Alejandro Hernandez De la Lanza

Alejandro Hernández De la Lanza

Ph.D. Candidate in Operations Management

Contact Information

E-mail: alejandro.lanza [at] kellogg [dot] northwestern [dot] edu

Office 4168, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University

 

 

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 Research Interests

I’m a doctoral candidate in Operations Management at Kellogg School of Management. I am in the 2024-2025 job market. Professor Maria R. Ibanez advises me. My research focuses on empirical investigations of user behavior and mobile app revenue. I have worked on identifying the effect of internal decisions in mobile ecosystems (for example, mobile app updates) and external shocks (for example, viralization) on user behavior and mobile app revenue using empirical methods. We have collaborated with private companies to collect our on data to answer our research questions.

Job market paper

How do mandate-driven updates influence user engagement over time?

with Maria R. Ibanez

Mobile app developers are commonly believed to have complete discretion over the content they release through updates. However, mobile app marketplaces (i.e., Google Play, App Store) often require developers to release specific updates to ensure ecosystem compatibility. Failure to release them by specific deadlines can have consequences for developers: the app can lose visibility on the platform. In this study, we rely on a natural experiment research design and application of the difference-in-differences methodology to examine the impact of such mandatory updates, versus those at developers’ discretion, on user behavior in a freemium app over time. We found that mandatory updates, which developers have little control over, generally lead to reduced user engagement—such as fewer app sessions and less ad watching in the medium term.

In contrast, updates that developers choose to implement can enhance user engagement, as users respond positively to new features tailored to their needs. By analyzing user behavior over time, we discover that the immediate impact of these updates leads to a temporary decrease in user interactions, which long-term benefits can offset. This finding can help developers implement timely updating strategies, such as pooling, that minimize user base churn and allow for more efficient promotional campaigns.

Working paper

Beyond the Buzz: How viral acquisition shapes mobile app user evolution?

with Maria R. Ibanez

Organic user growth in mobile app ecosystems typically follows a gradual and predictable trajectory. However, the emergence of viral acquisition channels disrupts this established pattern, injecting large cohorts of new users into the app within a short timeframe. While the immediate effects of such surges are often celebrated for their market reach and revenue potential, their long-term consequences on existing users remain relatively unexplored. This research addresses this gap by investigating the impact of a viral influx triggered by a YouTube video on the behavior of pre-existing users in a specific mobile app. Utilizing a comprehensive dataset consisting of daily user interactions, we analyze changes in engagement patterns, feature usage, and monetization preferences following the viral event. By comparing the post-surge behavior of viral and non-viral users, this study seeks to identify potential shifts in user dynamics and offer valuable insights for app developers and strategists navigating the complex landscape of viral acquisition. By analyzing user behavior before and after the viralization of the app, we find that users that join the app before the viralization leave more profit while users that join the app after the viralization leave less profit to the app. This finding is surprising since a viralization campaing might not result in in-app purchases but only as a means to access a new pool set of users.

Work in Progress

Overcoming online user’s compliance: Role of social norms and feedback

The most cited issues with mobile apps are low user compliance (i.e., user engagement) and retention levels. In this paper, we use a randomized control trial to test the efficacy of the interaction of social norms and feedback on enhancing user engagement and retention, respectively, in the context of mobile apps.

Effects of Medical Travel: Empirical Evidence in Mexico

Seeking medical attention abroad has been around for centuries. However, it has only been in the past few decades that it has gained academic attention. Much of what has been written comes from a theoretical or qualitative perspective with just a small set of empirical papers. This first paper in a series uses official data from the Mexican government to provide empirical evidence on the effects on labor supply in Mexico that could be caused by medical travel. Such an effect could have two possible implications: it could generate competitive advantages in certain medical specialties but also leave a local population unattended within the region.

Teaching

Below is a list of courses I have assisted in at both Kellogg School of Management and IPADE Business School. Moreover, I have also been the instructor for one full course at Universidad Panamericana in Mexico City.

  • MBA courses, OPNS 440 – Designing and Managing Business Processes (2020-2021). Instructor: Sunil Chopra. Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, USA.
  • MBA courses, OPNS 430 – Operations Management (2020-2023). Intructors: Tarek Abdallah, Achal Bassamboo, Anton Braverman, Ruslan Momot, Maria R. Ibanez. Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, USA.
  • MBA courses, OPNS 951 – Humanitarian and Non-Profit Operations (2020-2024). Instructor: Karen Smilowitz. Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, USA.
  • Undergraduate courses, KELLG 324 – Operations and Supply Chain Management (2020). Instructor: Martin Lariviere. Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, USA.
  • MBA courses, OM I – Operations Management (2018-2019). Instructor: Rodrigo Garza Burgos, Francisco Arenas. IPADE Business School, Mexico.
  • Executive MBA courses, OM I – Operations Management (2018-2019). Instructor: Rodrigo Garza Burgos, Francisco Arenas. IPADE Business School, Mexico.
  • Undergraduate courses, Business Economics (2018-2019). Instructor: Alejandro Hernandez De la Lanza. Engineering School at Universidad Panamericana, Mexico.

 

Teaching material

I have collabrated to create teaching material for MBA courses at different schools.

Van Mieghem, A. Jan, and Alejandro Hernández De La Lanza. (2020). Inesa. Business Case Study. Evanston, Ill, USA. Kellogg School of Management.

Garza, Rodrigo, Arturo Orozco and Alejandro Hernández De la Lanza. (2019) The electoral process Mexico 2018. Business Case Study – P19 C02. Mexico City, Mexico. IPADE Business School Publishing.

García, Fausto, Francisco Arenas, and Alejandro Hernandez De la Lanza. (2019) Huaxteca. Business Case Study – P19 C03. Mexico City, Mexico. IPADE Business School Publishing.