Smaraki Mohanty, assistant professor of marketing at Elon University, received the Best Overall Paper and Best in Track Paper awards at the American Marketing Association Summer Academic Conference in Boston.
Assistant Professor Smaraki Mohanty at the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business received two awards, Best Overall Paper and Best in Track Paper, at the AMA Summer Academic Conference in August 2024 for her co-authored research.
The paper titled, “Political Ideology and Acceptance of AI-Based Recommendations,” explores how political beliefs could influence the acceptance of AI-driven recommendation services, such as suggested movies or music on various streaming platforms.
Through six studies, including an online field experiment, the research uncovered that individuals with conservative views may be more inclined to embrace AI-generated recommendations than their liberal counterparts.
This finding suggests that these recommendations, often personalized based on past behaviors, resonate with a preference for consistency in decision-making—a trait more commonly associated with conservative ideologies.
The research suggests potential implications for marketers and businesses, highlighting how AI-driven services might be tailored to resonate differently with various audiences.
“Being recognized at a conference like this is incredibly rewarding,” said Mohanty. “It’s a reminder that perseverance and dedication in research can lead to meaningful contributions that benefit both academia and the broader community.”
Mohanty co-authored the research with Iman Paul at Montclair State University, Monica Wadhwa at Temple University and Jeffrey Parker at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Mohanty joined Elon University in 2021. Her research interests include consumer behavior, brand management, and marketing strategies.