Research at Webster Vienna

The Influence of Submission Devices on User-Generated Content: A New Study by Prof. Madlberger and Dr. Wolf

Prof. Maria Madlberger, Head of the Business and Management Department at Webster Vienna Private University collaborated with Dr. Lukas Wolf from the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg on a research study titled The Influence of Submission Devices on User-Generated Content – A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis. This study has been accepted for publication in the journal International Journal of Consumer Studies.

The paper investigates the impact of submission devices – mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, and non-mobile devices like laptops or PCs – on the creation and characteristics of User-Generated Content (UGC). While mobile and non-mobile devices share many functional similarities, they differ in screen size, user interface, and usage context, factors which can shape how users interact with content creation tools.

The authors conducted a systematic literature review, offering a structured overview of existing research by analyzing relevant theories, contexts, and methodologies. A subsequent weight analysis and meta-analysis examined the strength and combined effect sizes of relationships studied across the literature, as well as moderators that explain variations in results.

Key findings indicate that mobile devices, compared to non-mobile devices, have a moderate negative effect on temporal distance, text length, and content diversity in UGC. These insights clarify inconsistencies in prior studies and confirm the robustness of certain device-related effects. For example, the submission device plays a major role in factors that are influencing review helpfulness, but it does not affect helpfulness itself. The study calls for further research on understanding the role of situational factors of UGC creation as well as impacts on product sales.

The paper also provides practical recommendations for managers, emphasizing the need to adapt marketing strategies to the unique characteristics of content created on different digital devices. To encourage the submission of effective reviews, companies may encourage UGC submission via non-mobile devices.

^{Wolf, L., Madlberger, M. (2025) The Influence of Submission Devices on User-Generated Content—A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis, International Journal of Consumer Studies 49(1), e70003.}

Faculty — Business and Management

Faculty and Staff

Anatoly Reshetnikov contributed a chapter to the edited volume that engages with the life-time work of one of the most influential contemporary International Relations scholar, Iver B. Neumann. In his chapter, Reshetnikov shows how Russia and its relations with Europe were an important focus for Iver Neumann throughout his entire career.

He also exploresthe meaning and value of Neumann’s work for both Russian Studies and International Relations, the two disciplinary hats Neumann has managed to wear without falling into the common traps of either discipline.

Reshetnikov argues that Iver Neumann’s scholarship makes at least two important contributions to the mentioned fields. First, adhering to and promoting Bakhtinian dialogic epistemology, as well as engaging with the work of Russian formalists, Neumann effectively brought the Other’s voice and method into the European scholarly mainstream creating the conditions of possibility for dialogue and rapprochement.

Second, Neumann’s historicized explorations of Russia’s political identity produced an acutely precise and illuminating analytical framework that holds true deep and wide, explaining both the centuries-old historical evolution of Russia’s domestic debates about Europe, and its post-Soviet political trajectory and knowledge production.

Faculty — International Relations

Faculty and Staff

Associate professor and head of the communications department, Dr. Bradley E. Wiggins, was recently interviewed by Jorge Fontevecchia, CEO and journalist at Perfil, a major news platform in Argentina. Dr. Wiggins’ 2019 book ‘The Discursive Power of Memes in Digital Culture’ was translated earlier this year into Spanish as ‘El Poder de Los Memes’ or ‘The Power of Memes’.

In the interview, Dr. Wiggins states that “culture is lived in the programmed digital” and explains the impact and saturation of the digital in what we perceive as culture. In his book “The Power of Memes”, he breaks down this new way of producing meaning, thanks to the viral impulse given by social networks and the internet. And he maintains: “This is a new era of political communication.”

Faculty — Strategic Communication

Faculty and Staff

Webinar Recap: "Facial Expression – A Gateway to Affective Semiotics"

On January 19, 2025, Webster Vienna Private University hosted a compelling webinar by Marc Méhu, Associate Professor of Psychology, exploring the role of facial expressions in communication and social cognition.

Méhu highlighted the evolutionary significance of facial signals, showing how they adapt to social interactions and interact with speech to create multimodal messages. Using experimental and observational data, he reframed emotional expressions as strategically managed tools for both instinctive and voluntary communication.

The session featured insights from panelists across disciplines, moderated by Monica Rector. Attendees praised the event for its depth and interdisciplinary approach, with many calling it a thought-provoking exploration of affective semiotics.

Faculty — Psychology

Faculty and Staff