Jinwoo Kang
Current Visitor, University of Michigan Ross School of Business
MS Graduate, KAIST(Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology)

"The Economics of Digital Ecosystems: People · Technology · Firm Strategy"

I am a researcher interested in the economics of digital ecosystems, and the interactions among people, firms and emerging technologies. My research focuses on how technological and organizational decisions can enhance firm performance and operational efficiency while fostering individual's intrinsic motivation and sustained engagement, and ultimately creating lasting value for both businesses and individuals. 

For example, in my recent working paper, I began with a question: Can a minimal intervention improve mobile app performance efficiently and effectively, while encouraging users to engage willingly rather than reluctantly? To investigate, I designed and conducted two experiments. A field experiment showed that the intervention increased daily user activity by over 10%, highlighting its potential to substantially lower customer retention costs at minimal cost ('25 ACM UIST). Then, a follow-up experiment provided evidence of a potential underlying mechanism, showing that the intervention significantly reduced user's autonomy frustration. 

I am visiting University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business from 2026 and currently working with Professor Hyun-Soo Ahn. Previously, I earned education and professional experience in the United Kingdom, South Korea, China, and the United States. I received my M.S. in Management Engineering from KAIST where I was advised by Professor Daegon Cho, and B.S. in International Hospitality Management from University of Surrey. I am authorized to work in the United States. 

Interests
IT Economics, Digital Behavioral Analytics, Service Operations,  Human-Technology Interaction 

Research 

1. The Nationwide Walkout and Mortality: Evidence from Time-Inelastic Care (With Drs. Ahn, HS and Son, Y.; Work in progress)
   Targeting Management Science. 
   
   

2. Structured to Be Free: An Onboarding Nudge Shaping Early Mobile App Engagement (Kang, J., Byun K. J., and Cho, D.; Completed manuscript) 

Presented at

2. • [Conferences] ACM UIST, 2025; Korea IT Services, 2024

   • [Industry] Invited talk, Space Oddity, Seoul, South Korea, 2024

   • [Community] Invited talk, Think & Future, Shanghai, China, 2025

Applied in

•  VF Note in App Store ; The intervention designed in our research was shared with the app developer and implemented in the app's onboarding UI.
  
  

3. Quadruped Robots: Human-Robot Collaboration and Operations (with Dr. Lee, Y.; Work in progress) 

Publications 

• Kang, J., & Cho, D. (2025). Digital Nudging in Mobile App Onboarding: Field Evidence on User Engagement.
  In Adjunct Proceedings of the 38th Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST). Busan, Korea. https://doi.org/10.1145/3746058.3758409

• Koo, S., Gangut, M., Muntean, I., Ho, O., & Kang, J. (2016). Analysis of the Usefulness, and Hedonic and Utilitarian Attitudes of Smartphone Users toward Mobile Tracking Applications.
  ISCONTOUR 2016 Tourism Research Perspectives, 84. Krems, Austria. ISBN: 383701052X.

Education

M.S. Management Engineering, KAIST College of Business, South Korea

B.Sc. International Hospitality Management, University of Surrey, UK

Exchange program, University of Central Florida, USA

Shanghai High School International Division, China 

Industry 

• Mobile Apps (Research Collaboration)
    Blip by Space Oddity, Seoul, South Korea

• Professional Services
    Gerson Lehrman Group Seoul Office, South Korea

• Hospitality
    Conrad Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Seoul, South Korea (Operations)
    Four Seasons London Canary Wharf, London, UK (HR)

• Automobiles
    Freelance Interpreter for Market Research, Detroit, MI

• Educations
    Freelance IGCSE Business Tutor for Grade 10-11, Online

• Legal Services
    Jipyong & Jisung, Shanghai, China 

Last Update: 27 October 2026