Legitimate Peripheral Participation and Value Creation in Online Knowledge Sharing Communities

Online knowledge sharing communities require contributions and active participation to thrive, yet all participation is not equal. Community members well-socialized in the community are more likely to make stronger contributions. In this paper, we theorize about how legitimate peripheral participation of new online knowledge sharing community members can drive different types of contributions and potentially generate value for the community. We conduct an agent-based simulation analysis of different configurations of legitimate peripheral participation to explore our theoretical arguments. We find, in general, that increased requirements for legitimate peripheral participation of new members drive quality contributions and generates value for the community. However, we also find that there is an inflection point where too many such demands may stifle contributions and impede value creation in these communities

Diversity Team Building: Impact on Virtual Team Performance

Although organizations have addressed diversity issues at the organizational-level with resulting positive employee outcomes, lack of scholarly attention to team-level interventions remain. Team-level interventions would benefit organizations more directly as they address issues directly related to task accomplishment. Since diversity may lead to negative performance results for teams, a team building intervention based on the latest empirical research was developed and tested to address the potential performance losses associated to diversity in decision-making teams. The team building intervention provides six crucial elements, namely (1) direct experience of how deep-level team diversity affect team dynamics, (2) diversity education, (3) cultivation of awareness of self and other deep-level traits, (4) self-disclosure, (5) collaborative reflection and planning, and (6) cultivation of awareness of similarities. The effectiveness of the team-building intervention was tested by an embedded mixed method approach that comprises a primary quantitative approach involving a post-test only control group experiment and conditional process modeling, and a secondary qualitative approach involving thematic analysis. Based on 68 undergraduate engineering student teams, ANOVA results show that the team building had a significant positive impact on objective performance and significant negative impact on perceived performance. Furthermore, conditional process modeling results show that benevolence trust mediate the positive impact of the team building on objective team performance. In addition, propensity to trust, attitude toward diversity and perceived diversity moderated the indirect impact of the team building on team performance. Specifically, regarding objective performance, teams with low propensity to trust, high attitude toward diversity and high perceived diversity experienced the most positive indirect effect of the team building on objective performance through benevolence trust while the teams experienced the most negative indirect effect of the team building on objective performance through competence trust. With regards to perceived performance, the teams experienced the most negative indirect impact of the team building on perceived performance through benevolence trust while they experienced the most positive indirect effect of the team building on perceived performance through competence trust. The qualitative findings support the quantitative findings. The divergent mediating impact of the two distinct dimensions of trust on team decision-making performance, the moderating role of propensity to trust, attitude toward diversity and perceived diversity, and the opposite impact of the team building on objective and perceived performance open new possibilities for future research

Communicating Personal Health Information in Virtual Health Communities: An Integration of Privacy Calculus Model and Affective Commitment

Health consumers such as patients and caregivers often join virtual health communities (VHCs) to seek and provide health-related information and emotional support. To do so, they converse with other individuals in platforms such as public discussion boards and blogs. During these online conversations, people may communicate their personal health information (PHI) to others. A potential driver for this form of revealing PHI is the immediate positive outcomes that it can provide for contributors and the community. PHI disclosure, however, can entail privacy risks and concerns for community members, which may ultimately hamper their participation in those communities. Moreover, one’s emotional attachment to a VHC (namely, affective commitment) may influence one’s PHI sharing behaviors in that community. Thus, to understand how various factors impact communicating PHI in public VHC discussions, we drew on the privacy calculus model and the notion of affective commitment, developed a theoretical model, and empirically tested the model. To do so, we administered a survey to individuals from three different populations including students, faculty, and staff at a large university and visitors to clinics. We performed a set of hierarchical moderated multiple regressions on the dataset. The results revealed that privacy concerns along with expected personal and community-related outcomes of communicating PHI affected willingness to communicate PHI in public VHC discussions. The results, however, refuted the hypothesized direct and moderating effects of affective commitment on willingness to share PHI in these virtual platforms. The findings of this study provide contributions to research and practice

AN EXAMINATION OF THE ANTECEDENTS OF TRUST IN FACEBOOK ONLINE HEALTH COMMUNITIES

Online Health Communities have become an increasingly popular information resource. Participants use them to seek health information, to seek support and to source advice regarding health challenges. The resulting lack of dependency on traditional health information channels has not only changed the way in which people source health information, but more importantly, the health information that they choose to trust and consequently act upon. Despite this fact, the factors that predict or inhibit users’ trust in online health communities remain unclear. This study seeks to contribute to our understanding of the factors that influence individuals trust in such communities. Data were collected from 410 Brazilian participants of several online health communities on Facebook. The research model was tested using partial least squares, and the results show support for two new predictors of trust in online health communities: Online Community Responsiveness and Community Support. Also, we found that Information Credibility and Propensity to Trust positively influence individual’s trust responses. These findings contribute both to the trust literature and to social media research knowledge. From a practitioner perspective, these findings can also serve as a guide for moderators and managers who wish to improve participants’ trust in their online health communities

How fluidity drives the evolution of group norms in open online communities: A dialectical model

This paper develops a dialectic process model to explain how group norms evolve in self-organizing open online communities. Archive data collected from a celebrity fandom community is used for a netnography study that is complemented by an interview with the community administrator. The analysis of the data reveals that the fluidity of online communities triggers changes on norm conformity leading to increased peer to peer moderations. That raised contradictions on norm schema (clarity and alignment with the community identity). I find drivers that affect the resolution of norm contradictions. This paper develops an iterative model to explain how norm contradictions are continuously raised due to fluidity and resolved by community members. The findings have theoretical and practical implication on the sustainability and fluidity of online communities from group norm perspective

Assessment of teamwork in higher education collaborative learning teams: a validation study

textThe study was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in a field setting, based on survey research, and team observations, with interviews and focus groups at the end of the project that focused on the examination and measurement of face-to-face teamwork in a collaborative learning college setting. The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of the Teamwork Assessment Scale (TAS) and its relation with perceptions of personal characteristics of Instrumentality and Expressiveness as measured by (a) the Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ) (Spence & Helmrich, 1978), (b) with a measure of Team Flow (De Hoyos, Dara-Abrams, & Bischoff, 2004) and (c) Team Synergy (De Hoyos & Resta, 2004). In a pilot study of online teamwork, an exploratory factor analysis of the TAS revealed the presence of two factors that underlie online teamwork as measured by the TAS (Menchaca & Resta, 2002). The factors were labeled Task Management and Social Interaction. In this study exploratory factor analyses were conducted to examine the constructs that underlie face-to-face teamwork. The TAS was adapted for use with face-to-face teams and a dimension of Trust was added to the TAS scale. Reliability of the scale was calculated and the properties of items within each scale were examined. Convergent and discriminant validity relationships with related constructs of Instrumentality and Expressiveness were assessed by means of correlation analyses. A Social Interaction Model was developed from a Socio-cultural perspective and its fit to the data collected was assessed through path analyses. The model fit the data and the study provided evidence for the validity and reliability of the TAS. Teams were observed while accomplishing their projects and four case studies provided an in depth view of the team dynamics and interactions. The case studies demonstrated that performance in teams relates to the following attributes: positive social interaction shared leadership, personal and task trust, and effective conflict management to keep the team environment positive and productive.Curriculum and Instructio

Advancing Research on Virtual Collaboration

Aunque los entornos virtuales no eran nuevos para algunas organizaciones, cuando llegó la pandemia de COVID-19, casi todas las industrias del mundo comenzaron a emplearlos. Dado que muchas organizaciones y empleados trabajarán de forma remota de forma permanente (o al menos en cierta medida) en el futuro, uno de los desafíos más importantes que enfrentarán las organizaciones es facilitar el desempeño individual y del equipo en entornos virtuales. Los entornos virtuales pueden permitir a las organizaciones maximizar su capital humano y mejorar su conocimiento, recursos, colaboración y creatividad para satisfacer las demandas de sus partes interesadas. Sin embargo, cuando los miembros del equipo utilizan las comunicaciones mediadas por tecnología, se enfrentan a desafíos adicionales que afectan la colaboración y el rendimiento. Por lo tanto, es fundamental comprender los aspectos que contribuyen a la colaboración individual y en equipo en entornos virtuales. El objetivo principal de esta tesis es, por lo tanto, avanzar en la investigación sobre la colaboración virtual. Más específicamente, esta tesis aborda la siguiente pregunta de investigación: ¿Qué factores promueven una colaboración efectiva en un contexto virtual? Para abordar esta pregunta, esta tesis se divide en seis capítulos, de los cuales la parte principal es un compendio de tres ensayos (Capítulos 2, 3 y 4). El primer capítulo de la tesis es la introducción general. El segundo capítulo se centra en factores a nivel individual que permiten la efectividad de la colaboración virtual (género y juicio situacional). El tercer capítulo se centra en factores a nivel de equipo que promueven la eficacia de la colaboración virtual (comportamientos de comunicación virtual del equipo e intercambio de información del equipo). El cuarto capítulo se centra en los factores de nivel diádico que promueven la colaboración virtual efectiva (expectativas interpersonales y perdón por tiempos de respuesta prolongados). Finalmente, el quinto capítulo presenta las conclusiones generales, limitaciones y futuras líneas de investigación. Esta tesis contribuye a la literatura sobre colaboración en entornos virtuales al examinar fenómenos contemporáneos en diferentes niveles de análisis (p. ej., género, equipos de estudiantes cara a cara tradicionales y efectos de falta de respuesta) desde varias perspectivas teóricas y metodológicas. En general, esta tesis proporciona información útil para las personas y los equipos que trabajan en entornos virtuales.Encara que els entorns virtuals no eren nous per a algunes organitzacions, quan va arribar la pandèmia de COVID-19, gairebé totes les indústries del món van començar a fer-los servir. Atès que moltes organitzacions i empleats treballaran de manera remota de manera permanent (o almenys en certa mesura) en el futur, un dels desafiaments més importants que enfrontaran les organitzacions és facilitar l'exercici individual i de l'equip en entorns virtuals. Els entorns virtuals poden permetre a les organitzacions maximitzar el seu capital humà i millorar-ne el coneixement, els recursos, la col·laboració i la creativitat per satisfer les demandes de les seves parts interessades. Tot i això, quan els membres de l'equip utilitzen les comunicacions à través de mitjans tecnològics, s'enfronten a desafiaments addicionals que afecten la col·laboració i el rendiment. Per tant, és fonamental comprendre els aspectes que contribueixen a la col·laboració individual i en equip en entorns virtuals. L'objectiu principal d'aquesta tesi és, doncs, avançar en la investigació sobre la col·laboració virtual. Més específicament, aquesta tesi aborda la pregunta de recerca següent: Quins factors promouen una col·laboració efectiva en un context virtual? Per abordar aquesta pregunta, aquesta tesi es divideix en sis capítols, dels quals la part principal és un compendi de tres assaigs (Capítols 2, 3 i 4). El primer capítol de la tesi és la introducció general. El segon capítol se centra en factors individuals que permeten l'efectivitat de la col·laboració virtual (gènere i judici situacional). El tercer capítol se centra en factors d'equip que promouen l'eficàcia de la col·laboració virtual (comportaments de comunicació virtual de l'equip i intercanvi d'informació de l'equip). El quart capítol se centra en els factors de nivell diàdic que promouen la col·laboració virtual efectiva (expectatives interpersonals i perdó per temps de resposta perllongats). Finalment, el cinquè capítol presenta les conclusions generals, les limitacions i les futures línies de recerca. Aquesta tesi contribueix a la literatura sobre col·laboració en entorns virtuals en examinar fenòmens contemporanis a diferents nivells d'anàlisi (p. ex., gènere, equips d'estudiants cara a cara tradicionals i efectes de manca de resposta) des de diverses perspectives teòriques i metodològiques. En general, aquesta tesi proporciona informació útil per a persones i equips que treballen en entorns virtuals.Although virtual environments were not new to some organizations, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, almost every industry on the globe began employing them. Given that many organizations and employees will work remotely permanently (or at least to some extent) in the future, one of the most significant challenges organizations will face is facilitating individual and team performance in virtual environments. Virtual environments may enable organizations to maximize their human capital and enhance their knowledge, resources, collaboration, and creativity to meet their stakeholder’s demands. Nevertheless, when team members rely on technology-mediated communications, they encounter additional challenges that impact collaboration and performance. Thus, it is critical to understand the aspects that contribute to individual and team collaboration in virtual environments. The main purpose of this thesis is thus to advance research on virtual collaboration. More specifically, this thesis addresses the following overarching research question: What factors promote effective collaboration in a virtual context? To address this question, this thesis is divided into six chapters, of which the main part is a compendium of three essays (Chapters 2, 3, and 4). The first chapter of the thesis is the general introduction. The second chapter focuses on individual-level factors that enable the effectiveness of virtual collaboration (gender and situational judgment). The third chapter focuses on team-level factors that promote virtual collaboration effectiveness (team virtual communication behaviors and team information sharing). The fourth chapter focuses on dyadic-level factors that promote effective virtual collaboration (interpersonal expectations and forgiveness for lengthy response times). Finally, the fifth chapter presents the general conclusions, limitations, and future research directions. This thesis contributes to the literature on collaboration in virtual environments by examining understudied contemporary phenomena at different levels of analysis (e.g., gender, traditional face-to-face student teams, and unresponsiveness effects) from various theoretical and methodological perspectives. Overall, this thesis provides insights helpful to individuals and teams working in virtual environments

Visualizing COVID-19 with data: the effects of individual differences on perception of data in news

Mass media and public health organizations' efforts play a significant role in disseminating information and reducing the morbidity and mortality of infectious disease outbreaks. The vast amount of data generated about the pandemic led to the enormous spread of various data visualizations and infographics. Visuals served as the main tools that helped experts and journalists explain the consequences of the pandemic, communicate the facts, and persuade people to follow safety measures. Current research investigates how various formats of news messages such as data visualization and textual content affect an individual's perception of the message, such as message acceptance (positive attitudes about the message, intentions to follow prevention measures, and self-efficacy measure for behavior change), message rejection measures (defensive avoidance, negative attitudes about the message, reactance, anger) as well as credibility and effectiveness of the message. Political partisanship, need for cognition, and graphicacy were used as moderators. Results have demonstrated that the format of the message does not affect acceptance or rejection of the message, while moderators were significant predictors for dependent variables. The computational textual analysis illustrates the differences in topics between partisan groups where Democrats expressed more hope, positive sentiment, and more trust in vaccination, government, media, and science than independents and Republicans who were more prone to conspiracy theory thinking.Includes bibliographical references

The Role of Individual Board Member Resilience, Professionalization, and Commitment in Predicting Volunteer Intentions Among A Not-For-Profit Board of Directors

The U.S. property management industry, of which community association management is a subset, is valued at $88.4 billion (Roth, 2020). In a volatile industry such as community association management, client retention is critical, and company success lies with the volunteer members of the board of directors. This dissertation investigates the relationship between individual board member resilience, volunteer board members’ organizational commitment, and the impact of these variables on volunteer intention in not-for-profit board of directors in condominium associations. Furthermore, the study investigates the moderating relationship that the perception of professionalization of the community association manager has on resilience and volunteer board member commitment. Results establish that individual board member resilience does in fact have an effect on a board members’ volunteer intention through the mediation of board member affective commitment. Results further establish that individual board member resilience has a positive effect on board member commitment (affective and normative), and affective commitment has a direct effect on volunteer intention. Findings suggest that community association managers (CAM’s) and management firms need to be mindful of these effects and make every attempt to ensure that their relationship with their respective boards are enhanced on an individual level. CAM’s have the ability to impact organizational objectives through the inherent-principal agent relationship. This study adds to the academic literature on resilience within the property management and volunteerism context as well as stewardship theory in nonprofit governance. Managerial implications and future research opportunities are also discussed