opinion leaders (KOLs)—and revealed how brand awareness and product characteristics (such as experience attributes and complexity) jointly affect this choice and its economic effects. Dr. Zhang’s research results have been published in top journals such as ISR, MIS Quarterly, and Journal of Management Information Systems (JMIS), and he once won the Best Paper Presentation Award at the International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) in 2020.

Written by/Kang Lin Reviewed by/Jia Ming