Subgroup Formation in Teams Working with Robots

Teams are increasingly adopting robots to accomplish their work. Despite this, more research is needed to understand what makes these teams effective. One such topic not fully explored is the formation of subgroups in teams that work with robots. We conducted a pilot study to explore this topic. The study examined 15 teams of 2 people, each team member working with a robot to accomplish a team task. Results of the pilot study showed that subgroups formed between humans and their robots were negatively correlated with various team outcomes. Although our results are preliminary, we believe our findings can initiate future research on the topic of subgroup formation in teams working with robots.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/111882/1/Robert and You 2015 WIP.pd

Healthy Divide or Detrimental Division? Subgroups in Virtual Teams

Subgroup formation, the emergence of smaller groups within teams, has been found to be detrimental to teamwork in virtual teams. Recently, however, an alternative view of the effects of subgroup formation proposes that the formation of subgroups is not always bad. When subgroups are based on identity characteristics like race and gender they are likely to have negative effects, but when they are not, subgroups can have positive effects on teamwork. This paper empirically examines this proposition. Results of our study generally support the proposed assertion. When subgroups are not based on race or gender they are positively associated with perceptions of social integration and open communication. However, when they are based on race and gender they are negatively associated with perceptions of social integration and open communication. The implications of this study demonstrate that subgroups may in many cases be beneficial rather than detrimental to virtual teams.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/111876/1/A Healthy Divide or Detrimental Division JCIS Forthcoming (Posted to Deep Blue and Research Gate).pdfDescription of A Healthy Divide or Detrimental Division JCIS Forthcoming (Posted to Deep Blue and Research Gate).pdf : Main Articl

Far but Near or Near but Far?: The Effects of Perceived Distance on the Relationship between Geographic Dispersion and Perceived Diversity

Geographic dispersion has been proposed as one means to promote cooperation and coordination in teams high in perceived diversity. However, research has found mixed support for this assertion. This study proposes that the inclusion of perceived distance helps to explain these mixed results. To test this assertion, we examined 121 teams—62 collocated and 59 geographically dispersed. Results demonstrate that perceived distance explains when geographic dispersion benefits teams high in perceived diversity. Results also indicate that the type of perceived diversity matters (surface-level vs. deep-level diversity). This study contributes to our understanding of distance and diversity in teams.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/116792/1/paper2483 (Final Submission).pdfDescription of paper2483 (Final Submission).pdf : Main Articl

A Multi-level Analysis of the Impact of Shared Leadership in Diverse Virtual Teams

Although, organizations are using more virtual teams to accomplish work, they are finding it difficult to use traditional forms of leadership to manage these teams. Many organizations are encouraging a shared leadership approach over the traditional individual leader. Yet, there have been only a few empirical studies directly examining the effectiveness of such an approach and none have taken into account the team diversity. To address this gap, this paper reports the results of an empirical examination of the impacts of shared leadership in virtual teams. Results confirm the proposed research model. The impacts of shared leadership are multilevel and vary by race and gender. In addition, while shared leadership promotes team satisfaction despite prior assumptions, it actually reduces rather than increases team performance.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/116270/1/Robert 2013.pd

Subgroup Formation in Human-Robot Teams

Subgroup formation is vital in understanding teamwork. It was not clear whether subgroup formation takes place in human-robot teams and what the implications of the subgroups might be for the team’s success. Therefore, we conducted an experiment with 44 teams of two people and two robots, where each team member worked with a robot to accomplish a team task. We found that subgroups were formed when team members identified with their robots and were inhibited when they identified with their team as a whole. Robot identification and team identification moderated the negative impacts of subgroup formation on teamwork quality and subsequent team performance

Fortifying the Algorithmic Management Provisions in the Proposed Platform Work Directive

The European Commission proposed a Directive on Platform Work at the end of 2021. While much attention has been placed on its effort to address misclassification of the employed as self-employed, it also contains ambitious provisions for the regulation of the algorithmic management prevalent on these platforms. Overall, these provisions are well-drafted, yet they require extra scrutiny in light of the fierce lobbying and resistance they will likely encounter in the legislative process, in implementation and in enforcement. In this article, we place the proposal in its sociotechnical context, drawing upon wide cross-disciplinary scholarship to identify a range of tensions, potential misinterpretations, and perversions that should be pre-empted and guarded against at the earliest possible stage. These include improvements to ex ante and ex post algorithmic transparency; identifying and strengthening the standard against which human reviewers of algorithmic decisions review; anticipating challenges of representation and organising in complex platform contexts; creating realistic ambitions for digital worker communication channels; and accountably monitoring and evaluating impacts on workers while limiting data collection. We encourage legislators and regulators at both European and national levels to act to fortify these provisions in the negotiation of the Directive, its potential transposition, and in its enforcement

Fortifying the algorithmic management provisions in the proposed Platform Work Directive

The European Commission proposed a Directive on Platform Work at the end of 2021. While much attention has been placed on its effort to address misclassification of the employed as self-employed, it also contains ambitious provisions for the regulation of the algorithmic management prevalent on these platforms. Overall, these provisions are well-drafted, yet they require extra scrutiny in light of the fierce lobbying and resistance they will likely encounter in the legislative process, in implementation and in enforcement. In this article, we place the proposal in its sociotechnical context, drawing upon wide cross-disciplinary scholarship to identify a range of tensions, potential misinterpretations, and perversions that should be pre-empted and guarded against at the earliest possible stage. These include improvements to ex ante and ex post algorithmic transparency; identifying and strengthening the standard against which human reviewers of algorithmic decisions review; anticipating challenges of representation and organising in complex platform contexts; creating realistic ambitions for digital worker communication channels; and accountably monitoring and evaluating impacts on workers while limiting data collection. We encourage legislators and regulators at both European and national levels to act to fortify these provisions in the negotiation of the Directive, its potential transposition, and in its enforcement

Disaggregating the Impacts of Virtuality on Team Identification

Team identification is an important predictor of team success. As teams become more virtual, team identification is expected to become more important. Yet, the dimensions of virtuality such as geographic dispersion, reliance on electronic communications and diversity in team membership can undermine team identification. To better understand the impact of virtuality, the authors conducted a study with 248 employees in 55 teams to examine the complex and codependent effects of virtuality. Result indicate that although geographic dispersion and perceived differences can undermine team identification, reliance on electronic communications increases team identification and weakens the negative relationship between perceived differences and team identification.National Science Foundation Grant CHS-1617820Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138817/4/Robert and You 2018https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138817/1/Old VersionDescription of Robert and You 2018 : Accepted VersionDescription of Old Version : Old Versio

Mapping design spaces for audience participation in game live streaming

Live streaming sites such as Twitch offer new ways for remote audiences to engage with and affect gameplay. While research has considered how audiences interact with games, HCI lacks clear demarcations of the potential design spaces for audience participation. This paper introduces and validates a theme map of audience participation in game live streaming for student designers. This map is a lens that reveals relationships among themes and sub-themes of Agency, Pacing, and Community-to explore, reflect upon, describe, and make sense of emerging, complex design spaces. We are the first to articulate such a lens, and to provide a reflective tool to support future research and education. To create the map, we perform a thematic analysis of design process documents of a course on audience participation for Twitch, using this analysis to visually coordinate relationships between important themes. To help student designers analyze and reflect on existing experiences, we supplement the theme map with a set of mapping procedures. We validate the applicability of our map with a second set of student designers, who found the map useful as a comparative and reflective tool

TEAM DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT IN SPORTS: the phenomenon of ethnic subgrouping problems and real cases analysis

Globalization is nowadays a pervading phenomenon in our society. Consequently, people from all cultures and places migrate in order to find better living and working opportunities. This causes a cultural mix present in basically every group, neighborhood and city around the world. This diversity, in terms of culture, languages, sex and age, needs to be managed properly in order to give proper and efficient results both for the people and the organisations. The diversity just mentioned is even more present in the sport sector, where results are measured in terms of performance and wins, thus it is an aspect to be looked at carefully. Among groups, subgroups are naturally to be formed, even more if they're driven by cultural or social reasons, namely "cliques". This work aim at investigate and interprete causes and consequences of the formation of ethnic subgroups within the teams through a literature review and some real cases, presented through a qualitative analysis