Initiatives that use information to encourage collective action have proliferated tremendously in China. This project examines the design and impacts of some of the country’s most prominent information-based governance strategies, including the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs’ Air Quality Index app “Blue Map,” the social credit scores associated with Alibaba, local government ratings of restaurant hygiene, and Dianping’s restaurant ratings. They cover a range of economic sectors and social issues and are issued by non-profit organizations, government agencies, and private companies.

One paper currently under review uses criteria from the information value chain framework, this paper examines the strengths and limitations of these initiatives by assessing their content salience, organizational trustworthiness, methodological credibility, interface usability, and perceived effectiveness. Another paper in development examines the relationship between corporate sustainability disclosure ratings and the the sustainability performance of both foreign and domestic companies operating in China.

Researchers Involved in this Project: Caroline Black ’20, Graham Bullock