How do interactive tabletop systems influence collaboration?

This paper examines some aspects of the usefulness of interactive tabletop systems, if and how these impact collaboration. We chose creative problem solving such as brainstorming as an application framework to test several collaborative media: the use of pen-and-paper tools, the ‘‘around-the-table’’ form factor, the digital tabletop interface, the attractiveness of interaction styles. Eighty subjects in total (20 groups of four members) participated in the experiments. The evaluation criteria were task performance, collaboration patterns (especially equity of contributions), and users’ subjective experience. The ‘‘aroundthe-table’’ form factor, which is hypothesized to promote social comparison, increased performance and improved collaboration through an increase of equity. Moreover, the attractiveness of the tabletop device improved subjective experience and increased motivation to engage in the task. However, designing attractiveness seems a highly challenging issue, since overly attractive interfaces may distract users from the task

Information Technology and Social Loafing:A Qualitative Investigation

While IT-supported teams are increasingly popular, most suffer from an anti-social behavior called social loafing (SL). SL is the tendency to withhold one’s effort when working with others. Past research has examined various determinants and mechanisms of SL but the relationships between IT and SL have remained largely unexplored. Our objectives are to identify the key factors that play a role in SL in IT-supported groups and to investigate how IT can influence SL. Drawing from the literature and on the basis of seven case studies, we identified four categories of factors related to personal, group, organizational and task issues. We will conduct additional cases to advance our theory development on the influence of IT on SL. The implications for research are important since this study provides a better understanding of the determinants of SL and the role IT can play in influencing such behaviors in teams and organizations

Project and Organizational Antecedents of Effort Withholding in IT Project Teams

When individuals assigned to Information Technology (IT) projects do not work as hard as they could, effort withholding occurs. Effort withholding is defined as the likelihood that an individual will give less than full effort on a job-related task. While an extensive body of work demonstrates that effort withholding is prevalent in all types of teamwork, little attention has been paid to an IT project context. In this study, we surveyed 473 IT project managers to address two questions: 1) what are key IT project and organizational factors that influence effort withholding, and 2) which project management approaches can suppress it? Our results indicate that the size of the team, the perceived importance of the project, the degree of uncertainty in the project requirements, and the degree of self-interest (organizational ethical climate) all contribute to effort withholding, while internal integration (project coordination) techniques suppress it

Student Perception of Social Loafing in University Teamwork

This study investigated perceptions of social loafing in undergraduate student teams at a South African university. Student participants, randomly assigned to teams, received coursework instruction about team dynamics (including social loafing) and worked together for 12 weeks on a team assignment that was graded at the end of the semester. Students (n = 243) wrote individual reflections on the reasons for social loafing in student teams. Some (n = 24) also participated in an experiential social loafing exercise. These two sources of qualitative data were used in the development of a survey questionnaire, which was completed by 229 students. Fifty-four percent of the student participants (n = 229) perceived social loafing to have occurred in their teams. Four components of perceived social loafing behaviour were identified using factor analysis: unavailability, poor work quality, tech loafing and discussion non-contribution. Loafer apathy (a general lack of care or interest) predicted significant variance in each of the four loafing behaviours and social compensation. Team performance (assignment grades) was not related to the perceived presence social loafing in a team. Rather than reducing effort in response to perceived social loafing (the sucker effect), a social compensation effect occurred in the perceived presence of poor work quality. Effective leadership moderated the relationship between loafer apathy and tech loafing as well as loafer apathy and social compensation. Practical implications and recommendations for future research are presented

NEUROSCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT: CHALLENGES FOR BEHAVIOuRAL RESEARCH IN ORGANIZATIONS

The objective of this paper is to explore how the application of neuroscience to management research can facilitate a better understanding of some issues concerning to people behaviour in organizations. In recent years, the ability of researchers to directly observe brain activity has increased tremendously. This paper presented extant neuroscientific findings and showed some examples on how they could be incorporated into management research. We present two studies on honesty and social loafing in teams to inform management researchers when and how neuroscientific methods can complement traditional empirical approaches such as interviews or surveys

The Relationship Between Employee Perceptions of the Employment Game and Their Perceptions of Cooperative Knowledge Behavior in High Tech Firms

The relationship between knowledge sharing and organizational performance for high technology start-up companies is not well understood. Using game theory and the concept of competitive advantage through human resource management, I examine employee perceptions of the employment game relating to cooperative knowledge behavior and firm performance as an entry point into researching organizational knowledge utilization. I draw upon classical game theory to develop four measures of perceptions critical to game playing and apply these to organizational situations via a survey instrument. I propose that perceptions of the employment game held by organization members are determinants of cooperative knowledge sharing and subsequently firm performance. I analyze survey data gathered from high-tech workers using both regression and path analysis techniques. The results from this study offer new insights into methods for measuring both the connections between knowledge work and firm performance and the perceptions critical for fostering collaborative knowledge work in high tech firms. Results of the study show a significant relationship between the game theory construct of reciprocity, knowledge building behavior and firm performance. The mediation model was weakly supported but shows potential usefulness for further research in the field of strategic human resource management

Social Loafing Construct Validity in Higher Education: How Well Do Three Measures of Social Loafing Stand Up to Scrutiny?

The purpose of this study was to examine the construct validity of social loafing using convergent and discriminant validity principles. Three instruments that purport to measure social loafing were factor analyzed: A ten-item instrument by George (1992), a 13-item instrument by Mulvey and Klein (1998), and a 22-item instrument by Jassawalla, Sashittal, and Malshe (2009) for a total of 45 items that were compiled into a single instrument with which data were collected, correlated, and factor analyzed. One hundred and sixty graduate and undergraduates enrolled in management courses at a small private Northern California university were surveyed. Thirteen classes were surveyed and data was collected over three semesters. Data collected were factor analyzed using Principle Axis Factoring and rotated using Promax with Kappa = 4 for each instrument. Correlations, Keyser-Meyer-Olkin, and Bartlett’s test of sphericity were inspected for reasonable factorability, sampling adequacy, and appropriateness of running a factor analysis. Eigenvalues \u3e 1 and Scree plots supported the number of factors extracted with primary factor loadings of .4 or higher. Pattern, structure, and factor correlation matrices were inspected for content, loadings, and correlations among the derived factors. Derived factors were compared to each author’s theoretical framework. Additionally, the eight derived factors were factor analyzed using the same procedures. The result was three final derived factors. Findings showed correlations among the author’s scales indicated that the three instruments do not measure the same thing. George’s and Jassawalla et al.’s instruments share 55% of the variance. Mulvey and Klein’s instrument shares little in common with Jassawalla et al. and virtually nothing with George. Further, George, Mulvey and Klein, and Jassawalla et al. had hypothesized10 scales whereas my factoring had eight factors. Findings showed that the 8-factor solution supported George, partially supported Mulvey and Klein, and did not support Jassawalla et al. The final 3-factor solution does help to define the social loafing construct. The findings suggest using the instruments with caution. Further research to ensure accurate conceptualizations of the social loafing construct should be continued

Effects of Compensation Systems on Job Search Decisions: An Application of Person-Organization Fit

Past research has demonstrated the importance of pay level in job search and choice processes. Compensation policies other than pay level may have important effects on applicant attraction, yet there has been little research examining this possibility. The role of person-organization fit in job search and job choice decisions has also been supported. Because pay systems define an organization\u27s expectations and culture, they may be an important organizational attribute for individuals to compare with their needs and values; thus the corresponding level of fit between compensation policies and individuals\u27 dispositions may affect subsequent job search and choice decisions. Using several research methods and a sample of individuals currently involved in the interviewing process, this stugy examines both the main and interactive effects of various pay system attributes on job search. Resulting analyses primarily supported the hypotheses, suggesting that many facets of pay systems may have important effects on individuals\u27 job search and choice decisions