https://hdl.handle.net/10419/30002 2026-10-05T07:00:33Z https://hdl.handle.net/10419/335109 Title: The Effects of Privacy Policy Presentation and Length on Trust in Recommender Systems: An Online Experiment Authors: Schewe, Marc; Bahník, Štěpán Abstract: Recommender systems play a crucial role in e-commerce by simplifying consumer searches, improving decision making, and increasing user satisfaction, ultimately boosting e-vendors’ revenues. Their effectiveness depends on the trust of the users and the availability of data to generate accurate recommendations. Using an online experiment, we examined the effect of privacy policies and the amount of requested information on trust in recommender systems and willingness to share data. The results showed that a long privacy policy reduced trust compared to a short or absent policy. The presentation of a privacy policy and the request for more data decreased participants’ willingness to share data with the system, but a long policy did not further decrease the sharing beyond the effect of a short policy. To maintain trust and encourage data sharing, e-vendors may benefit from offering privacy policies upon request, keeping them concise, and minimizing data requests. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10419/335943 Title: Skill Substitution, Expectations, and the Business Cycle Authors: Leibing, Andreas Abstract: This paper studies how labor market conditions around high school graduation affect postsecondary skill investments. Using administrative data on more than six million German graduates from 1995-2018, and exploiting deviations from secular state-specific trends, I document procyclical college enrollment. Cyclical increases in unemployment reduce enrollment at traditional universities and shift graduates toward vocational colleges and apprenticeships. These effects translate into educational attainment. Using large-scale survey data, I identify changes in expected returns to different degrees as the main mechanism. During recessions, graduates expect lower returns to an academic degree, while expected returns to a vocational degree are stable. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10419/336248 Title: Gender Ideology and Work–Family Conflict: A Global Comparative Analysis Authors: Bhagat, Lakshita; Kriti, Shubhra; Goli, Srinivas Abstract: Reconciliation of work and family roles has become a central issue for advancing women’s empowerment, gender equality, and sustainable family systems worldwide. While the previous research has examined the ‘work–family interface’, multi-country evidence on the link between gender ideology (GI) and work–family conflict (WFC), remains inconclusive. As GI influences occupational choice and household division of labour, this study investigates a critical question: whether individuals with traditional gender beliefs experience higher WFC than those with egalitarian views. Using data from the ISSP 2012 module ‘Family and Changing Gender Roles’, we find a positive association between GI scores and WFC, indicating that respondents with traditional beliefs are more likely to report WFC than those with egalitarian ideology. While the findings remain robust across multiple robustness checks, yet the magnitude of the association is far from uniform, showing clear heterogeneity across individual factors such as sex and education, as well as community contexts, including place and region of residence. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10419/335108 Title: FinTechs and digital financial services landscape of Malawi: A supply-side analysis Authors: Makoza, Frank Abstract: Financial Technology (FinTech) organisations are perceived to be enablers of digital financial services in Malawi. They support efficient business transactions, secure payments instead of cash, lower transactions costs and support financial inclusion. While the phenomenon of FinTech has received attention among scholars, FinTech landscape of Malawi (e.g. supply-side) is not well documented. This paper analysed the FinTech landscape of Malawi focusing on profiling organisations, digital financial services and regulations. Using secondary data, the findings showed diversity of FinTech services e.g. mobile money, digital wallets, card-based payments, cloud banking services, microfinance and international remittance services. FinTechs operating in formal sector were regulated, while other FinTechs offering services for cryptocurrencies and crowdfunding platforms were not covered in the financial sector regulations. The study contributes towards literature on FinTechs in Malawi and highlights areas of further research. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z