Abstract: How many identities can (and should) one firm have? As firms compete in more nuanced competitive environments, they may experience pressure to adopt multiple identities, or even to morph their identities to adapt to the changing competitive environment. But how do firms manage these multiple identities? Further, what effect does holding multiple identities have on firm performance? To answer these questions, we explore three identities of firms: organizational, collective, and market. We then examine the coalescence of these identities, and how identity consistency (or lack thereof) influences firm performance. We use a sample of firms from the petroleum industry to test three hypotheses regarding coalescence of organizational, collective, and market identities.

Abstract: This research contributes to the growing literature on “crowdfunding,” by investigating biases in an online peer-to-peer lending market. I examine the extent to which fundamental demographics such as gender, education, age, geography, and marital status impact the decisions of lenders. To untangle the degree to which observed biases may simply represent underlying economic considerations, I exploit a policy change where a blanket loan guarantee was introduced to the market. In the post-guarantee period, the economic rationale for lenders to discriminate on borrower demographics is largely removed. Therefore, comparison of pre- and post-guarantee periods provides a fruitful tool for measuring the degree of “statistical” versus taste-based discrimination. Further, the proprietary dataset provides significant demographic information for both sides of the lender-borrower dyads, making it possible to isolate the sources of bias.

Abstract: Product categories facilitate transactions between buyers and sellers by defining and valuing goods exchanged. While prior research has shown how the horizontal dimension of category membership influences value, scholars have yet to examine the role vertical category dynamics between buyers and sellers play in the market valuation process. In this study, we examine how market actors strategically adjust the vertical scope of their product categories to understand and create value. Using the context of the online advertising industry, we find that ongoing market exchanges involve vertical category adjustment where buyers shift the level of abstraction of their categorical perspective to clarify uncertain value and sellers manipulate the level of abstraction to optimize their value.