Ebs Cocom

ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION & INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Conference Paper Abstracts

WORK TEAM EFFECTIVENESS FIELD RESEARCH:
PROGRESS AND PROSPECTS
Ashworth, Michael J.; Carnegie Mellon U.; ashworth@cmu.edu
In this review, we examine the progress of the past seven years of field study research on work group
effectiveness. An analysis of thirty-six empirical studies reveals that work team field research is
proceeding primarily along dimensions of interdependence, autonomy, diversity, and conflict. Challenging
research opportunities remain in areas related to impacts of technology, multi-culturalism, psychosocial
traits, and temporal variations on team effectiveness outcomes. Surprisingly, we find that information
technology is a high impact effectiveness variable that continues to be relatively unexplored in work group
field settings.
Keywords: Information Technology, Work Groups, Team Performance

TEMPORAL EFFECTS OF RELATIONAL STOCKS ON
TECHNOLOGY-ENABLED GROUP PERFORMANCE
Miranda, Shaila; U. of Oklahoma; shailamiranda@ou.edu
Crawford, Jeff; U. of Oklahoma; crawfish@ou.edu
Chidambaram, Laku; U. of Oklahoma; laku@ou.edu
Despite the growing importance of small groups in organizations, questions remain about what
communication technologies should be used and how such choices will affect group outcomes. We
extend existing group development models by employing a complementary stock perspective, wherein
affective, cognitive, and behavioral components of relational stocks develop and accumulate over time;
once accumulated, these stocks complement the communication technology by impacting a groups task
performance. Results suggest more complex implications of utilizing technology than previously observed
delays in relational development that accompanies technology use. While some aspects of relational
development were marginally delayed, others were not. More importantly, when compared to face-to-face
groups, the ability of computer-mediated groups to utilize their relational stocks for performance gains
was delayed. Implications of these results for practice and research are examined.
Keywords: group development, relational stock accumulation, technology-enabled groups

ACHIEVE ECONOMIES OF SCALE AND MINIMIZE
OPPORTUNISM IN IT OUTSOURCING DEALS: THE ROLE OF
REPUTATION
Ang, Siah-Hwee; U. of Auckland; s.ang@auckland.ac.nz
Zeng, Xiaoxia (Erin); U. of Auckland; xzen011@ec.auckland.ac.nz
IT outsourcing is increasingly becoming an important component of a firms IT strategy. In most cases, IT
continues to be an integral part of a firms conduct despite being run by outside IT vendors. These IT
outsourcing contracts are usually fixed for a significant value and duration. Such arrangements
Organizational Communication & Information Systems Paper Abstracts -- 1
necessarily envisage opportunism and moral hazards. Reputation has been proposed to be a means to
counter opportunism. It reflects the extent to which other companies have utilized this IT vendor firm and
hence the trust placed on the vendor firm. Reputation also suggests the need for the IT vendor firm to
perform in order to maintain its reputation. This study proposes that reputation provides a significant
contribution to the selection of IT vendor firms in IT outsourcing deals. We find that both reputation and
size of IT vendor firms are significant determinants of the value and duration of IT outsourcing contracts
awarded. While IT vendor firm size tends to be the stronger factor, the relative impact of reputation
increases in the case of duration as compared to value of contracts. These findings have implications for
both reputation and outsourcing research. It also has managerial implications for both IT vendor firms and
companies that aim to outsource their IT.
Keywords: reputation, IT outsourcing, opportunism

JOINT ACTION BETWEEN BUYERS AND SUPPLIERS:
INFORMATIONS SYSTEMS AS A COORDINATING MECHANISM
Mukherji, Ananda; Texas A&M International U.; max@tamiu.edu
Francis, John D.; San Diego State U.; jdfprof@aol.com
Mukherji, Jyotsna; Texas A&M International U.; jyo@tamiu.edu
While the importance of interfirm relations has been widely acknowledged, the relationships between
buyers and suppliers can vary widely on the amount of joint action they undertake with each other. The
process of joint action between buyer and supplier is influenced both by the supplier firms information
system, and by the economic dependency of the supplier on its buyer. The quality of their interfirm or
relational norms impacts the supplier firms information system. Interfirm norms do not affect joint action
directly but make an indirect impact on joint action through information systems. Structural equation
modeling is used to test our model to assess the direct impact of information systems on joint action in
addition to the role of dependence. Results indicate that dependence and information systems influence
joint action. However, in order to develop quality coordination mechanisms such as information systems,
interfirm norms, including communication and trust must be developed in order to create the commitment
necessary to implement the required coordination through information systems.
Keywords: information systems, joint action, interfirm norms

UNPACKING THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT AND
CONSEQUENCES OF DISPERSED WORK
Rockmann, Kevin W.; George Mason U.; krockman@gmu.edu
As organizations progress in the 21st century, individuals will be increasingly physically separated from
organizational facilities during the time they spend working. This practice of employee dispersion, despite
attracting significant empirical research and organizational implementation, has been theoretically
underdeveloped. Using past research and theories concentrating primarily on physical proximity, social
networks, and identification, this paper builds a theoretical model of dispersion. It is argued that the
degree of dispersion, different forms of dispersion, and the origin of dispersion will lead to various
learning and attachment outcomes for dispersed employees, mediated by the information and mentoring
social networks in which employees are embedded. Future empirical research directions are discussed.
Keywords: Dispersed Work, Social Networks, Forms of Dispersion

SITUATED LEARNING IN AND AMONG DISTRIBUTED
COMMUNITIES:EVIDENCE FROM ITUSE IN A NETWORK OF
PRACTICE.
Vaast, Emmanuelle; Long Island U.; emmanuelle.vaast@liu.edu
In a situated learning perspective, learning emerges from agents situated practices and is embedded in
the specificities of the context of their work. Local Communities of Practice (CoPs) thus constitute natural
loci for the emergence of situated learning. This perspective illuminates why so many Knowledge
Management Systems have failed to encourage the emergence of learning beyond the specificities of
local situations. This paper contributes to the literature on situated learning by examining how IT use may
foster the emergence of learning processes in and among distributed local CoPs, in a Network of Practice
(NoP). It relies on an interpretive qualitative case study of intranet and e-mail use in a network of
distributed local CoPs. Analysis of the case suggests that Information Technology (IT) use may foster the
sharing of the explicit professional knowledge domain as well as the extension of the spatial and temporal
continuity of the situation. Such use of IT may encourage situated learning beyond distance as agents
may make sense of network resources thanks to local ones and vice and versa and as they may co-
participate in practices that are not merely locally-bounded, but that are also network-related. The
emergence of such learning processes in the NoP challenges power relations in and among CoPs as well
as between the NoP and its institutional and organizational environment.
Keywords: ITuse, situation, learning

SOFTWARE PROJECT ESCALATION: AN EMBEDDED
OPTIONS MODEL
Tiwana, Amrit; Iowa State U.; tiwana@iastate.edu
Keil, Mark; Georgia State U.; mkeil@gsu.edu
Fichman, Robert G.; Boston College; robert.fichman.1@bc.edu
Software project escalation has been shown to be a widespread phenomenon. With few exceptions, prior
research has portrayed escalation as an irrational decision-making process whereby additional resources
are plowed into a failing project. In this paper, we examine the possibility that in some cases managers
escalate their commitment not because they are acting irrationally, but rather, as a rational response to
real options that may be embedded in a project. Using data on 984 project assessments by managers in
123 firms, we demonstrate that managers recognize and value the presence of embedded real options.
We also assess the relative importance that managers attach to each type of real option, showing that
growth options are more highly valued than operational options. Finally, we demonstrate that the
influence of the embedded options on project continuation decisions is largely mediated by the perceived
value that they add. Implications for both theory and practice are discussed.
Keywords: real options, escalation of commitment, software project management

PRIVACY TRADE-OFF FACTORS IN E-COMMERCE A
STUDY OF ITALY AND THE UNITED STATES
Dinev, Tamara; Florida Atlantic U.; tdinev@fau.edu
Bellotto, Massimo; U. of Verona; massimo.bellotto@univr.it
Hart, Paul; Florida Atlantic U.; hart@fau.edu
Colautti, Christian; IULM U.; Christian.Colautti@tesi.it
Russo, Vincenzo; IULM U.; vincenzo.russo@iulm.it
Serra, Ilaria; Florida Atlantic U.; serra@fau.edu
This study examines cross-cultural differences in privacy trade-off factors as related to e-commerce use
for Italy and the United States. By employing the model of trade-off factors, we argue that for both
cultures the users decision to make a purchase is influenced by trust, perceived vulnerability, and privacy
concerns which are known to be among the most salient factors driving e-commerce. The empirical model
was tested using LISREL structural equation modeling. We incorporated two of the most influential
cultural theories Hofstedes cultural dimensions of individualism/collectivism and uncertainty avoidance,
and Fukuyamas theory of trust and social capital. The importance of trust in the collectivist Italian society
and privacy in the individualist U.S. society has been discussed using the etic and emic approaches of
cultural research. The papers major contribution is in integrating the cultural theories into the theoretical
model and showing the moderating effects of culture. The results render support for the studys
hypotheses and show that the Italian culture exhibits lower propensity to trust, lower institutional trust, and
lower privacy concerns, and higher perceived vulnerability than the U.S. counterpart which, from its part,
exhibits stronger relationships between the e-commerce use and the trade-off factors.
Keywords: privacy, e-commerce, culture

TOWARD A MODEL OF NONVERBAL CUES AND EMOTION
IN EMAIL
Byron, Kristin; Rochester Institute of Technology; kbyron@cob.rit.edu
Baldridge, David C.; Oregon State U.; baldridged@bus.oregonstate.edu
In a series of three studies, the authors examine whether and how emotions are communicated in email
communication. A focus group study finds that employees report perceiving and expressing emotions in
email communication by using both verbal and nonverbal cues. Building on data from the focus group,
results from an experiment finds that nonverbal cues (i.e., the use of capitalization and emoticons) in
emails are associated with the perception of emotion in emails. Results of another experiment suggest
that email senders who use all capital letters are perceived as less likeable and are less likely to receive
compliance for a simple request. However, the receivers personality characteristics moderated these
relationships, suggesting that emotional perception in email varies between individuals. The studies
expand our understanding of how and when emotions are conveyed and perceived in email messages,
and suggest that managers should be aware that emails can be perceived to carry emotional content.
Furthermore, they suggest that the use of nonverbal cues in email communication that convey emotional
content affect both how an email sender is perceived and the recipients behavior in response to the
email.
Keywords: email, nonverbal, emotion

THE ENTWINEMENT OF POWER/KNOWLEDGE AND THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF CONFIGURABLE TECHNOLOGIES
Pozzebon, Marlei; HEC Montreal; marlei.pozzebon@hec.ca
Rodriguez, Charo; McGill U.; charo.rodriguez@mcgill.ca
This paper has two aims. First, to make some steps forward to theorize the interconnectedness of a
particular type of information technology (IT) configurable IT and specific actors clients and
consultants working in organizational settings. We try to increase the understanding of political and
cognitive issues surrounding the implementation of configurable IT by focusing on the global/local
negotiations that clients and consultants carry out during the configurational phase. Second, we put
forward the politics of interpretation the indissociability of power and knowledge. In our effort to theorize
about power and knowledge acting on and through each other, we have identified four strategies of
power/knowledge co-production in addition to those already recognized by Marshall and Rollinson (2004),
namely expertise-as-power and authority-construction. These additional strategies are rhetorical
closure, autonomy-as-power, consensus agreement and professional identity struggle. In an attempt
to integrate these power/knowledge strategies into a comprehensible framework, we articulate them with
the seminal concepts and ideas of two distinct but interrelated perspectives: critical discourse analysis
and structuration theory. We draw on material gathered from two research projects involving ten
organizations that have been implementing configurable IT, more particularly of two types: ERP
(enterprise resource planning) and CIS (clinical information systems).
Keywords: power/knowledge interplay, politics of interpretation, configurable technologies

WEBSITES IN THE 21ST CENTURY: CONTRASTING THE
RATIONALITY AND INSTITUTIONAL THEORY PERSPECTIVES
Srivastava, Shirish C; National U. of Singapore; g0305937@nus.edu.sg
Teo, Thompson SH; National U. of Singapore; bizteosh@nus.edu.sg
Annapoornima, M S; National U. of Singapore; g0305938@nus.edu.sg
The adoption of innovative systems by organizations is not always a rational decision based on the
efficiency paradigm. It may be based on the organizations decision to conform to the institutionalized
norms in a particular organizational field to gain legitimacy. In this study, we apply rational and
institutional perspectives to investigate and understand organizational website features, which are
becoming a potent force in the 21st century. We use web content analyses for testing the presence and
extent of intra and inter industry isomorphism. We analyze the data recorded from 243 websites: 91
information technology (IT) firms (IT industry), 67 business schools (education industry) and 85 banks
(banking industry) on the 20 features classified into information and interactive content. Our results
indicate considerable homogeneity (isomorphism) in the website structure, features and functionality
within each of the three industries studied. Website homogeneity coefficient, developed in this study,
shows that business school websites display maximum extent of isomorphism. Interestingly inter-industry
comparisons of the website features point out significant differences (non isomorphism) in websites
across the three industries. This study indicates that website features are guided by the intra-industry
(fads) rather than the extra-industry (fashions). Results support the presence of rational perspective for
the website features across the three industries and institutional perspective for website features within
the three industries. This posits the emergence of industry specific website norms governed by the
industry specific business logic. The study also shows that bank websites are the most advanced in
terms of utilization of website features. The detailed analysis and data for the top US firms for the three
industries spells out the website standards for IT firms, business schools and banks in US, which can
serve as a guide for organizations in understanding, planning and improving their website features to beat
the growing competition in the 21st century.
Keywords: Isomorphism, Websites, Institutional

EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE:
COMPETENCIES, MATURITY AND IMPACTS
Boh, Wai Fong; Nanyang Technological U.; awfboh@ntu.edu.sg
Yellin, Daniel; IBM Research; dmy@us.ibm.com
In this study, we make use of the resource-based view theory to examine how organizations build up their
capability in using EA to manage their IS resources. We identify four key types of IS resources to be
managed across the enterprise: physical IT infrastructure, human IT infrastructure, business applications
and data resources. We explain how enterprise architecture can affect the management of these IS
resources, and hypothesize that an organizations capability in using enterprise architecture will affect the
effectiveness with which organizations manage these IS resources. We conceptualize an organizations
capability in using EA to be made up of two constructs. First, the architectural maturity construct reflects
the different stages of an organizations maturity in defining and using architectural standards. Second,
the organizational competency in EA management construct specifies the types of organizational
structure, processes, and role assignment that the organizations put in place to ensure accountability for
the definition, use and conformance to enterprise architecture. Through a cross-sectional survey, we
empirically verified our research model of how organizational competency in EA management and
architectural maturity influence the effective management of IS resources. We found that the architectural
maturity of organizations had a significant impact on the organizations ability reduce heterogeneity
amongst the physical IT infrastructure components, increase application integration, and improve
management of data resources. This research has implications for both research and practice by
identifying the key factors making up the capability of organizations in effectively managing IS resources
using enterprise architecture.
Keywords: Enterprise Architecture, Internal Standards, Resource-Based View

MECHANISMS FOR INTEGRATING DISTRIBUTED
KNOWLEDGE IN PROJECT-BASED ORGANIZATIONS
Boh, Wai Fong; Nanyang Technological U.; awfboh@ntu.edu.sg
This paper examines the use of knowledge-sharing mechanisms to leverage on the experience and
expertise of employees to create capabilities that transcend beyond individuals and teams. In this paper, I
specify an overall framework that provides a typology of the types of knowledge-sharing mechanisms
used by project-based organizations. I identified two important dimensions of knowledge-sharing
mechanisms. The first dimension is personalization vs. codification. Knowledge that is shared through a
codification strategy is carefully codified and stored in databases and documents, while knowledge that is
shared through a personalization strategy is closely tied to the person who developed it and shared
mainly through direct person-to-person contacts. The second key dimension in our typology is whether
the mechanisms facilitate knowledge sharing through integration processes at the individual and group
levels, or through processes institutionalized in various organizational routines, artifacts, or organizational
structure. The interaction of these two dimensions provides a typology of knowledge-sharing mechanisms
used by project-based organizations. To examine the usefulness of the typology, I conducted empirical
studies in two project-based organizations. I observe that the organization that is smaller in size, and less
mature makes use of predominantly integration and personalization knowledge-sharing mechanisms,
while the organization that is bigger in size and more mature makes use of predominantly institutionalized
knowledge-sharing mechanisms. This typology highlights that organizations can institutionalize both
codification and personalization-oriented knowledge-sharing mechanisms. The mechanisms in all the four
quadrants can also be used in a complementary manner to one another.
Keywords: Knowledge-sharing mechanisms, Project-Based Organizations, Case Studies

WHOS DOING WHAT, WHEN? COORDINATING WORK IN A
DISTRIBUTED SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT TEAM
Xu, Heng; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; hengxu@mit.edu
Yates, Joanne L.; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; jyates@mit.edu
Orlikowski, Wanda J; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; wanda@mit.edu
In this paper, we examine how the members of a virtual software development team successfully
coordinated their complex and evolving work, coping with the difficulties of geographic dispersion and the
lack of formalized structure. Based on our empirical findings, we develop a framework for understanding
the coordination of work distribution by examining three interdependent dimensions: to whom is the work
distributed (we consider the multiple criteria of expertise, availability, and interest); how is the work
distributed (we focus on both explicit and implicit forms of communication); and when is the work
distributed (we address planned, opportunistic, and emergent temporal patterns). We conclude with some
implications of our study for the coordination of complex and distributed work.
Keywords: coordination, virtual team, work distribution

BARRIERS TO POST MORTEM EVALUATION OF IT
PROJECTS: A DELPHI STUDY
Kasi, Vijay; Georgia State U.; vkasi@gsu.edu
Keil, Mark; Georgia State U.; mkeil@gsu.edu
Mathiassen, Lars; Georgia State U.; Lars.Mathiassen@eci.gsu.edu
Pedersen, Keld; Aalborg U.; keldp@cs.aau.dk
Information technology (IT) projects are prone to failure. Post mortem evaluation (PME) has long been
advocated as a means of learning from such failures. In practice, however, relatively few organizations
conduct PMEs when projects fail. Here, we report the results of a Delphi study aimed at identifying the
key barriers to PMEs of IT projects. Thirty-eight unique barriers were identified and our panelists selected
a subset of 19 top barriers. This subset was ranked and the following two barriers emerged as being the
most significant: (1) getting lost in current business and (2) no culture for inter-project learning. The entire
list of 19 ranked barriers was then categorized in an iterative and intuitive manner. The top seven barriers
all relate to lack of emphasis on or lack of commitment to post mortem evaluations. A middle set of six
barriers relate to difficulties of acquiring and processing the information needed to conduct a post mortem
evaluation. The last six barriers relate to conditions for performing post mortem evaluations. Most of the
panelists agreed with this interpretation of the data. They also agreed that PMEs should be performed on
selected projects and that the benefits of doing so outweigh the costs. Implications of these findings are
discussed.
Keywords: IT project management, post mortem evaluation, Delphi study

BUILDING AN ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
COMMUNICATION THEORY
Frahm, Jennifer; U. of Melbourne; jfrahm@optusnet.com.au
Brown, Kerry; Queensland U. of Technology; ka.brown@qut.edu.au
The difficulty of communicating during organizational change has intensified with the prevalence of
continuously changing organizations (Buchanan, Claydon & Doyle, 1999). The difficulty faced by
managers is compounded by the lack of studies examining organizational communication within a context
of organizational change (Eisenberg, Andrews, Murphy, & Laine-Timmerman, 1999; Lewis & Seibold,
1996). Not surprisingly then, is there a paucity of organizational change theory to guide further research
and practitioners. This paper addresses the lack of organizational change communication research and
contributes to theoretical development of communication during organizational change. A model of
change communication during continuous change is presented from the analysis of two longitudinal
empirical studies. Central constructs of the model are the monologic change communication, the dialogic
change communication and the background talk of change. Further Van de Ven and Pooles (1995)
Process Theories of Change are extended to consider the sequencing of the three constructs. The
findings suggest that the sequencing of the dominant change communication approaches is informed by
an alignment of individual communication competences and organizational change communication
expectations.
Keywords: change communication, theory development, case study

LANGUAGING CONFLICT: A CASE STUDY OF
CONTRAVERSATION.
Aggestam, Maria; Lund U.; maria.aggestam@fek.lu.se
Keenan, James; Fairfield U.; jkeenan@stagweb.fairfield.edu
This paper studies a case of conflict-building from a social constructionist perspective. It explores
communication processes in inter-organisational, society-business [town-gown] relations and focuses on
conversation and discourse among the actors in the situation. In particular, attention is devoted to
contraversation, that is, dialogical and dialectical languaging, and its role in the organization of
oppositional interests, groups and relations. Languaging is found to be an important factor
underrepresented in traditional conflict-building paradigms in management science. Confrontational
languaging in particular appears strongly associated with confrontation as a type of individual and group
behaviour. Confrontation is characterised by the simultaneous low concern for the interests of others with
a heightened concern for self-interests. Reflecting recent research in embeddedness, the case analysis
also attempted to understand confrontation as social action contingent on and embedded cognitively,
culturally, politically and structurally in community and inter-organization relations.
Keywords: Communication, Languaging, Conflict

HUMOR AS A MANAGEMENT TOOL AND ORGANIZATIONAL
ASSET
Romero, Eric; U. of Texas-Pan American; ericromero@utpa.edu
Cruthirds, Kevin William; U. of Texas, Pan American; kwcruthirds@panam.edu
This article describes how organizational humor can be used as a managerial tool and become a valuable
asset. The Organizational Humor Model describes how managers use humor as a tool to reduce stress
and enhance leadership, group cohesiveness, communication, creativity, and organizational culture. The
effect of humor on organizational outcomes are moderated by ethnicity and gender. When managers
select the appropriate humor style suitable for the desired organizational outcome, and adjust for the
ethnicity and gender, they will realize positive organizational outcomes.
Keywords: Humor, Management, Communication

OCCUPATIONAL WORK STYLES AND ORGANIZATIONAL
CHANGE:A CONSTITUTIVE PERSPECTIVE ON ENGINEERING
CULTURE
Leonardi, Paul; Stanford U.; leonardi@stanford.edu
Jackson, Michele; U. Colorado, Boulder; jackson@colorado.edu
Waite, William; U. of Colorado, Boulder; william.waite@colorado.edu
Diwan, Amer; U. Colorado, Boulder; amer.diwan@colorado.edu
Occupational cultures can pose a challenge to organizational change efforts. Despite the importance
occupational training plays in organizational settings, researchers have paid little attention to how
occupational culture manifests itself in the everyday lives of organizational members. We attempt to
demonstrate how the specific work styles enacted by members of an occupation create a culture that
guides the acceptance and/or refusal of new work practices. This paper reports the findings of a three-
year qualitative study of software, computer, and electrical engineering students. Adopting a constitutive
perspective, we identify a dialectic relationship between work styles and cultural themes that both
reinforce each other and condition the occupational identity of the engineer as a lone wolf. A
consequence of this relationship is that change efforts to introduce teamwork or collaboration will be
resisted if they do not align changes in tasks with existing occupational work styles.
Keywords: Work Styles, Occupational Culture, Organizational Change

CONDUCTING GEOGRAPHICALLY DISPERSED KNOWLEDGE
WORK ISSUES AND FUTURE RESEARCH AGENDA
Assudani, Rashmi H.; McGill U.; rashmi.assudani@mail.mcgill.ca
Increasingly firms are employing geographically dispersed teams since one of the oft-cited benefits of
dispersed teams is the ability of its members to contribute diverse knowledge and expertise. Empirical
evidence demonstrates that increasingly knowledge-based tasks such as new product development are
being conducted by teams of geographically dispersed actors. Despite all this attention, there isnt much
understood about how to effectively conduct dispersed collaboration. The research on dispersed
collaboration and knowledge management is young and the domain is still being mapped out (Susman &
Majzrchak, 2003). As an early step to map this domain, this conceptual paper reviews the knowledge-
based view of the firm and dispersed work literatures to examine why conducting dispersed knowledge
work may be problematic. The paper further presents an agenda for future research in this domain.
Keywords: Dispersed collaboration, knowledge management, future agenda

COMMUNITIES FOR CO-DESIGN: CUSTOMER
COLLABORATION AS AN ENABLER OF MASS
CUSTOMIZATION
Piller, Frank T.; Technische U., Mnchen; piller@ws.tum.de
Moeslein, Kathrin; Advanced Institute of Management Research, London Business
School; kmoeslein@london.edu
Schubert, Petra; Fachhochschule beider Basel; p.schubert@fhbb.ch
Koch, Michael; Bremen U.; kochm@in.tum.de
Mass customization strategies try to offer customized products and services for broad market segments
with mass production efficiency. Every order of a customized offering implies the integration of the
customer into the firms activities during the elicitation process. During elicitation, customers select their
individual configuration out of a given solution space. Compared to the rather huge amount of literature
on manufacturing and information systems for mass customization, only little research discusses the role
of the customer within the co-design process. Customers, however, face new uncertainties and risks
when acting as co-designers. Building on a construction strategy of empirical management research in
form of six case studies, we propose the use of online communities for collaborative customer co-design
in order to reduce the mass confusion phenomenon. In doing so, the paper challenges the assumption
made by most mass customization researchers that offering customized products requires an individual
(one-to-one) relationship between customer and supplier. The objective of the paper is to build and
explore the idea of communities for customer co-design and transfer established knowledge on
community support to this new area of application.
Keywords: customization & personalization, communities, co-design

DO FIRST IMPRESSIONS REALLY MATTER? A COMPARISON
OF THE COHESION-PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIP IN
TEAMS
Huang, Rui; U. of Oklahoma; rhuang@ou.edu
Chidambaram, Laku; U. of Oklahoma; laku@ou.edu
Carte, Traci; U. of Oklahoma; tcarte@ou.edu
With the growing popularity of virtual teams in many organizations, how they interact and how they
perform are becoming important issues for both managers and researchers. Prior research has
suggested that cohesion is one of the factors that significantly affect team performance (Langfred, 1998),
which has a reciprocal impact on cohesion and leads to an upward spiral (Dorfman and Stephan, 1984).
This relationship is likely to be as important in virtual teams as it is in collocated teams. However, given
the reliance of virtual teams on collaborative technologies, it is not clear how the cohesion-performance
relationship differs between such teams and their collocated counterparts. A related issue deals with the
role of time in influencing this relationship. To explore these questions, we examined the reciprocal
relationship between cohesion and performance in both virtual teams and collocated teams using data
collected from a longitudinal field experiment. Our results suggest that in virtual teams, initial cohesion
significantly influences team performance, indicating the importance of first impression; however, there
was no significant relationship between the two in collocated teams. Subsequently, feedback (i.e.
performance from the previous time period) had a significant effect on cohesion during the mid-life of both
groupsvirtual and collocated. Finally, however, cohesion did not have a significant impact on
performance at the end of the virtual groups lives, a finding that was replicated in the collocated
context. Thus, initial impressions mattered initially in virtual groups, but had no lasting impact.
Keywords: cohesion-performance relationship, virtual teams, temporal effects

EXPLORING NARRATIVE VARIETY: NARRATIVE-BASED
KNOWLEDGE SHARING IN THE OIL EXPLORATION INDUSTRY
Geiger, Daniel; Freie U., Berlin; geigerd@wiwiss.fu-berlin.de
Schreyogg, Georg; Freie U., Berlin; schrey@wiwiss.fu-berlin.de
This study extends theory and research on narrative-based knowledge transfer in organizational
communities. An empirical case study examines the role of narratives and knowledge sharing in a virtual
community of practice at Shell Int. Exploration and Production. The focus of analysis is on how engineers
facing urgent drilling problems make use of narratives provided by peers in order to find solutions.
Findings confirm on the one hand the importance of narratives for problem solving in this highly
sophisticated and virtual context (former studies focussed exclusively on face to face interaction on the
shop floor level). On the other hand, the results indicated that the narratives told do not represent a
coherent entity but rather a complex variety which is likely to irritate and confuse users. The conclusion
drawn is that organizations cannot refrain from qualifying narratives generated in their communities. It is
necessary in order to get orientation out of narrative variety. Finally, suggestions for establishing
evaluation procedures are provided. More generally, the findings of the paper stress the importance of
reflecting on narratives.
Keywords: Knowledge Transfer, Communities of Practice, Narratives

SYNCHRONICITY MATTERS! DEVELOPMENT OF TASK AND
SOCIAL COHESION IN FTF AND TEXT BASED CMC
GROUPS
Chang, Artemis; QUT; a2.chang@qut.edu.au
This paper studied the development of social and task cohesion in FtF, CMC synchronous and CMC
asynchronous groups. Social information processing theory and media synchronicity theory were
discussed to examine the differential effects of time pressure and synchronicity on group processes.
Results of this study supported both theories. FtF groups reported the highest level of task and social
cohesion at Time 1, these differences diminished over time for CMC synchronous groups but not
asynchronous groups. Time pressure accounted for the differences between FtF and CMC synchronous
groups, while synchronicity accounted for the differences between FtF and CMC asynchronous groups.
This paper also investigated the exact difference in rate of communication between FtF and text based
CMC groups both in terms of words communicated per minute and units communicated per minute. It was
found that synchronous text-based CMC groups required thrice the amount of time to communicate the
same number of messages as FtF groups.
Keywords: media synchronicity, social information processing, group cohesion

AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS
SOURCING DECISIONS FROM A RESOURCE-BASED
PERSPECTIVE
Alvarez, Emilio; U. Complutense De Madrid, Spain; emilio.alvarez@ccee.ucm.es
Unlike prior research on firm boundaries, which has basically focused on studying production-related
activities from an economic approach, this work applies the insights stemming from resource-based view
to analyze information systems sourcing decisions. After identifying the main determinants of these
decisions, hypotheses are tested for the implementation of a human resource information system by
using multinomial and binomial logistic models. Our findings suggest the major role that capabilities, not
the set of technical skills, play in determining the governance structure of information systems functions.
We also found support for the impact of the strategic contribution of these systems.
Keywords: information systems, outsourcing, resource-based view

COMPENSATION AND CAREER PATHS OF IT
PROFESSIONALS: A SEQUENCE AND LONGITUDINAL
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
Joseph, Damien; Nanyang Technological U.; adjoseph@ntu.edu.sg
Ang, Soon; Nanyang Business School; asang@ntu.edu.sg
Slaughter, Sandra; Carnegie Mellon U.; sandras@andrew.cmu.edu
This study reveals the typical career paths pursued by contemporary IT professionals and shows how
career path choices influence IT compensation. Using Abbotts (1985) sequence analysis technique, we
analyze the actual career moves recorded in archival work history data (from 1979-2000) for the 351 IT
professionals included in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY). The sequence analysis
reveals three types of IT career paths: IT technical, IT managerial, and Protean. We then examine
whether IT professionals in these different career paths receive differential compensation. Random
effects analyses of cross-sectional, time series compensation data from the NLSY indicate that the
average annual incomes of professionals in the IT technical and IT managerial career paths are
significantly higher than those of professionals following Protean careers. Further, the average annual
incomes of professionals in IT managerial careers are significantly more than those of professionals in IT
technical careers. This paper extends existing literature on IT careers and compensation in two ways:
first, it introduces a rigorous, quantitative approach to discerning the typical paths in the actual career
moves of IT professionals over their work histories, and second, it reveals that career path choices have
important implications for the compensation of IT professionals.
Keywords: Career Paths, Longitudinal, Income

ALIGNING STRATEGY AND OPERATIONS: POST-
BUREAUCRATIC MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN THE 21ST
CENTURY
Ford, Randal; U. of Colorado, Boulder; randal.ford@colorado.edu
New post-bureaucratic organizational forms (e.g., decentralized, team-based) are the foundation from
which the organization in the 21st century will evolve through variations of participative management
practices. Case in point: Participative management practices became the communicative means by which
the diverse players at Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System (SRHS) stabilized the crisis, marked by
the former CEOs forced resignation and departure, to move the hospital forward in adapting to its
changing market. Top executive managers and community political leaders directly involved in resolving
the crisis helped in developing the communication principles set forth in this article that guided the
implementation of the participative management and communication practices at SRHS. These core
principles are (1) creating the space, (2) safeguarding a credible and open process, and (3) reclaiming
suppressed views.
Keywords: Participation, change, democratic communication

PHENOMENOLOGY OF INTERRELATED EMBODIED IMPLICIT
AND NARRATIVE KNOWING IN ORGANIZATIONS
Kuepers, Wendelin; Open U.; WendelinMerlin@t-online.de
The paper argues for a Phenomenology of embodied implicit and narrative knowing in organisations. It
shows the significance of experiential dimensions of implicit and narrative knowing and their mutual
interrelations in organisations. For this the advanced phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty will be used as a
framework for clarifying the relational status of tacit, implicit and narrative knowing and their embedment.
Both forms of knowing in organisations and its implications are described and integrated in a Con-+-Text.
Following an integral orientation, it strives for rendering and linking the implicit and narrative processes of
knowing. This approach contributes to a processual, non-reductionist and relational understanding of
knowing and offers critical and practical perspectives for creative and transformative processes in
organisations, bridging the gap between theory and practice. Finally some limitations and practical
implications will be discussed critically. By concluding some perspectives of further phenomenological
research on embodied implicit and narrative knowing in organisations are presented.
Keywords: narrative, embodiment, knowing

THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP IN THE 21ST CENTURY:
THE USE OF INFLUENCE TACTICS IN EMAIL
Greer, Lindred; Leiden U.; lgreer@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
We investigated the usage of influence tactics in email communication, comparing hierarchical and
emergent leaders using a sample of 7,501 emails collected over a period of three years from 168
members of political-organizing organizations. We collected data from these organizations by becoming a
member of the general email list serves for the organizations, conducting interviews with members, taking
field notes at meetings, and collecting hard copies of handouts from organizational meetings and other
ideological materials. We hypothesized and found that emergent leaders (members who gain power in an
organization from the support of followers rather than from a hierarchical position) tended to rely on
rational tactics, such as the forwarding of information, whereas hierarchical leaders relied on soft tactics,
such as the use of flattery. Additionally, hierarchical leaders were found to be more consistent in their use
of influence tactics. We examined verbal style as a moderator of the relationship between influence
tactics and leadership. Strong verbal style was defined as clear, grammatically correct language. We
found that verbal style moderated the effectiveness of rational tactic usage for emergent, but not
hierarchical, leaders, such that for emergent leaders, the use of good verbal style increased the
effectiveness of their usage of rational tactics and the use of bad verbal style decreased the
effectiveness.
Keywords: email communication, influence tactics, emergent leaders

HACKING ALONE? THE EFFECTS OF ONLINE AND OFFLINE
PARTICIPATION ON OPEN SOURCE COMMUNITY
LEADERSHIP
O'Mahony, Siobhan; Harvard U.; somahony@hbs.edu
Ferraro, Fabrizio; IESE Business School; fferraro@iese.edu
Research on computer mediated communication has examined how a lack of social presence affects
participation, communication and leadership in online groups, but until recently, has not examined offline
relations or emergent social structures. The few studies examining these issues have not been integrated
with research on open source communities. Online communities producing open source software face
even greater problems of governance than affinity or interest based online communities, as leadership
responsibilities extend beyond mailing list management to managing release dates, public relations, and
collaborations with firms. With data from one open source communitys online and offline networks over
three consecutive years, we assess factors affecting voting participation and leadership. We find that the
more developers one has met face to face, the more likely one was to vote in a leadership election.
Controlling for contributions of code, developers are more likely to hold a top leadership position when
they participate more in online discussions. However, online participation in technical discussions did not
affect leadership as much as occupying a structurally advantaged position in the communitys social
network. We conclude with theoretical implications that consider the dynamics of online and offline
networks for governing distributed online communities.
Keywords: open source, social networks, online community

PRIVACY, PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTRACT BREACH AND
ATTITUDES TOWARD KNOWLEDGE-BASED MARKETING
Zweig, David; U. of Toronto; zweig@utsc.utoronto.ca
Aggarwal, Pankaj; U. of Toronto; aggarwal@utsc.utoronto.ca
Consumers are increasingly concerned about marketers use of databases that track, record and share
their personal information with third parties. However, little research has investigated the underlying
processes driving these concerns. We examine two related explanations for understanding negative
consumer reactions; namely, privacy invasion, and breach of the psychological contract between the
brand and the consumer. Results of two studies indicate that the sale of personal information results in
greater perceptions of privacy invasion, psychological contract breach, and negative brand attitudes.
Further, privacy invasion mediates the relation between sale of personal information and perceptions of
psychological contract breach, whereas perceptions of psychological contract breach, but not privacy
invasion, directly affect brand attitudes. Overall, this research suggests that, although privacy is
important, perceptions of psychological contract breach best predict negative brand attitudes.
Keywords: Privacy, Psychological Contract Breach, Attitudes

FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTIONS IN SELF-ORGANIZING
DISTRIBUTED TEAMS
Crowston, Kevin; Syracuse U.; crowston@syr.edu
Howison, James; Syracuse U.; jhowison@syr.edu
Masango, Chengetai; Syracuse U.; cmasango@syr.edu
Eseryel, U. Yeliz; Syracuse U.; yeliz2002@alum.syracuse.edu
We explore the role of face-to-face meetings in the life of distributed teams using data from Free/Libre
Open Source Software (FLOSS) development teams. Such distributed teams are part of many
organizations' new vision of management in the 21st century. Practitioner research has suggested the
need for face-to-face meetings when a team is formed, but few studies have considered the role of face-
to-face meetings during a team's life. Based on a qualitative inductive analysis of data from interviews
and observations at FLOSS conferences, we identify a variety of settings in which FLOSS developers
meet face-to-face, activities performed in these settings and benefits obtained. Contrary to prior research,
we find that FLOSS developers generally do not meet until the project is well under way. We also find that
an additional benefit of face-to-face meetings is time away from a regular job. We conclude by noting
limitations in our data collection due to a focus on core developers in large projects and with directions for
further research.
Keywords: Free, libre, open source software, distributed teams, face-to-face meetings

VIRTUAL PRESENCE AND REAL PERFORMANCE: IMPACT OF
MEDIA USE ON PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS
Turner, Jeanine W.; Georgetown U.; turnerjw@georgetown.edu
Grube, Jean A; Medical College of Wisconsin; jagrube@ameritech.net
We examined employee use of instant message (IM) and email within a high-tech organization. Results
demonstrate the presence of strong organizational norms for IM and email usage. These norms, as well
as supervisory behavior, influence employee usage of IM and email and even more so when employees
have a strong polychronic orientation. In addition, employees who follow organizational norms by using
IM and email are awarded higher performance ratings by their supervisors.
Keywords: media use, performance evaluations, instant message

AN EXTENDED MODEL OF IS PROJECT CONTROL
Chua, Cecil Eng Huang; Nanyang Technological U.; aehchua@ntu.edu.sg
Soh, Christina; Nanyang Technological U.; acsoh@ntu.edu.sg
Singh, Harminder; Nanyang Technological U.; ASHarminder@ntu.edu.sg
The IS project control literature has been dominated by the situational view of control, which suggests
that situational factors such as visibility of outcomes identify appropriate controls to employ. However, the
management literature has two alternate views of control, (1) balancing, and (2) more controls. The
balancing view suggests that managements focus is establishing and maintaining a healthy balance
between formal (behavior and outcome) and informal (clan and self) controls. The more controls view
suggests that an increase in overall control improves project performance. We first argue that the
balancing and more controls views suggest additional insights to IS project control. We then employ
indifference curve theory to integrate and unify these three views. The situational view is modeled as
changes in the bundle of controls determined by differences in their relative costs. The balancing view is
modeled as income and substitution effects to a portfolio of controls. Finally, the more controls view is
represented as a shift to a higher project control indifference curve. Additional insights from our model
applicable to each view are also presented. Specifically, for the situational view, we demonstrate that the
indifference curve concepts of substitutability and complementarity explain the presence of all control
modes in portfolios of control. The core concepts of cost and preference and the ancillary concepts of
necessities, and luxuries explain differences in the relative proportion of formal and informal controls in
the balancing view. Finally, the ability to empirically measure indifference curves facilitates prediction in
the more controls view.
Keywords: control, IS projects, indifference curves

COUNTERINTENTIONAL HABIT AS AN INHIBITOR OF
TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE
Polites, Greta Leigh; U. of Georgia; gpolites@uga.edu
One of the biggest challenges facing managers in the 21st century will continue to be the management,
proper interpretation, and strategic use of the vast quantities of information that are increasingly available
in organizations today. This challenge will only grow as new tools are developed and implemented within
the organization to tap into diverse data stores, manipulate and analyze the resulting data, and provide it
to information consumers in real time. Yet as these new systems are introduced, a certain percentage of
end users will undoubtedly resist changes to how they previously performed their work. Information
system (IS) behavioral models have thus far focused primarily on the conscious decisions made by users
in adopting or continuing to use a particular IS, and have only recently begun exploring habits role in
influencing IS usage. Perhaps the biggest constraint has been the lack of a universally accepted,
theoretically based, and valid measurement instrument for the study of this complex psychological
phenomenon. This paper builds on recent advances in the understanding of habitual behavior from social
psychology, by proposing the development of an improved habit measure to be applied in an IS setting.
The validated measure will then be used to examine how habit can counteract intentions and inhibit the
adoption and use of tools that have been deemed important to the companys success. By better
understanding habits inhibiting influence on IS acceptance, strategies can be developed for the specific
purpose of breaking these preexisting habits, and encouraging the development of new ones.
Keywords: habit, technology acceptance, user behavior

DID I MAKE ALL THE RIGHT CHOICES?: THE LONG ROAD TO
BEING AN IS PROFESSIONAL
Tan, Michael T.K.; National U. of Singapore; mtan@comp.nus.edu.sg
Tan, Hung-Pheng; National U. of Singapore; tanhp@comp.nus.edu.sg
Information technology (IT) is revolutionising and restructuring nearly all aspects of human endeavour. In
this dynamic technological domain, the need for tertiary IS education is unquestionable. However, the
gestation of the students engaged in this education process is long and arduous, and subjected to
uncertainties in a fast-changing external environment. The current situation in view of the recent dot-com
boom and bust thus presents a valuable opportunity to obtain insights into how students make their
decisions along the road to being an Information Systems (IS) professional a process marked by a
number of critical junctureswhile being subjected to such uncertainty. This study employs ethnographic
methods, informed by the complementary perspectives of symbolic interactionism and Bourdieus theory
of practice. We adopt a longitudinal analysis of the critical decision junctures that students encounter
along the way. Symbolic interactionism allows a micro-level analysis of the minutiae of students cognitive
processes, while Bourdieus theory of practice (with its focus on symbolic capital) provides a
complementary macro contextualisation/critique of the IS tertiary education process. By focusing on
actual practice in situ from both perspectives, we afford a better understanding of the dilemmas facing the
students with implications for both research and practice. In the process, we also allude to the possibility
that decision research in IS literature may benefit by taking a qualitative turn from established
approaches.
Keywords: symbolic interactionism, IS professional, tertiary IT education

A TEMPLATE-DRIVEN MESSAGING SYSTEM FOR
SUPPORTING ONLINE COMMUNICATION
Remidez, Herbert; U. of Arkansas, Little Rock; hxremidez@ualr.edu
Stam, Antonie; U. of Missouri; stama@missouri.edu
Laffey, James M.; U. of Missouri; laffeyj@missouri.edu
Teams whose interactions are mediated entirely via internet-based communication, virtual teams, are
emerging as commonplace in business settings. Researchers have identified trust as a key ingredient for
virtual teams to work effectively (Beranek, 2000; Iacono & Weisband, 1997; J arvenpaa, Knoll & Leidner,
1998). However, researchers have not identified scalable methods that consistently promote trust within
virtual teams. The interface design for communication support systems used by virtual teams might hold
the solution to this problem. This paper describes the development and initial implementations of a web-
based, template-driven, asynchronous communication support tool and describes our ongoing
investigations into how this system can be used to support trust development in virtual teams and
performance goals of virtual teams. This article presents the capabilities and features of the
communication support system.
Keywords: Trust, Semi-Structured Message, Communication Support Systems

GROUP POTENCY: ARE VIRTUAL TEAMS AT A
DEVELOPMENTAL DISADVANTAGE?
Maynard, M. Travis; U. of Connecticut; tmaynard@business.uconn.edu
Group potency has been theorized to increase team members motivation and has been empirically linked
to enhanced team performance. However, prior research has not fully addressed the development of
group potency and the role that the teams setting (e.g. extent of team virtualness) may have on the
developmental process. Accordingly, the aim of the current conceptual piece is to explore the relationship
between team setting and the development of group potency and whether the relationship between group
potency and team performance is consistent along the virtualness continuum. Additionally, the model
presented considers the influence of team diversity (both surface- and deep-level) and prior performance
on the development of group potency, and whether their respective salience is altered when taking the
virtualness continuum into consideration.
Keywords: Virtual Teams, Diversity, Group Potency

USERS BELIEFS TOWARD TECHNOLOGY: A SOCIAL
CAPITAL PERSPECTIVE
Magni, Massimo; Bocconi U.; emme.magni@uni-bocconi.it
Proserpio, Luigi; Bocconi U.; luigi.proserpio@unibocconi.it
IT acceptance is generally considered a mature research field. However, in this article we argue that
current approaches are underestimating the importance of social factors and group influence on individual
beliefs toward technology. We adopt a complementary approach to previous research which is based on
normative and network assumptions. A social capital perspective is embraced to allow us to consider in a
simultaneous fashion the influence on users beliefs of network structure, social norms and quality of
relationship among group members. We propose a theoretical model deriving empirically testable
propositions. We conclude by highlighting theoretical implications and possible future research based on
the developed theory.
Keywords: Social capital, Technology acceptance, User acceptance

USING BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS TO EVALUATE SCIENTIFIC
PROGRESS IN VIRTUAL TEAMS RESEARCH
Weisband, Suzanne P; University of Arizona; weisband@eller.arizona.edu
Thatcher, Sherry M; U. of Arizona; sherryt@eller.arizona.edu
Xu, Jennifer M; University of Arizona; jxu@eller.arizona.edu
There is an increasing number of research reviews on virtual teams, and researchers continue to probe
new ways of investigating the effects of working at a distance. Yet with all this new knowledge, it is
unclear what we have learned about the progress of science in the field. One way that researchers learn
about a field of study like virtual teams is to review the empirical literature. But if authors tend to cite
papers that are similar to their way of doing research, do we really learn anything new? How realistic, or
generalizable are the results if there is no cross-fertilization of methodology? We conducted a
bibliographic analysis of the virtual teams literature from 1995-2002. Our aim was to examine whether
research papers on virtual teams cluster according to the type of methodology they share. A statistical
testing technique, a social network analysis, and a visualization network analysis were used to test
citation patterns to determine whether papers are more similar to those within the same group (i.e., same
methodology) than papers from other groups (i.e., different methodology). The results show that, overall,
papers using the same methodology are more similar to each other than to papers using different
methodologies. There are some differences over time in that earlier papers were mostly lab experiments
and later papers were mostly field studies. However, the results persist in terms of citation similarity. A
discussion of the implications of our findings and for future research follows.
Keywords: virtual teams, citation analysis

THE ROLE OF AFFECT IN THE ACCEPTANCE OF
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Perlusz, Stefano; Singapore Management U.; stefano@smu.edu.sg
Gattiker, Urs E; U. of Luebeck, ISNM; UrsOffice@lists.weburb.org
Ho, Moon-ho; McGill U.; mho@ego.psych.mcgill.ca
This paper investigates the relevance of affect and emotions in the adoption and usage of Information
Technology (IT). Affect is measured by two factors, namely positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA).
Two studies were conducted. In the first study, the reliability and convergent and discriminant validity of
the two factors were assessed. Nomological validity was assessed by relating the two factors to the
Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Affect was found to influence acceptance, with PA positively
related to intentions to use and NA negatively related to perceived ease-of-use. In the second study,
positive and negative affective states were experimentally induced in respondents. PA and NA were then
related to seven factors used in the most prominent models of IT acceptance as determinants of
intentions to use. Results showed that the influence of affect on adoption was stronger for respondents in
a positive affective state, compared to those in a negative state. This paper sheds a light on the role of
affect on IT adoption, and on the circumstances under which affect exerts its strongest influence on
acceptance. Affect represents an important factor to understand the facilitating conditions for the
successful adoption of IT. The use of affective factors shall help researchers to expand existing models of
IT acceptance.
Keywords: Adoption, Affect, Information Technology

THE EFFECT OF CONTEXT ON COMPUTER-MEDIATED
LEARNING IN BOUNDARY-SPANNING ENVIRONMENTS
Zhong, Jiangfan (Jenny); U. of Southern California; jiangfaz@usc.edu
In the information age, the key place of language activities involved in knowledge transfer has been
evolving from oral communication to computer-mediated communication (CMC). However, the existing
research provides a limited view of knowledge-seeking behavior in CMC. This study proposes a
conceptual model for its examination via CMC highlighting the impact of context on learning. Three types
of context (i.e., situational, cognitive, and emotional context) and two types of learning (i.e., model-
building and model-maintenance learning) are addressed to suggest their optimal match. A preliminary
qualitative study is described for examining the conceptual model in an organizational setting. Finally, the
theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed.
Keywords: Computer-Mediated Communication, Context, Learning

ORGANIZATIONAL IMPLICATIONS FOR THE SOCIAL
CONSTRUCTION OF TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
Leonardi, Paul; Stanford U.; leonardi@stanford.edu
Researchers of new technology development have spent little time considering how the actual material
properties of an artifact are constructed. This lack of focus is due, in large part, to the absence of a
systematic framework with which to explore technology development in organizations. I adopt insights
from the social construction of technology (SCOT) to explore this process in more depth. Despite the
utility of this framework, the agency-centered assumptions embedded in SCOT need to be modified to
account for the roles that formal organizational structures play in enabling and constraining the social
construction of technology. I explore what we might learn about SCOT by looking at it through the lenses
of three influential organizational theories: Resource Dependence, New Institutionalism, and
Organizational Ecology. The resulting analysis reveals that the micro-level mechanisms by which
technology is socially constructed are heavily influenced by macro-level organizational processes.
Keywords: social construction of technology, organization theory, technology development

GENDER, TECHNOLOGY AND SUPPLEMENTAL WORK-AT-
HOME: A CRITICAL REVIEW
Dwyer, Peggy; U. of Central Florida; pdwyer@bus.ucf.edu
Saunders, Carol Stoak; U. of Central Florida; carol.saunders@bus.ucf.edu
Workers are increasingly spending more hours at paid employment. This trend has led to a concurrent
compression of the amount of time workers devote to family life. In consequence, recent research in the
sociology of work notes that family life has become characterized by rigid time schedules, multi-tasking,
and an overall logic of efficiency toward the delivery of care. In other words, for many workers family life
has become Taylorized. In the present study, we investigate the interplay of gender, technology, and the
phenomenon of supplemental-work-at-home in setting the stage for the Taylorized family-life
phenomenon. We analyze relevant empirical research primarily through the lens of critical and feminist
theory. The analysis addresses the extent to which technology is implicated in the encroachment of work
time on family time. The analysis also addresses the role of worker acceptance of, or resistance to, the
use of work-related technology in the home. Our research contributes most immediately to the literature
on the effects of technologically-mediated work arrangements on individuals, family and society.
Keywords: supplemental work-at-home, technology, gender

INSTITUTIONAL INFLUENCES ON ORGANIZATIONAL
ADOPTION OF BUSINESS-TO-CONSUMER E-BUSINESS
SYSTEMS
Jeyaraj, Anand; U. of Missouri, St. Louis; jeyaraj@umsl.edu
Balser, Deborah; U. Missouri - St. Louis; dbalser@umsl.edu
Griggs, Gary; U. of Missouri, St. Louis; griggs@umsl.edu
Chowa, Charles; U. of Missouri, Saint Louis; chowa@umsl.edu
This paper examines the adoption of business to consumer (B2C) e-commerce by companies comprising
the S&P 500 between 1991 and 2003. B2C commerce, facilitated by the development of the internet and
web technology, represents a Type III innovation which integrates information systems with core business
technology. Analyses of Type III innovations have largely focused on organizational factors and have
neglected the impact of the environment in explaining adoption. We use a comprehensive model,
combining organizational and institutional factors, in an analysis that splits the study period into two time
segments, 1992-1997 and 1998-2003. Specifically, we use a piecewise event-history specification to test
the influence of normative and mimetic pressures, organizational culture, and resources on the adoption
of B2C over time. Data come from a variety of secondary sources including Compustat, annual 10-K
reports, annual reports to shareholders, and Standard & Poors Register of Companies and Executives.
We found an increasing incidence of adoption between 1994 and 2000 followed by a steep decline after
the dot-com bust. The results show that organizational factors were not significant in explaining B2C
adoption. Mimetic pressures had a significant effect on adoption in both time periods. However,
companies were less likely to imitate peers in the early period but more likely to mimic other organizations
in their respective industries in the later period. This research contributes to our understanding of how
organizations respond to a turbulent technological environment.
Keywords: Innovation, Business-to-Consumer, Institutional Theory

IT ADOPTION, IMAGE, & FIRM SUPPORT: A STUDY OF
CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS AND SOCIAL MEANING
Winter, Susan; U. of North Carolina, Charlotte; swinter@email.uncc.edu
Rajagopalan, Hari Krishna; University of North Carolina at Charlotte;
hrajagop@email.uncc.edu
Vergara, Frances Sharer; University of North Carolina at Charlotte;
fvergara@email.uncc.edu
Jackson, Pamela J.; Fayetteville State U.; pjackson@uncfsu.edu
Hunsinger, Scott; Appalachian State U.; hunsingerds@appstate.edu
As new IT products appear on the market, many managers choose to adopt them without clear evidence
of the productivity benefits often claimed by vendors. Some may be trusting or hoping that the promised
benefits do eventually materialize, but others may be adopting because of ITs social meaning. This paper
reports the results of an experiment testing the links between IT, corporate image and support behavior
among prospective customers. Consistent with our hypotheses, the absence of an assumed technology
creates the image of a small, inefficient, firm that is not modern and lacks provides poor customer service.
This corporate image diminishes the likelihood that customers will support a firm by making future
purchases. In contrast, having optional technologies has mixed effects on key dimensions of image. It
creates the image of a large, efficient, modern firm that provides poor customer service. A firm with
assumed technology but lacking optional technology was seen as intermediate in size, efficiency, and
modernity and as providing the best customer service. Thus, the social meaning of IT indirectly affects
customer support and firm survival. This suggests that savvy managers should adopt new IT products
that are consistent with their desired corporate images even if promised productivity benefits never
materialize. Implications for theory, practice, and future research are discussed.
Keywords: Diffusion, Support, Corporate Image

NETWORK EFFECTS, VERTICAL INTEGRATION AND
PERFORMANCE: A STUDY OF U.S. VIDEO GAME
PUBLISHERS
Yoo, Byunggon; Boston U.; ybgon@bu.edu
Within dynamic technology evolution, the success of platform as a dominant design is critical not only for
platform providers but also for platform complementors. From the viewpoint of complementors in the
video game industry, this paper investigates a video game publishers strategic decision to provide its
video game titles as complementary goods to each game platform. Specifically, this paper focuses on the
sales volume as the performance of a game publisher under the condition of game platforms and game
publishers network effects, publishers asset portability, and game publishers vertical integration
(make-or-buy decision). Combining transaction cost economics with network effects and modularity, the
paper examines the determinants of game publishers performance with 342 transaction data in the U.S.
video game industry from 1995 to 2002. The analysis finds significant main effects of independent
variables including platform dominance, publishers share per platform, publishers asset portability,
and publishers vertical integration. Moreover, the positive relationship between platform dominance and
performance is moderated (strengthened) by the publishers share per platform. The results give birth to
future research issues regarding the application of transaction cost economics to the context of network-
based competition and modular system architecture.
Keywords: network effects, modularity, vertical integration

INFORMATION SYSTEM ADOPTION AS AN OCCASION OF
KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER
Hsiao, Ruey-Lin; National U of Singapore; rueylin@nus.edu.sg
Lei, Yijie; National U. of Singapore; g0305931@nus.edu.sg
This study analyzes IS (Information System) adoption through a knowledge transfer perspective. The
previous literature has examined IS adoption from the theory of technology diffusion and acceptance.
These analyses consider organizational contexts as discrete from technology, where technology is
transportable freely from one context to another. However, this assumption is problematic because when
an information system is adopted, it invariably transfers the knowledge embedded in the technology.
Therefore, the challenge of information system adoption can also be understood by examining problems
associated with the transfer of embedded knowledge. This research considers IS adoption as an
occasion of knowledge transfer through a qualitative case study. It investigates an enterprise system
designed to facilitate aircraft MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) in a Sino-German joint venture.
This article examines two types of knowledge inscribed into an enterprise system: configuration
knowledge (which relates to system functions) and assimilation knowledge (which refers to practices
underlying strategy, structure, process, and people domains). On this basis, IS adoption can be
conceptualized as a transfer of knowledge, embedded in the technology and enacted from the originators
organizational context, into the recipients organizational context. The knowledge transfer analysis
exposes important implications for technology adoption and global technology transfer.
Keywords: technology adoption, knowledge transfer, aircraft MRO

TECHNOLOGY SENSEMAKING: LOCAL KNOWLEDGE AND
PATTERNS OF TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION
Hsiao, Ruey-Lin; National U of Singapore; rueylin@nus.edu.sg
Wu, Se-Hwa; National Chengchi U.; sehwa@nccu.edu.tw
Hou, Sheng-Tsung; National Chengchi U.; our.lord@msa.hinet.net
This paper investigates how peoples work practices may affect how they make sense of technology and
the subsequent adoption patterns. The literature on technology sensemaking has explored how peoples
cognitive processes may affect the adoption of new technologies. It helps us examine how system
features may trigger how the user interprets, and gives meaning to, a new technology. However, further
research is needed to investigate the process of ongoing sense-making toward a familiar technology. This
omission may impede our understanding of technology deployment in the post-adoption period, as
experience users may perceive and appropriate technology in a very different manner than those of
novice users. This study addresses this issue and examines the adoption of a technology that has been
institutionalized into users work practices. Particularly, it analyzes how users develop local knowledge
from their different practices which affect their technology sensemaking. This analysis is anchored in the
taxi drivers adoption experience of CabLink, which is a GPS (Global Positioning Systems) enabled
vehicle dispatching system, implemented by Comfort Transportation in Singapore. This research provides
an alternative reading of technology sensemaking to understand multiple patterns of technology
deployment.
Keywords: Technology Sensemaking, Technology Adoption, Work Practice

TIME DISCIPLINE IN VIRTUAL ORGANISATIONS: FROM RIGID
TO VIRTUAL DISCIPLINES
Lee, Heejin; The U. of Melbourne; heejin@unimelb.edu.au
Oh, Sangjo; The U. of Melbourne; ezsj@paran.com
Information and communication technologies enable new working patterns and organisational forms,
often named with an adjective virtual. Being virtual implies fundamental transformations of
temporal and spatial aspects of work and organisation. Managers in virtual organisations have difficulties
in managing employees who work unseen. To address the problem, we start from a classic work on time
discipline by Thompson (1967). Since the advent of manufacturing systems in the early industrial
capitalism, rigid time disciplines have dominated management practices to control workers both on
workshop floors and in offices. Although ICT themselves provide reliable measures for managers
controlling remote workers, the use of these measures make the merits of virtual work (e.g. flexibility)
disappearing. Therefore, virtual organisations require a new type of time discipline. Various types of time
disciplines may be in practice in telework and other flexible work arrangements. However, the issue of
time and time discipline in virtual organizations are rarely examined from theoretical perspectives. By
starting from Thompsons work, this paper first puts the issue of time discipline in virtual organisations in
a historical context. Then after reviewing the studies of time and trust in information systems and
management studies, it presents theoretical lenses through which we can investigate virtual time
disciplines. The historical and theoretical account of time disciplines in virtual organisations is the major
contribution of the paper. By using a set of components drawn from time discipline, other temporal
dimensions and trust, we characterize the virtual time discipline and compare this with the conventional
one.
Keywords: time discipline, virtual organizations, time

AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTING
AND SEEKING BEHAVIORS THROUGH KNOWLEDGE
REPOSITORIES
Mehra, Vikas; Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, India;
vikasm@iimb.ernet.in
Many organizations are creating knowledge repository based Knowledge Management Systems to
enhance knowledge sharing. But, through an impersonal medium of knowledge repository based KMS,
knowledge contributing and knowledge seeking activities tend to be separated in time and space. In this
scenario, an individuals knowledge contributing and knowledge seeking behaviors also tend to be
different and distinct. I have developed a research model for assessing and predicting an individuals
knowledge contributing and knowledge seeking behaviors concurrently. The independent variables in this
study were knowledge culture, organizational knowledge ownership, generalized reciprocity, knowledge
repository characteristics, propensity to share, personal costs, personal benefits and knowledge
characteristics. I tested this model empirically in a field setting, using survey research methodology. I
collected data from individuals having access and experience of using knowledge repository based
knowledge management systems (KMS) using structured questionnaires. I analyzed the responses using
partial least squares (PLS) analysis. The results of the study suggest that indeed the variables affect
knowledge contributing and knowledge seeking activities in different ways. The most important finding of
this study is the affect of knowledge culture on knowledge contributing and knowledge seeking behaviors.
Whilst knowledge culture was found to be positively associated with knowledge contributing behavior, it
was found to be negatively associated with knowledge seeking behavior. The concurrent examination of
the factors affecting an individuals knowledge contributing and knowledge seeking behaviors provides a
better understanding of hitherto unitary concept of knowledge sharing.
Keywords: Contributing, Seeking, Repositories

MANAGING FLEXIBILITY IN OUTSOURCING
Tan, Chengxun; Nanyang Technological U.; p149563999@ntu.edu.sg
Sia, Siew Kien; Nanyang Technological U.; ASKSIA@ntu.edu.sg
In recent years the phenomena of outsourcing have gained considerable attention. However, the promise
of outsourcing benefits is not without concessions; one major issue that arises is the potential loss of
flexibility C an increasingly strategic capability in todays competitive and dynamic business
environment. This paper seeks to clarify the notion of flexibility in the context of IT outsourcing, to reveal
its relation to the functioning of an organization, and to explore how an organization responds to changing
circumstances beyond what is stipulated in outsourcing contract. In doing so we develop a
multidimensional picture of flexibility, upon which Evanss framework (1991) is adopted to systematically
identify strategies in promoting outsourcing flexibility beyond traditional contractual provision, and
examine the impact of flexibility on outsourcing success. This study proposes that flexibility deployment is
dependent upon organizational characteristics in both client and vendor parties, and relational options in
an outsourcing arrangement. The conceptual propositions shed light on the elusive nature of flexibility
management and are relevant to outsourcing researchers and practitioners alike.
Keywords: outsourcing, flexibility, maneuver

LEVERAGING HR COMMUNICATIONS FOR KNOWLEDGE
SHARING: IDENTIFYING THE MESSAGES AND FITTING THE
MEDIA
Adya, Monica; Marquette U.; monica.adya@marquette.edu
O'Neill, Bonnie S; Marquette U.; bonnie.oneill@marquette.edu
Organizational learning, the underlying objective of knowledge sharing initiatives, is conditioned by social
contexts and routines within an organization. Human Resources (HR) can play a strategic role in
knowledge management (KM) by emphasizing the acquisition, organization, and alignment of personnel
to these organizational routines through effective organizational communications. In this paper, we
examine how HRs role as communications specialist can assist senior management in adapting cultural
elements and organizational policies towards an integrated knowledge management strategy. From an
individual perspective, we discuss how HR can impart a variety of messages regarding the organizations
knowledge sharing culture and its commitment to knowledge management among existing employees
and new job applicants as task-related changes occur. Using a four-stage model, we examine how an
employees decision to actively participate in the knowledge environment and to adopt the knowledge
environment can be influenced at various key points in an employment relationship. Additionally, we
recognize that HR can leverage key communications technologies to deliver these messages to
employees. We discuss how HR can effectively customize the use of a variety of communications media
to influence an employees perception of knowledge sharing and strengthen their commitment to it. Using
theories underlying the Task-technology Fit (TTF) paradigm from extant Information Systems literature,
we propose a framework that fits communication media to a variety of HR communication tasks.
Keywords: task-technology fit, employee relations, Roles of HR

STRATEGIC GROUPS, RESOURCES STRATEGIES, AND
PERFORMANCE IN B2B ELECTRONIC MARKETPLACES
Soh, Christina; Nanyang Technological U.; acsoh@ntu.edu.sg
Das, Shobha S; Nanyang Technological U.; asdas@ntu.edu.sg
Goh, Kim Huat; Nanyang Technological U.; akhgoh@ntu.edu.sh
A number of B2B electronic marketplaces(EMs)in each industry vertical have survived the dot.com bust.
These surviving EMs differ in their level of performance and also in the strategies pursued. This study
identifies several strategic groups among EMs in the electronic components industry, and examines the
implications of resource-market fit within these strategic groups. Existing literature has examined and
found absolute deviations of resources from group or ideal profiles to be negatively associated with
performance. We extend prior research on configuration theory and the resource-based view to propose
three resource strategies adopted by firms to improve fit with their strategic groups resource profile
Matching strategy, Buffering strategy, and Threshold strategy. We empirically examine the performance
implications of each strategy measured as different types of deviations. Our results indicate that a
Buffering strategy or Threshold strategy is positively associated with higher performance while a Matching
strategy is not.
Keywords: Strategic Groups, Resource Strategy, B2B Electronic Marketplaces

THE EFFECTS OF PERSONALITY AND COMMUNICATION
MEDIUM ON TEAM OUTCOMES
O'Neill, Thomas A.; U. of Calgary; toneill@ucalgary.ca
Kline, Theresa J B; U. of Calgary; babbitt@ucalgary.ca
Hambley, Laura; U. of Calgary; hambley@ucalgary.ca
Despite the increasing popularity of virtual teams in organizations, very little is known about how
personality traits may contribute to virtual team effectiveness. This paper sought to examine how
extraversion, openness to experience, and an individual's predisposition to be a team player would
predict team performance in face-to-face (FTF) and videoconference (VC) conditions. One hundred and
twenty-seven undergraduate university students were randomly assigned to 28 teams of 4 - 5 members.
A team level analysis revealed that lower levels of extraversion facilitated task performance in the VC
condition, and lower team variability on predisposition to be a team player increased team cohesion,
regardless of team condition. Openness to experience did not predict task performance or team cohesion.
Results and their implications for virtual team selection and placement procedures are discussed.
Keywords: virtual teams, team performance, personality

IMPACT OF SCHEDULE AND BUDGET PRESSURE ON
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT: A BEHAVIORAL PERSPECTIVE
Nan, Ning; U. of Michigan, Ann Arbor; nnan@umich.edu
Harter, Donald; Syracuse U.; dharter@syr.edu
Thomas, Tara; U. of Michigan, Ann Arbor; taramt@umich.edu
Timely and cost-effectively software development has been a major issue in both information systems (IS)
research and the software industry. While researchers and practitioners seek better techniques to
estimate and manage software schedule and budget, it is important to understand the impact of
management pressure on software development projects. Based on related behavioral theories, this
paper develops research models to predict the relationship between schedule and budget pressure and
software development outcomes. The research models are empirically tested by data from a $25
billion/year international IT (information technology) firm. We find that a U-shaped function exists between
pressure and cycle time. A similar relationship is seen between pressure and development effort. Budget
pressure has a significant impact on software quality, whereas schedule pressure does not significantly
affect software quality. The findings of this study will help software project managers develop effective
budget and deadline setting policies.
Keywords: software development estimation, schedule pressure, budget pressure

CLARIFYING THE EFFECTS OF INTERNET MONITORING ON
JOB ATTITUDES: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF EMPLOYEE
TRUST
Alder, G. Stoney; U. of Nevada, Las Vegas; alders@unlv.nevada.edu
Noel, Terry W; California State U., Chico; TWNoel@csuchico.edu
Ambrose, Maureen L; U. of Central Florida; obdivision@bus.ucf.edu
Internet monitoring is the fastest growing type of workplace monitoring. A longitudinal field experiment
was conducted that examined the effect of advance notice, justification, and perceived organizational
support on employee reactions to Internet monitoring. As predicted, indicate that advance notice and
perceived organizational support affect employee trust in the organization following the implementation of
an Internet monitoring system. Also as expected, justification interacted with both advance notice and
perceived organizational support to influence post-implementation trust in the organization. In turn, post-
implementation trust was positively related to employees job satisfaction and negatively related to their
intentions to leave the company.
Keywords: Internet Monitoring, Trust, Perceived Organizational Support

SUBGROUPS WITH ATTITUDE: IMBALANCE AND ISOLATION
IN GEOGRAPHICALLY DISPERSED TEAMS
O'Leary, Michael Boyer; Boston College; mike.oleary@bc.edu
Mortensen, Mark; Massachusetts Institute of Technology;
mark.mortensen@mcgill.ca
This paper examines the configuration of members in geographically dispersed teams i.e., the
arrangement of members across sites independent of the spatio-temporal distances among those sites.
Configuration captures the number of sites, and the isolation, imbalance, and clustering of members
across sites. Scholars have noted the importance of configuration as an important enabling and
constraining condition for various team processes and outcomes. However, only two studies have
explicitly addressed it, and neither of them addressed issues of imbalanced subgroups and isolated
members both of which are common in naturally occurring geographically dispersed teams. We argue
that imbalanced teams tend to perform worse than balanced teams. We also argue that teams with
isolates are a distinct configuration with different process and performance implications. In an experiment
with four different configurations, we found that imbalanced teams (i.e., four members at one site and two
at the other) had the least effective transactive memory, lowest levels of communications, most
coordination problems, most conflict, and weakest relationships with other team members. Furthermore,
teams with a geographically isolated member did operate differently from other configurations. In fact,
contrary to our expectations, teams with a large core and one isolated member performed better than all
other configurations, including the completely collocated one.
Keywords: teams, distributed, subgroups

SUPPORTIVE SUPERVISOR COMMUNICATION,LMX AND
PERFORMANCE: THE TEST OF A THEORETICAL MODEL
Michael, Daniel F.; U. of Southern Mississippi; daniel.michael@usm.edu
Harris, Stanley G; Auburn U.; harris@business.auburn.edu
Giles, William F; Auburn U.; giles@business.auburn.edu
Field, Hubert S; Auburn U; field@business.auburn.edu
The Influence of Supportive Supervisor Communication on LMX and Performance: The Test of a
Theoretical Model Abstract This study examined the relationship between supportive supervisor
communication and employee task and contextual performance. We developed and tested a theoretical
model suggesting that supportive supervisor communications influence on contextual performance was
mediated through its influence on leader-member exchange (LMX) quality. In turn, task performance was
predicted to be influenced by one aspect of contextual performance, job dedication. Based on a sample of
302 employee-supervisor dyads from the banking industry, we used structural equation modeling to test
the theoretical model. The results provided solid support for the core of our theoretical model.
Keywords: supportive communication, employee performance, LMX

ANTECEDENTS OF SPECIFIC COMPUTER SELF-EFFICACY:
EXPLORING USE IN COMPLEX INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Williams, Clay; University of Georgia; ckwillia@uga.edu
Self-efficacy has been widely applied in the study of information systems to describe user behaviors,
typically involving initial adoption of relatively simple software applications. This paper provides a
theoretical framework to clarify the computer self-efficacy constructs, and to use specific computer self-
efficacy to explain post-adoption use in the context of complex information systems such as enterprise
resource planning or customer relationship management systems. A number of knowledge types are
defined that may lead to the formation of specific computer self-efficacy beliefs. Acting through specific
computer self-efficacy beliefs, these knowledge types are hypothesized to relate to the increasingly
sophisticated levels of system usage. These infused levels of system use may develop as information
systems become more embedded in an individuals work processes and ultimately lead to improved task
performance. This paper develops a research model and hypotheses to support the theoretical
extensions to specific computer self-efficacy.
Keywords: Self-Efficacy, Post-adoption use, Knowledge Types

RECONSTRUCTING BEST PRACTICES IN PACKAGED
SOFTWARE
Sia, Siew Kien; Nanyang Technological U.; ASKSIA@ntu.edu.sg
Yeow, Adrian; U. of Maryland; adriany@mail.umd.edu
Recent research has shown that best practices embedded in packaged software can become potentially
troublesome for local operations. However the process by which organizations arrive at a consensus of
what constitutes as best practices and how they recast the best practices embedded in packaged
software remains a black-box. Using actor-network theory, this interpretive case study explicates the
complex and intricate process through which best practices are contested, negotiated, and inscribed
onto the packaged software.
Keywords: Best Practices, Software Implementation, Interpretive

A PROCESS THEORY VIEW OF STAKEHOLDER
MANAGEMENT DURING ENTERPRISE SYSTEMS
IMPLEMENTATIONS
Sritharan, Sathish; National U. of Singapore; sath@comp.nus.edu.sg
Pan, Shan-Ling; National U. of Singapore; pansl@comp.nus.edu.sg
There is currently a widespread demand for packages that provide total, integration solutions to
organizations information processing needs. However, implementation of these Enterprise Systems (ES),
are highly prone to failure, in part due to the complexity surrounding the involvement of a multitude of
stakeholders from inside and outside the organization. Furthermore, these stakeholders tend to vary over
the course of ES implementations. This conceptual paper begins by exploring the features of ES and how
they affect or are affected by the stakeholders of ES projects. It then looks at the involvement of the
multiple stakeholders of ES projects and the processual nature of ES projects. This paper then considers
how Stakeholder Theory can facilitate the analysis of the attributes and inter-relationships of relevant
stakeholders through stakeholder identification, prioritization and management. Next, it explores how
Process Theory can facilitate the analysis of variations involving these stakeholders as ES
implementation processes evolve. Subsequently, this paper incorporates Stakeholder Theory and
Process Theory concepts to propose a model for analyzing the stakeholders involved during ES
implementation processes. Finally, this paper outlines the contributions of this model to literature and
practice, before proposing several avenues for future research.
Keywords: Enterprise Systems, Stakeholder Theory, Process Theory

ENTERPRISE SYSTEMS ADOPTION: A PROPOSED
CONTINGENCY PERSPECTIVE
Lim, Eric Tze Kuan; National U. of Singapore; limtzeku@comp.nus.edu.sg
Pan, Shan-Ling; National U. of Singapore; pansl@comp.nus.edu.sg
Tan, Chee-Wee; U. of British Columbia; chee-wee.tan@sauder.ubc.ca
Despite the vast amount of research conducted and knowledge accumulated to marginalize the risk
involved during the massive undertaking of ES adoption by enterprises, many organizations are still
struggling to come to terms with the mixed fortunes deriving from actual adoption exercises modeled after
these theoretical proposals. With increasing emphasis of current research on the dynamic interplay
between ES and their subsequent business reengineering efforts, scholars are beginning to focus on the
presence of firm-specific factors as the likely source of impediments during ES adoptions. As such, we
believe that this article is timely in conceptualizing a contingency model of ES adoption, which
encapsulates the contingencies that inspire customized implementation strategies, which cater to the
strategization of ES within dynamic and unique corporate environments.
Keywords: Enterprise Systems Adoption, Contingency Perspective, Contingencies

THE ROLE OF EMOTION IN POST-MERGER INTEGRATION:
TIME AND SPACE DEPENDENT THEORY
Chun, Rosa; Manchester Business School; rchun@man.mbs.ac.uk
Davies, Gary; Manchester Business School; gdavies@mbs.ac.uk
Mergers are times of high emotion, particularly during the post-merger phase. We hypothesise that a
number of proximity factors affect an employees emotional response to a merger: their background
(acquirer or acquired); time (how long they had worked for either merging organisation); space (whether
they work in the field or in a main office); their job role and; status. We assess emotional response using
dimensions of organisational trust (empathy, warmth, integrity and conscientiousness) to predict outcome
variables including satisfaction, job security and emotional attachment. Our empirical context is the
merger of two previously competing organisations where, while the merger made business sense, the
emotional response of employees was strongly negative. Background had a significant effect on
perceived organisational integrity and employee job status on empathy. Time and space and the
interaction of the two had a substantial effect on most measures of emotional response; employees
working remotely and of longer standing were the most disaffected. We propose that the length of time
employed and where an employee is physically located as generally important variables in determining
the emotional climate in the post-merger phase and in predicting where dissatisfaction and disaffect can
be most acute.
Keywords: merger, emotion, satisfaction

UNDERSTANDING IMPRESSION FORMATION AND
IMPRESSION ACCURACY AMONG DISTRIBUTED
COWORKERS
Johri, Aditya; Stanford U; ajohri@stanford.edu
Although geographically distributed work is on the increase across the globe -- fuelled by lower labor
costs, access to new markets, better customer service, mergers and acquisitions, and access to expertise
-- several scholars have suggested that workers in distributed work arrangements face unique challenges
as compared to workers in collocated settings. Impression formation and impression accuracy among
distributed coworkers is crucial for coworkers to work effectively with each other and to develop trust,
avoid misattribution, and to share knowledge and expertise. So far impression formation has either been
studied in face-to-face settings or in settings where the target and perceiver are completely distributed
and interact only via technology. Neither of these situations truly represents a distributed work
arrangement, which is often a hybrid of face-to-face and technology mediated interactions. This paper
presents a model of how the impression formation process works in distributed work settings and
systematically identifies factors that impact impression formation. The paper discusses how physical
distance between coworkers and their reliance on technology for communication impact information and
motivation, the main moderators of impression formation. The paper also suggests ways to moderate the
negative impact of distance and technology mediation on impression formation. This paper also
contributes by conceptualizing impression accuracy in terms of descriptive, predictive, and explanatory
knowledge about others (Berger & Bradac, 1982), a concept that can be used to increase impression
accuracy with positive outcomes for trust, attribution, knowledge sharing, and conflict resolution.
Keywords: Distributed Work, Impression Formation, Technology Mediation

WHAT YOU THINK OTHERS THINK: INFLUENCE OF
PRESUMED INFLUENCE IN E-COLLABORATIONS
Lim, Eric Tze Kuan; National U. of Singapore; limtzeku@comp.nus.edu.sg
Tan, Chee-Wee; U. of British Columbia; chee-wee.tan@sauder.ubc.ca
Knowledge-sharing among virtual workgroups has come under increasing academic focus as it came to
be acknowledged as an indispensable ingredient for successful e-collaborations. Being predominantly
communication-based processes, such knowledge activities often suffer from identical ailments that afflict
group interactions and collective information sharing routines. This investigation thus subscribes to the
theory of the Influence of Presumed Influence, proposed by communication scholars, as a theoretical lens
to scrutinize the underlying mechanics of knowledge-sharing habits within e-collaborations. Through a
participative observational study conducted at TechCo, this article examines the firms SAP
implementation process during which cross-border virtual collaborations were heavily utilized. The case
analysis unveils three potentially damaging behaviors that may jeopardize the process of knowledge-
sharing in e-collaborations, namely self-censorship, knowledge elitism and intergroup categorization. At
the same time, this research proposes three corresponding solutions to tackle these knowledge-sharing
impediments, which involve: (1) attributing opinions to the problem instead of the person and giving
recognition whenever it is due; (2) creating an integrated knowledge hub to serve as a centralized
governance body for knowledge consolidation and; (3) enforcing stringent controls on communication
flows using integrative collaborative technologies.
Keywords: Influence of Presumed Influence, Knowledge Elitism and Self-Censorship, Intergroup
Categorization

BEYOND SATISFACTION: SUPPORT AS A LEARNING EVENT
Haggerty, Nicole; U. of Western Ontario; nhaggerty@ivey.uwo.ca
Compeau, Deborah; U. of Western Ontario; dcompeau@ivey.uwo.ca
An absence of theory and the marginalization of the study of support to the periphery of studies of
individual usage and technology adoption have left a scarcity of information and insight into the
relationship between support for users and the development of individual technology skills and abilities.
While prior work provided a role for support availability in the development of user satisfaction or
enhanced beliefs about technology which influence technology attitudes and use, the specific
mechanisms by which support provides benefits to users, and what those benefits are (in terms of the
development of skills and abilities) have remained largely unknown or assumed. Utilizing Banduras social
cognitive theory (1986) and a theory of support developed in prior research, this study tests a model of
support which provides for a view in which support assists in developing users skills and abilities with
technology support as a learning event. The study develops validated measures and tests the model in
two quite different organizational settings with a total of 267 survey respondents following their
communications with help desk support. Results confirm many aspects of the developed model and
extend our understanding of the role of support in user development of skills and abilities which has
significant implications for how practice should organize and provide support to maximize user benefits.
Keywords: Support, Learning, Social Cognitive Theory

THE EFFECT OF PERSONALITY TRAITS ON SYSTEM
INCORPORATION
Pratt, Renee Michelle Elaine; Florida State U.; rmp03f@cob.fsu.edu
Diffusion and assimilation of information technology (IT) innovations are constants within the organization
and are generally considered commonplace. Since the 20th century, organizations have been evolving
their businesses through the advancement of technology. Yet, today implementation failures are frequent
and end-users frequently reject innovations. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship
between an individuals personality trait and his/her ongoing use of a system. The research will focus on
personality traits effecting system incorporation and information seeking behaviors and personal
innovation effecting perceived usefulness and information systems (IS) continuance intention of the
system. Individuals interactions with the technology system will be investigated to determine system
incorporation.
Keywords: Personality Traits, Incorporation, Innovation Diffusion

THE NEED TO WEAVE SUSTAINABILITY INTO INFORMATION
SYSTEMS: EXAMPLES FROM AN EMPIRICAL STUDY
Haigh, Nardia; U. of Queensland; s4033737@student.uq.edu.au
Examples drawn from an empirical investigation of the environmental impacts of using information
systems highlight the importance of integrating corporate sustainability and information systems
strategies, so that sustainability outcomes will be present at the operational level. The study found gaps
between corporate strategy, information systems strategies, and the deployment of information systems;
highlighting several issues for management researchers and managers interested in progressing both
information systems and corporate sustainability in the 21st century: First, the need to weave corporate
sustainability into information systems strategies to create sustainability outcomes at the operational
level; and Second, the need to incorporate granular operations research into the design and deployment
of information systems, to challenge assumptions, understand how the information systems will be
applied, and ensure the intended strategic outcomes eventuate.
Keywords: information systems, corporate sustainability, strategy

AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF STRATEGIES AND
EFFICIENCIES IN SOCIAL NETWORKS
Bulkley, Nathaniel; U. of Michigan; natb@umich.edu
Van Alstyne, Marshall; Boston U.; mva@bu.edu
This research examines hypotheses about the efficient and strategic uses of social networks by a specific
group of white collar workers. We examine existing theory that social network structure matters and put
forward two new hypotheses. The first merges explore/exploit theory with social networks, proposing that
early career networks involve more exploration while late career networks involve more exploitation. The
second addition concerns efficient movement of information through a network, proposing that frequent
short communication outperforms infrequent lengthy communication. Using a unique data set containing
email patterns and accounting records for several dozen executive recruiters, we find statistically
significant differences related to network (1)structure (2) flow and (3) age. Consistent with existing theory,
more central position is associated with higher output. Consistent with the two proposed theories, more
frequent shorter messages are associated with higher output, while the network strategies of earlier
career recruiters appear to involve more exploration. Results of this research have the potential to create
a more complete understanding of different types of efficiency associated with social networks.
Keywords: Social Networks, Efficiency, Explore/Exploit

THE IMPORTANCE OF TEAMWORK FOR DISPERSED
PROJECT TEAMS
Hoegl, Martin; Bocconi U.; martin.hoegl@unibocconi.it
Ernst, Holger; Otto Beisheim Graduate School of Management (WHU);
hernst@whu.edu
Proserpio, Luigi; Bocconi U.; luigi.proserpio@unibocconi.it
Product development teams become increasingly dispersed because innovative project tasks require the
input of specialized knowledge that is available at multiple locations. Prior research has not yet addressed
the question as to what extent teamwork quality impacts team performance in dispersed project teams.
We use 575 responses from managers, team leaders, and team members of 145 software development
teams to analyze the moderating effect of team member proximity on the relationship between teamwork
quality and team performance. We find support for our initial hypothesis that the proximity among team
members moderates the relationship between teamwork quality and team performance, i.e., decreasing
team member proximity increases the positive impact of teamwork quality on team performance.
Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.
Keywords: Proximity, Teamwork, Performance

CRISIS MANAGEMENT THROUGH STRATEGIC
COMMUNICATION: A MODEL OF EFFECTIVE WEB-BASED
MESSAGING
Segars, Al; U of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; al.segars@unc.edu
Jones, Lisa M.; U of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; lisa_jones@unc.edu
Many organizations devote enormous amounts of financial and human resources to improve corporate
communications. Among the many forms of communication produced by firms, messages regarding
organizational crises or bad news are perhaps the most strategic in conveying the well-being and future
direction of the enterprise. These messages have become even more visible as companies increasingly
use the internet as a primary forum for communicating the news of the enterprise. Surprisingly, there has
been little research into dimensions that characterize the effectiveness of messages from Senior
Management and how this communication may benefit the overall enterprise in terms of improved
reputation and legitimacy among stakeholders. Utilizing both theoretic and practical perspectives, as well
as the web-based messages of prominent organizations, this study frames Effective Web-Based Strategic
messaging (EWSM) along dimensions of credibility, efficacy, commitment, and responsibility. These first-
order constructs appear to be statistically coaligned by a second-order construct of EWSM. In turn,
EWSM is shown to be directly associated with favorable impressions of future corporate viability. This
study provides a useful framework for assessing strategic communication and for operationalizing a key
dependent variable in future studies related to strategic corporate communications through digital media
channels.
Keywords: electronic communication, crisis communication, communication strategy

EXPLAINING FIRMS' PROPENSITIES TO ENGAGE IN
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STRATEGIC SIGNALING
Zmud, Robert W; U. of Oklahoma; rzmud@ou.edu
Shaft, Teresa Marie; U. of Oklahoma, Norman; tshaft@ou.edu
Croes, Henry JP; U. of Oklahoma; hcroes@charter.net
Zheng, Weijun; U. of Wisconsin, Parkside; zheng@uwp.edu
Debate continues regarding the magnitude of the financial returns obtained from IT investments.
Researchers investigating the IT/firm performance relationship are hindered by the fact that the financial
data rarely aligns well with available IT investment data and firm performance metrics. Hence,
researchers have sought alternative data strategies. In particular, several studies have relied upon
signals about IT-related events. Despite the interest in IT signaling, little is understood about firms IT
signaling propensities. To investigate firms IT signaling behavior, we coded five years of press releases
and annual reports for the highest and lowest performing firms in three industries. The three industries
represent the three IT Strategic Roles (automate, informate, and transform). We assigned a code to
indicate the nature of the IT endeavor (automate, informate, or transform) that was the focus of the IT
signal. Our results indicate that firms propensity to signal is related to overall performance and industry.
Low performing firms out signal high performing firms. With regard to press releases, which have been
the data source for many studies, low performing firms are particularly likely to signal about transform IT
endeavors. Firms in the industry whose IT strategic role is transformational send more IT signals of all
categories than firms in the other industries. Previous studies that have relied upon IT strategic signals
have not considered a firms context, which could explain some of the equivocal results. Future studies
that investigate IT signals should consider the IT strategic role for the industry and a firms performance.
Keywords: strategic signals, information technology, firm performance

TO SEE AND NOT TO SEE: COMMUNICATING AND
REPRESENTING WORK IN MULTI-LEVEL AUTHORITY
RELATIONSHIPS
Cunha, Joao; Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Sloan; JVC@mit.edu
This paper unpacks the role of middle managers in the process of work representation in multilevel
relationships of authority. By drawing on an ethnography of a desk-based sales unit, it shows that middle
managers can use their managerial tools, such as bonus and reward systems, and information
technology to create and sustain a disconnect between how their employees work is done and how it is
represented in their companys formal information system. By doing so, they turn this information system
into a mock information system and they add visibility work to their employees everyday tasks.
Keywords: Representation, middle managers, visibility

TOWARDS A CLASSIFICATION FRAMEWORK OF EXTERNAL
KNOWLEDGE INTEGRATION PROCESSES
Kraaijenbrink, Jeroen; Twente U.; j.kraaijenbrink@utwente.nl
Researchers have extensively studied the process of integrating external knowledge into organizations.
This has resulted in a body of knowledge that is highly fragmented into research disciplines like consumer
research, library sciences, and information behavior. While these disciplines research similar processes,
they use different concepts and terms for them. Consequently, much of the valuable knowledge created
in one discipline remains unused in other disciplines or is reinvented there, resulting in a waste of
research efforts and funds. To initiate research that is less fragmented, this paper suggests a
classification framework that abstracts from the individual disciplines. Starting from the spatial model of
effectiveness criteria (Quinn & Rohrbaugh, 1983; Stein & Zwass, 1995) the paper classifies five basic
types of external knowledge integration (EKI) processes and their interrelations. Next, the necessity and
sufficiency of this classification framework in terms of coverage and level of detail are evaluated in an
empirical study, using the critical incident interviewing technique. An analysis of 65 critical incidents of
EKI shows that the framework covers a large share of the EKI processes that appear in practice.
Moreover, the analysis suggests a number of improvements to the framework. The resulting framework
contains six basic types of EKI processes, their interactions, and their decompositions. This framework
should serve as a basis for a thorough cross-disciplinary review of EKI related research and as a guide
for future research on EKI processes.
Keywords: external knowledge integration, organizational effectiveness, classification framework

UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, &
TASK WITHIN VIRTUAL TEAMS
Caya, Olivier; McGill U.; olivier.caya@mail.mcgill.ca
Mortensen, Mark; Massachusetts Institute of Technology;
mark.mortensen@mcgill.ca
Pinsonneault, Alain; McGill U.; alain.pinsonneault@mcgill.ca
The thematic of virtual team has recently captured the interest of both practitioners and researchers from
various disciplines of social sciences. However, the factors and mechanisms that lead to increasing levels
of performance in this work configuration remain unclear. In this paper, we try to identify some of these
factors and mechanisms by suggesting a model of virtual teams which focuses on group, information
technologies, and task characteristics and processes. Using this model as a general framework, we then
review the current empirical literature on virtual teams. The assessment of the findings demonstrate the
importance of accounting for all three dimensions of group, information technologies, and task, as we
seek to identify how virtual teams can achieve greater performance. This paper has implications for the
creation and management of virtual teams, and for future research on distributed work arrangements.
Keywords: Virtual teams, Electronic collaboration, Computer-mediated communication

PROCESS VIRTUALIZATION THEORY AND THE IMPACT OF
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Overby, Eric Marvin; Emory U.; eric_overby@bus.emory.edu
As the world becomes an increasingly virtual place, a growing number of processes are being conducted
online or through other virtual means. Following such successes as electronic commerce (which is a
virtualization of the physical shopping process) and ATM banking (which is a virtualization of the process
of interacting with a human bank teller), there is increasing interest in the factors that make a process
amenable (or resistant) to virtualization. This paper proposes process virtualization theory, which is a
general theory that integrates and extends extant theory to explain which factors predict whether a
process can be virtualized successfully. Recognizing that processes can be virtualized with or without the
use of information technology, this paper makes explicit the theoretical significance of introducing
information technology into process virtualization.
Keywords: virtualization, process, theory development

MEET ME IN CYBERSPACE: MEETINGS IN THE DISTRIBUTED
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Chudoba, Katherine; Florida State U.; kchudoba@garnet.acns.fsu.edu
Watson-Manheim, Mary Beth; U. Illinois, Chicago; mbwm@uic.edu
Lee, Chei-Sian; U. of Illinois at Chicago; clee49@uic.edu
Crowston, Kevin; Syracuse U.; crowston@syr.edu
Meetings have long been a critical activity in contemporary work life. At least since Mintzbergs classic
study of managerial behavior, researchers have documented and practitioners have bemoaned the
amount of time spent in meetings. Despite these problems, meetings are becoming even more common
in organizations. Teams are now found throughout the organization, from the manufacturing floor to
senior management. Organizational work increasingly occurs in teams, with participation in meetings
becoming a core work activity. How are these meetings conducted? What are the implications of the
increased use of ICT in these meetings? As more and more members of organizational teams are
distributed and must make extensive use of ICT in order to work together, these questions become even
more important. Using the device of genre system, an interrelated set of socially constructed
communicative actions, we examine meetings from the perspective of employees at a company in the
technology industry. We began with the questions: Are meetings in the 21st century different from
Mintzbergs conceptualization? If so, how? Drawing on data gathered from interviews that used entries in
the employees electronic calendar system, we found that employees are attending a large number of
meetings (20% reported more than 25 meetings in a week) and spending significant time in meetings
(27% reported more than 30 hours in a week in meetings). The majority of meetings included non-
collocated participants and extensive use of ICT. We explore the implications of these and other findings
for collaboration and ICT support.
Keywords: distributed meetings, e-collaboration, e-communication

ONLINE KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER: THE ROLES OF
EXPERIENCE, SYSTEM, AND RECEPTOR
Van Riel, Allard C.R.; U. of Lige; a.vanriel@ulg.ac.be
Sasovova, Zuzana; Vrije U. Amsterdam; zsasovova@feweb.vu.nl
The Internet is increasingly used for the transfer of knowledge and best practices, both in educational
settings and in a business context. In this article, several facilitators of online knowledge transfer are
identified in analogy to Szulanskis groundbreaking work on the barriers of knowledge transfer (Szulanski,
1997, 2003). Central to the study is the investigation of the facilitating role of an intrinsically motivating, or
optimal experience of online learning, called playfulness, based on Csikszentmihalyis theory of flow
(Csikszentmihalyi, 1975, 1990). In a review of theories built around the Technology Acceptance Model
(Davis, 1989; Davis, Bagozzi, & Warshaw, 1989), and around User Interface design (Grnroos,
Heinonen, Isoniemi, & Lindholm, 2000) and Online Service Quality (Zeithaml, Parasuraman, & Malhotra,
2000, 2002), the effects of various system attributes on the online experience are investigated. Finally, it
is investigated how characteristics of the receptor influence the online learning experience. Hypotheses
about the effects of the receptors experience, various attributes of the system, and the receptor on the
perceived effectiveness of knowledge transfer are developed and summarized in a theoretical model,
which is empirically validated in an experimental setting with a sample of 273 undergraduate students of
business administration. In the context of an undergraduate course, a combination of conceptual and
applied knowledge is offered online. The effectiveness of the transfer is measured in self-reported
evaluations. In an extensive discussion the findings are interpreted, together with their implications for
theory and practice. Finally, suggestions for further research are outlined.
Keywords: Computer Mediated Environment, Playfulness, Learning Effectiveness

UNDERSTANDING AND MITIGATING UNCERTAINTY IN
ONLINE ENVIRONMENTS: A LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS OF
TRUST
Pavlou, Paul A.; U. of California, Riverside; paul.pavlou@ucr.edu
Liang, Huigang; Florida Atlantic U.; hliang@fau.edu
Xue, Yajiong 'Lucky'; U. of Rhode Island; xuelucky@mail.uri.edu
Uncertainty has been widely touted as the primary barrier to e-commerce adoption. To better understand
the nature of uncertainty and mitigate its potentially harmful impact on e-commerce, this study draws
upon agency theory to identify and examine three antecedents of uncertainty information asymmetry,
seller opportunism, and privacy concerns. In turn, trust and social presence are hypothesized as the key
factors that facilitate e-commerce adoption by mitigating these three sources of uncertainty. The
proposed structural model is tested in the context of online prescription filling with a sample of 357 online
consumers. The longitudinal results support the proposed hypotheses, delineating the mechanisms by
which trust and social presence facilitate e-commerce adoption through the mediating role of uncertainty
and its three underlying dimensions. Implications for enhancing our understanding of e-commerce
adoption and mitigating uncertainty in online environments by integrating sociological and economic
theories are discussed.
Keywords: Trust, uncertainty, privacy

ENHANCING PERCEIVED VALUE OF CROSS-
DEPARTMENTAL KNOWLEDGE ON INNOVATION VIA KM
TECHNOLOGY FEATURES
Faniel, Ixchel M.; U. of Michigan, Ann Arbor; ifaniel@umich.edu
Enabling employees to integrate knowledge from different areas of expertise within the organization (i.e.
cross-departmental knowledge) is one way to sustain competitive advantage within a firm. However,
management must provide the proper support to help employees overcome the interpretive barriers
encountered when crossing departmental boundaries. This study couples the theory of thought worlds
with the theory of hermeneutic inquiry to determine whether knowledge management technology can
help. More specifically, this study proposes that the use of technology features that support cross-
departmental understanding is positively related to the perceived value of cross-departmental knowledge
on innovation, a key indicator of future innovation. The study employed a two-wave survey of 874
scientists and engineers. Findings indicated support for the hypothesis, even after controlling for other
supportive mechanisms, including: people-to-people interaction, perceived openness of communication,
perceived task complexity, and perceived ease of use of technology. More specifically, the findings
suggest that cross-departmental knowledge is more highly valued for innovation when technology
features help individuals find diverse opinions, see how knowledge about a situation has evolved over
time, link general overviews of knowledge about a situation to additional related details, and actively add
to the knowledge as it evolves.
Keywords: knowledge management, knowledge managment technologies, innovation

ORGANIZATIONAL PRESENTATIONS AS RITES
Brooks, JoAnn M; U. of Michigan; jbrooks@umich.edu
Organizational presentations, especially those using PowerPoint software, have been criticized as
inefficient for transfer of information. Yet their popularity for organizational communication continues. This
paper reports the results of an ethnographic study of presentations in one high tech organization, and
offers an explanation for the puzzling popularity of presentations despite problems and criticisms.
Analysis reveals that classic work on sociology of knowledge by Emile Durkheim can be used to account
for the popularity of presentations. In particular, participants organize themselves collectively to constitute
their social units and promote certain types of interactions between individuals and their groups. This
insight is based on striking similarities between organizational presentations and the totemic rites that
Durkheim relies on for the basis of his theorizing. Implications of these results for the study of
organizational communication and organizing processes are noted.
Keywords: presentations, organizational communication, organizing

UNDERSTANDING THE TIES THAT BIND: A LONGITUDINAL
INVESTIGATION OF COMMUNICATION NETWORK EVOLUTION
Contractor, Noshir; U of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; nosh@uiuc.edu
Fonti, Fabio; Boston College; fabio.fonti@bc.edu
Steglich, Christian; U. of Groningen; C.E.G.Steglich@ppsw.rug.nl
Su, Chunke; U of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; chunkesu@uiuc.edu
Whitbred, Robert; U. of Pittsburgh, Johnstown; rwhitbred@hotmail.com
Network studies have become a mainstream way to investigate organizational phenomena during the last
20 years. While they have provided powerful explanations for better understanding what happens in and
around organizations, they still tend to have two major limitations. First, they usually focus on one
mechanism at a time to explain what are the antecedents or consequences of network structures.
Second, they tend to be cross sectional rather than longitudinal. The theoretical and methodological
limitations that may lie behind these issues have recently started to be addressed. A multi-theory,
multilevel approach (MTML) to the study of organizational networks has been proposed and a few
statistical packages for the analysis of network dynamics have been made available. Hence, this study is
an early attempt to address these two issues using an MTML approach and SIENA, a sophisticated
statistical package that allows for dynamic network modeling and simulation, to study the evolution of an
organizational communication network at 12 points in time over a 2-year period. Results show that using
a set of endogenous and exogenous mechanisms to understand network evolution far exceeds in
accuracy the use of individual explanatory mechanisms, thus providing a much clearer view of the
underlying forces driving network change.
Keywords: Networks, Change, Communicaton

CAN EMOTIONS TRANSCEND CONTEXTUAL BARRIERS?
INVESTIGATING EMOTIONS IN COMPUTER-MEDIATED
GROUPS
Lindsay, Jennifer; U. of Maryland, College Park; jlindsay@rhsmith.umd.edu
Research on teams has recently placed much emphasis on understanding the role of affect and emotions
in the workplace. Studies in this area have largely focused on the effects of emotions as they pertain to
traditional face-to-face teams. This paper contributes to the accumulated corpus of literature by
presenting a model explaining group level emotion in virtual environment. In the current technological and
business environment, teams are now utilizing technology as a medium of communication, and in some
cases a primary medium of communication. Consequently, there is a need to examine how social
processes are adapted in this context. Of primary interest to this study is the attention that organizational
researchers have paid to the sharing of emotions that occurs in a group context, and more specifically, to
the idea that work group members come to share each others emotions through the phenomenon of
emotional contagion, or the tendency to automatically mimic and synchronize facial expressions,
vocalizations, postures, and movements with those of another person and, consequently to converge
emotionally (Hatfield et al., 1992, p.151). While the concept of emotional contagion makes logical sense
when applied to the world of face-to-face work groups and teams, it cannot be seamlessly transferred to
groups and teams that communicate virtually. Therefore it is the intention of this study to examine the
mechanisms by which emotional contagion can occur in a computer-mediated context.
Keywords: Emotional Contagion, Virtual Teams, Computer-mediated Communication

COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION AND KNOWLEDGE
NETWORKS: A RELATIONAL VIEW
Chang, Klarissa; Carnegie Mellon U.; changtt@cmu.edu
Rousseau, Denise M.; Carnegie Mellon U.; rousseau@andrew.cmu.edu
This study examines the importance of trust and social presence in enhancing social exchanges and
knowledge sharing in computer-mediated communication. We adopt a social network approach to
investigate the phenomena of transactive memory in technology-supported groups. We report the results
from an experimental study of 240 participants randomly assigned to 3-member teams. Dense trust
networks helped to develop greater transactive memory than sparse trust networks. Participants in dense
trust networks developed greater transactive memory when social presence was low than when social
presence was high. Conversely, participants in sparse trust networks developed better transactive
memory when social presence was high than when social presence was low. Teams with dense trust
networks also had greater reciprocal exchanges, whereas teams with sparse trust networks had greater
negotiated exchanges. Implications for enhancing knowledge networks from a social exchange
perspective were discussed.
Keywords: social presence, transactive memory, social exchanges

MANAGEMENT SUPPORT AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
INFORMATION SYSTEMS: A REVIEW OF THE CONSTRUCT
Sharma, Rajeev; U. of Oklahoma; rajeevsharma@ou.edu
Carte, Traci; U. of Oklahoma; tcarte@ou.edu
Cogliser, Claudia C.; Texas Tech U.; cogliser@ou.edu
Becker, Aaron; U. of Oklahoma; guitarist@ou.edu
Management support is a key factor in the successful implementation of information systems. Yet while
research in this domain is relatively well developed, there has not been a systematic approach to its
study. Research using this construct has been fragmented, with numerous approaches to its study
utilized along with multiple definitions provided in the literature. Along with these multiple definitions of the
construct, many operationalizations have been utilized across studies. Further, both theoretically and
empirically, the construct has uniformly been considered to reflect a single dimension of management
support. Our paper provides a comprehensive review of the management support literature from J anuary
1995 through May 2004, summarizing the multiple definitions of the construct. We also compile the 86
different items used across the management support literature to operationalize the construct. We report
emergent themes from our review, and present a five-dimensional model of the management support
construct. Further, we test the content domain of this initial item pool using a rigorous content adequacy
assessment method, and confirm our five-dimensional model as indicated by the items used to measure
the management support construct. The five dimensions which emerge are labeled: (1) resource support,
(2) vision support, (3) individual mentoring support, (4) support for change, and (5) monitoring support.
We provide a refined item pool that encompasses these five sub-dimensions to be used for future
research in construct validation and further explication of the nomological network of the management
support construct. Finally, we discuss implications for future research and information systems practice.
Keywords: management support, IT implementation and use, measurement

USER PARTICIPATION IN ERP IMPLEMENTATION: FROM A
KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER PERSPECTIVE
Deng, Nancy; Carnegie Mellon U.; xdeng@andrew.cmu.edu
User participation in the process of information systems (IS) development has long been considered as
an important factor contributing to some measures of IS success since 1960s. However, the mystery of
mixed results in user participation studies is still unsolved. This study uses a qualitative approach to study
the user participation activities in the analysis and design phrase of ERP implementation, and suggests
that user participation has an important consequence on the knowledge transfer between client users and
consultants; user participation enhanced client users knowledge about ERP software, and enhanced
consultants knowledge about the clients local domain. Moreover, user participation facilitates the
development of client user-consultant relationship. These user participation benefits identified have
positive impact on team performance and IS success, as evidenced from existing IS and knowledge
sharing literature. Drawing inferences from both qualitative data and literature, we propose a research
framework that user participation leads to IS success, with the relationship mediated by client user-
consultant knowledge transfer. The increased knowledge sharing between users and consultants may
help to explain some of the inconclusive results in user participation studies. Research findings of this
study also provide some practical guidance to the management of complex ERP implementation projects.
Keywords: user participation, Knowledge transfer, ERP implementation

IT ENABLED ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE: IT IS JUST
ROUTINE(S) !
Gautam, Tanvi; U. of Pittsburgh; tagautam@katz.pitt.edu
Despite best intentions, technology implemented with a view to enable organizational change, does not
always lead to intended outcomes. Literature review of the IS field shows that the relationship between IT
and change in work processes is highly complex and dialectical. Structuration theory in particular has
added to our understanding of the emergent and socially constructed nature of technology and its
outcomes. Following this lead, the paper examines the literature on 'routines' to gain a deeper insight into
the dynamics that lead to the emergent and constructed nature of IT enabled organizational change. The
paper posits that emergent models of IT enabled change can benefit by focusing on what can make
certain work and technology routines change or remain the same. One of the insights gained from the
literature on routines is that- it is useful to separate the routine to be affected (by implementation of IT)
into its constituent parts ostensive and performative, as well as to pay attention to the role and
characteristic of the routine in the organization. This understanding in turns helps us to create the change
we want to establish. It is hoped that by bringing together the literature on IT enabled organizational
change and the research on routines, we will enrich our understanding of the relationship between IT and
change. The paper also tries to apply this insight to a published ERP study to give more tangibility to the
ideas put forth.
Keywords: Routines, IT enabled change, Structuration theory

WORKING IN VIRTUAL TEAMS: AWARENESS AND
TEAMWORK
Jang, Chyng-Yang; U Texas at Arlington; cyjang@uta.edu
This study investigated the antecedents and impacts of awareness in global virtual teams. Awareness is a
prominent construct in the field of groupware and computer-supported cooperative work. It reflects the
extent to which people participating in a collaborative activity possess relevant information about aspects
of their teammates or teammates' work. It was said to be the prerequisite of coordinated works. The
purpose of this study was to integrate the concept of awareness into the literature of work group study.
Specifically, the effects of perceived task interdependence, communication frequency, and groupware
usage on perceived awareness were examined. In addition, the effects of awareness and task
interdependence on trust were also explored. Participants were recruited from universities in the United
States, Mexico, and Russia to form 7 distributed engineering design teams. Each team consisted of
students from 2 locations and was offered a set of communication tools, including an ISDN-based video
conferencing system, Microsoft Netmeeting, telephone, fax, a project-specific email account, and a web-
based groupware tool (TeamSCOPE). The results showed that perceived task interdependence and
communication frequency had positive effects on perceived level of awareness. Additionally, both
perceived task interdependence and awareness were positively associated with trust. Multiple regression
analysis showed that perceived awareness was the more significant predictor of trust. These results
suggest that awareness is an important group process variable. It provides a link between task
interdependence and trust. The implications of the results on groupware design and virtual team
management were discussed.
Keywords: virtual team, trust, groupware

THE IMPACT OF KNOWLEDGE ON THE GOVERNANCE OF
INFORMATION SYSTEMS PROJECTS
Henry, Raymond M.; Clemson U.; rhenry@clemson.edu
Kirsch, Laurie; U. of Pittsburgh; lkirsch@katz.pitt.edu
Sambamurthy, V; Michigan State U.; smurthy@msu.edu
IT governance, the distribution of decision-making concerning information technology, has primarily been
studied at the organizational or business unit level. However, many IT decisions take place in the context
of IT projects, making it important to understand governance issues at the project level. This research
develops a project level conceptualization of IT governance that draws from both the governance and
project management literatures. Hypotheses are developed concerning the relationship between business
unit knowledge of IT, IT unit knowledge of business processes, and IT project governance arrangements.
These hypotheses are tested using matched survey responses from lead business unit and IT executives
associated with 43 projects. The results suggest that IT project governance can be thought of in terms of
the task related dimensions of systems development governance, requirements governance, and
budget/schedule governance. The results suggest that the importance of a project to a business unit
significantly affects that business units level of project governance while the level of IT knowledge does
not appear to have a direct relationship. IT unit project governance, however, is related to both the IT
units knowledge of business processes and business units knowledge of IT. Higher levels of shared
knowledge, when both groups have knowledge in the other domain, increases the extent of shared
project governance. The implications of these results are also discussed.
Keywords: project governance, knowledge, systems development

EMPLOYEE PORTALS: A FIELD STUDY EXAMINING
TECHNOLOGY MEDIATED ORGANIZATIONAL
COMMUNICATION
Klimchak, Malayka; U. of South Carolina; malayka_klimchak@moore.sc.edu
Klaas, Brian S; U. of South Carolina; klaasb@moore.sc.edu
A field study was conducted to assess the impact of technology mediated organizational communication
on organizational identification. The technology mediated communication under study was an employee
portal. An employee portal is a set of applications that provide employees with a gateway to customized
information. Three types of information provided by the portal were assessed, organizational, business
unit and employee service. As predicted, use of the portal to access business unit information was
positively related to organizational identification. Also as expected, use of the portal to access employee
service information was negatively related. However, the relationship between use of the portal to obtain
organizational information and organizational identification was not significant. Furthermore, face-to-face
interaction with organizational members moderated the relationship between business unit information
and organizational identification such that employees with lower levels of face-to-face interaction
experienced a stronger relationship between portal use and organizational identification than did
employees with higher levels.
Keywords: Identification, Portal, Communication

THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND
VIRTUALNESS ON KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE IN TEAMS
Hill, N. Sharon; U. of Maryland, College Park; shill@rhsmith.umd.edu
In this paper, I examine the influence of virtualness and cultural diversity on knowledge exchange in
teams, and propose that virtualness and cultural diversity will interact to influence knowledge exchange. I
build a theoretical model to describe the interaction effect between three levels of cultural diversity
(homogeneity, moderate heterogeneity, high heterogeneity) and two levels of virtualness (co-located
team with pure face-to-face interaction vs. completely virtual team with pure technology-mediated
communication). I then discuss how the nature of this interaction will change for different configurations of
virtualness within the team. Implications for research and practice are also discussed.
Keywords: Virtual Teams, Knowledge Exchange, Cultural Diversity

RECIPROCITY OR GENERALIZED EXCHANGE?
STRUCTURING OF ELECTRONIC KNOWLEDGE NETWORKS
Faraj, Samer; U. of Maryland; sfaraj@rhsmith.umd.edu
Johnson, Steven Lawrence; U. of Maryland, College Park;
steven_johnson@rhsmith.umd.edu
Despite growing interest in the phenomena of electronic knowledge networks, little research has
addressed the organizing tendencies of such networks. This paper explores the nature of interaction on
electronic knowledge networks. We propose that electronic knowledge networks will exhibit specific
interaction tendencies consistent with the tenets of collective action theories. Using interaction-level data
from 3 different electronic networks, we tested for the existence of three nested tendencies for reciprocity,
generalized exchange, and centralization. We found consistent results across 3 independent knowledge
networks covering 4629 interactions during 3 months. The results confirm the existence of these
tendencies, and as a whole support our contention that electronic network dynamics can be explained by
network-level theories of collective action.
Keywords: online, community, network

GOVERNANCE & USE OF B2B PLATFORM:FIRM
RELATIONSHIP, TRANSACTION ENVIRONMENT &
CAPABILITY EFFECTS
Chatterjee, Dipanjan; Rensseleaer Polytechnic Institute; chattd2@rpi.edu
Ravichandran, T; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; ravit@rpi.edu
Information Technology has become increasingly indispensable for conducting business between firms.
Proven benefits and increasing adoption of electronic business-to-business platforms point to a future
when firms linkages with other firms will be largely enabled by IT. However, as recent experiences
demonstrate not every form of technology mediated business deliver value. Many b2b exchanges and
web based business models that were ushered in with much promise have failed to sustain and gain
acceptance from the users. Practitioners have realized that disconnects between the b2b platforms and
the contexts to which they are applied can lead to costly failures. Theoretical model building in this
respect has lagged behind practitioners concerns, and there is a paucity of models that articulate how
b2b platforms should match their contexts of use. We argue that firm decisions related to how they chose
to govern a platform and the extent of platform use are the two critical decisions that should be tailored to
the contexts of platform application. Hence it is important to understand the factors that determine the
platform governance and use decisions. We develop an exploratory model that explores the effects of
three distinct sets of constructs on the governance and use of b2b platforms. Existing firm relationships,
the transaction environment, and firms internal capabilities are argued to be the important factors that
influence governance and use of b2b platforms.
Keywords: b2b electronic platforms, firm relationships, transaction environment

THE EMERGENCE OF SHARED MEANINGS AND COMMON
LANGUAGES IN COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
Soda, Giuseppe; Bocconi U.; giuseppe.soda@uni-bocconi.it
Furnari, Santi; Bocconi U.; santi.furnari@uni-bocconi.it
Recent advances in information technology and the increasing connection of the global economy are
fostering the emergence of collaboration networks among organizations. Many of these networks took the
form of global virtual teams whose members are (1) temporarily bound together towards a specific goal;
(2) geographically distributed; (3) linked more through technology-supported communication than through
face-to-face communication; (4) functionally and culturally diverse. Previous research studies have shown
that those teams may evolve through rapid and continuous changes both in their membership and in their
relational structures. Nevertheless, most organizational theories acknowledged the importance of the
stability and the continuity of social structures in the development of cognitive resources, such as, shared
meanings, languages, and codes. In this paper we address the question of whether and to what extent
the membership dynamics and the different social structures of a virtual team may hinder its capability in
developing shared meanings and common languages. In answering this question, we conducted an
exploratory study on a global virtual team. Primary data for the study are constituted by the electronic
messages exchanged among team members during the project. Our results indicate that network closure
rather than structural holes is positively associated to higher levels of shared meanings and common
languages. On the other hand, the stability of network membership and ties over time facilitate the
creation of shared meanings and common languages among network actors.
Keywords: global virtual teams, social network analysis, knowledge sharing

TEAMS AS NETWORKS IN A CONNECTED ORGANIZATION:
THE CRITICAL ROLE OF GEOGRAPHIC DISTANCE
Cummings, Jonathon N.; Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Sloan;
cummings@mit.edu
Ghosh, Tanu; Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Sloan; tanu@mit.edu
Project teams in organizations are bounded networks of interdependent individuals with a shared goal.
Like other kinds of social networks, project teams rely on relationships among members for the flow of
knowledge, information, and ideas within and outside of the team. One barrier to this flow, geographic
distance, has received much attention in the academic literature for its powerfully negative effect on face
toface communication. With the increasing prevalence of email, instant messaging, and other
communication technologies in organizations, it is important to reexamine how distance impacts
interaction among members and their relationships outside the boundary of the team. Towards this end,
we develop hypotheses about three classes of variables that could moderate the impact of distance on
knowledge seeking: communication technology, relational characteristics, and structural characteristics.
We collected survey data from 1754 members of 317 project teams across a single firm (representing
12586 internal relationships and 3230 external relationships). Controlling for features of the projects (type,
size, length, effort, number) and individuals (gender, age, company rank, company experience), we
conducted analyses at the level of the relationship using Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM). The results
indicate full support for communication technology as a moderator, partial support for relationship
characteristics as a moderator, and no support for structural characteristics as a moderator. However, the
significant negative main effect of distance on knowledge seeking across all models suggests that
physical location continues to have a prevailing impact on communication in project team networks.
Keywords: Project Teams, Knowledge Seeking, Communication Technology

E-MAIL AT WORK: A CAUSE FOR CONCERN?
Altman, Yochanan; London Metropolitan U.; y_altman@hotmail.com
Bournois, Frank; U. of Pantheon Assas Paris II; frank@bournois.com
Rojot, Jacques; U. of Paris II; rojot@wanadoo.fr
This review of the literature examines the current discourse on the effects of electronic communication at
work, particularly e-mail. The characteristics of electronic mail and their impact on productivity and stress
are examined in detail. A model is presented delineating antecedents and potential negative personal and
organizational outcomes. We conclude with a proposed agenda for further research.
Keywords: e-mail, effectiveness, stress
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