April, 23rd 2025 Wednesday

Ting Li, RSM

Title: From Interest to Intent: The Dual Role of AI-Generated Images in Property Search Decision-Making

Abstract: This study examines the impact of AI-generated design renderings on consumers’ evaluations of roughcast (i.e., unfinished) properties in the real estate industry. While roughcast properties face inherent presentation limitations due to their lack of interior elements, AI-generated images may overcome this by enhancing information delivery through property presentations. Drawing on the structural versus symbolic information framework and two-stage shopping goals theory, this study investigates how AI-generated images influence consumers’ initial interest and purchase decisions at different evaluation stages. Using data from a randomized field experiment conducted on a leading real estate platform (Study 1) and two follow-up online experiments (Study 2), we find that AI-generated images significantly boost initial interest in roughcast properties. However, their impact on purchase decision-making varies with the degree of AI’s creative freedom: lower creative freedom effectively promotes purchase decisions, while higher creative freedom can backfire by increasing perceived gaps in feasibility. This research extends the literature on applying generative AI in marketing and product presentation by revealing how AI-generated images influence consumers in different purchasing stages. It also introduces the concept of AI’s creative freedom and its role in shaping consumers’ perceptions. The findings provide actionable insights for marketers and platform providers to address product presentation challenges and optimize the use of AI in enhancing engagement and decision-making.

May, 13th 2025 Tuesday

Richard Watson, University of Georgia

Title: Capital asymmetry: A new strategic lens

Abstract: No general wants to fight an enemy on a level battlefield because the outcome will likely be an indeterminant stalemate (e.g., the four years of trench warfare in WW1). Without an asymmetric edge, organisations should also avoid level playing grounds. Otherwise, they will likely find themselves in the trenches of a price war. Using a framework that identifies six types of capital, we tabulate different forms of capital asymmetry an organisation can strive to create to reduce the influence of competitors. Major strategic shifts in the automotive industry from Ford to BYD are used to illustrate the disruptive impact of capital asymmetry. The presentation introduces methods for analysing, designing, and implementing a capital asymmetry strategy.
 

June, 3rd 2025 Tuesday

Konstantina Valogianni, IE Madrid

June, 18th 2025 Wednesday

Sofia Bapna, University of Minnesota

Title: Male Investors and Female-Oriented Ventures: Experimental Evidence on Pitch Strategies in Equity Crowdfunding

Abstract: The vast majority of investors are male, posing a challenge for companies offering female-oriented products to secure capital; male investors might be less interested in investing in products they will not personally use or may not fully understand. To address this funding gap, we conduct a randomized field experiment in equity crowdfunding, testing the effectiveness of three alternative pitch strategies that may resonate with men. The first pitch strategy (merits) serves as a benchmark, following a standard investment approach that emphasizes the potential financial return. The second pitch strategy (women and merits) retains this investment-focused messaging but supplements it with information about the product’s benefits for the women in the investors’ lives. The third pitch strategy (environment and merits) similarly maintains the investment focus while supplementing that message with information about the product’s environmental sustainability benefits. While female investors’ interest remains consistent across all three conditions, we find an unexpected negative effect among male investors exposed to the women and merits pitch—they are significantly less likely to express investment interest compared to those who received the merits pitch or the environment and merits pitch. We contribute by identifying which pitch strategies are most effective in engaging male investors for female-oriented ventures. Furthermore, we show that, while prior research has found that exposure to women in men’s personal lives can influence their decision-making in ways that promote gender-inclusive outcomes, invoking these relationships does not always have the same effect.