Squeezed in the Middle: The Middle Status Trade Creativity for Focus

Classical research on social influence suggested that people are the most conforming in the middle of a status hierarchy as opposed to the top or bottom. Yet, this promising line of research was abandoned before the psychological mechanism behind middle status conformity had been identified. Moving beyond the early focus on conformity, we propose that the threat of status loss may make those with middle status more wary of advancing creative solutions in fear that they will be evaluated negatively. Using different manipulations of status and measures of creativity, we found that when being evaluated, middle status individuals were less creative than either high status or low status individuals (Studies 1 & 2). In addition, we found that anxiety at the prospect of status loss also caused individuals with middle status to narrow their focus of attention and to think more convergently (Study 3). We delineate the consequences of power and status both theoretically and empirically by showing that, unlike status, the relationship between power and creativity is positive and linear (Study 4). By both measuring status (Studies 2 & 3) and by manipulating it directly (Study 5), we demonstrate that the threat of status loss explains the consequences of middle status. Finally, we discuss the theoretical implications of our results for future research on status and problem solving on tasks that require either focus or flexibility

The influence of national culture on the attitude towards mobile recommender systems

This is the post-print version of the final paper published in Technological Forecasting and Social Change. The published article is available from the link below. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. Copyright @ 2013 Elsevier B.V.This study aimed to identify factors that influence user attitudes towards mobile recommender systems and to examine how these factors interact with cultural values to affect attitudes towards this technology. Based on the theory of reasoned action, belief factors for mobile recommender systems are identified in three dimensions: functional, contextual, and social. Hypotheses explaining different impacts of cultural values on the factors affecting attitudes were also proposed. The research model was tested based on data collected in China, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. Findings indicate that functional and social factors have significant impacts on user attitudes towards mobile recommender systems. The relationships between belief factors and attitudes are moderated by two cultural values: collectivism and uncertainty avoidance. The theoretical and practical implications of applying theory of reasoned action and innovation diffusion theory to explain the adoption of new technologies in societies with different cultures are also discussed.National Research Foundation of Korea Grant funded by the Korean governmen

The Effects of Self-Reinforcing Mechanisms on Firm Performance

This study empirically investigates the influence of the market-bound (i.e., interaction and network effects) on the firm-bound (i.e., scale and learning effects) self-reinforcing mechanisms, and their combined effect on product and organizational performance. The findings from a sample of 257 manufacturing firms reveal that interaction effects have a positive effect on network effects. Network effects have a positive impact on the potential for firms to realize scale and learning effects, which in turn, is positively related to their actual realization of these effects. The actual realization of scale and learning effects has a positive effect on product performance, which in turn positively influences organizational performance. These effects are robust across industries and provide ample opportunities for future research.management;economics;increasing returns;self-reinforcing mechanisms

Analysing teamwork in higher education: an empirical study on the antecedents and consequences of team cohesiveness

Uno de los factores más importantes del trabajo en equipo es la cohesión entre sus miembros. Sin embargo, escasos trabajos analizan sus antecedentes y consecuencias. El presente estudio utiliza el modelo Input-Process-Output para analizar el impacto de factores individuales y de la tarea sobre la cohesión del equipo, así como la influencia de la cohesión del equipo sobre la eficacia del mismo. En base a una encuesta a 160 alumnos que realizaron trabajos en grupo, los resultados muestran que el grado de cooperación y el comportamiento colaborativo tienen una influencia positiva en la cohesión del equipo, mientras que la carga de trabajo y la complejidad de la tarea tienen una influencia negativa en la misma. Además, la cohesión del equipo influye positivamente en el aprendizaje percibido, la satisfacción con el trabajo en equipo y la calidad esperada. Finalmente, tanto el aprendizaje percibido como la calidad esperada predicen la satisfacción con el trabajo en equipo.One of the most important components of effective teamwork is cohesiveness. However, few empirical studies on the antecedents and consequences of group cohesiveness exist. In response to this gap, the current study draws on the Input-Process-Output model of team effectiveness to investigate the impact of individual and task factors on team cohesiveness, as well as the influence of team cohesiveness on students’ perceived learning, satisfaction with teamwork, and expected quality in the outcome. Based on a survey of 160 undergraduate students who worked in groups, the findings show that cooperativeness and collaborative behaviour have a positive influence on team cohesiveness, while workload and task complexity have a negative influence on it. Additionally, team cohesiveness is positively related to perceived learning, satisfaction with teamwork, and expected quality. Finally, both perceived learning and expected quality predict satisfaction with teamwork

Exploring the Trust Gap: Dimensions and Predictors of Trust Among Labor and Management Representatives

Existing literature on interpersonal trust in work relationships has largely focused on trust as an independent variable. This study examined trust as a dependent variable by investigating its dimensions and predictors. Four dimensions of trust were hypothesized: open communication, informal agreement, task reliance, and surveillance. A survey measure of willingness to trust was developed. Confirmatory factor analysis using data from 305 management representatives and 293 labor representatives showed the convergent and discriminant validity of the measure. Fishbein and Ajzen\u27s theory of reasoned action served as the theoretical basis for a model of the predictors of trust. Regression analyses found that the past trustworthiness of the focal person and the attitude toward trusting the focal person were the most important predictors. Implications for research and practice are discussed

The Influence of Trust and subjective Norms on Citizens’ Intentions to Engage in E-participation on E-government Websites

Advancements in web technology have revolutionised the way citizens interact with governments. Unlike traditional methods of communication between citizens and governments, e-participation via e-government websites enhances communication and enables citizens to become actively involved in the policy-making process. Despite the growing importance of e-participation, the potential factors influencing citizens’ engagement in e-participation have not yet been investigated. Using responses obtained from Saudi citizens, this study examines a number of factors that may influence the intentions of citizens to engage in e-participation activities on e-government websites. The results suggest that the factors of trust and subjective norms have a significant impact on citizens’ intentions to engage in e-participation activities

User participation intention and social influence in virtual communities

A virtual community ("VC") is a group of people who interact primarily via IT, rather than face-to-face, for informational, social, professional, educational or other purposes. Given the growing popularity and special features of VCs (user-generated contents, virtual social interaction and voluntary participation), this dissertation intends to understand two user behaviors: users' continuance intention to participate and consumer purchase decision. The dissertation consists of three studies. Study 1 focuses on how the quality of user-generated contents and system performance impact users' continuance intention to participate in information-exchange VCs. In particular, this study investigates VC quality from a multi-dimensional perspective. As an extension of Study 1, Study 2 examines the role of users' past behavior on future participation intention. The objective of Study 3 is to understand the role of user-generated contents, namely, user reviews, and system performance in consumer decision-making outcomes in the context of transaction-based VCs. This study differentiates types of social influence developed from user reviews and investigates their sources and impacts on consumer purchase decision and system evaluation. The model also incorporates two individual characteristics to understand consumer differences in the formation of social influence. This dissertation intends to contribute to the IS literature on user behaviors in VCs and the value of VCs. It provides meaningful insights for VC design and management

eWOM & Referrals in Social Network Services

If a few decades ago the development of the Internet was instrumental in the interconnection between markets, nowadays the services provided by Web 2.0, such as social network sites (SNS) are the cutting edge. A proof of this trend is the exponential growth of social network users. The main objective of this work is to explore the mechanisms that promote the transmission and reception (WOM and referrals) of online opinions, in the context of the SNS, by buyers of travel services. The research includes some research lines: technology acceptance model (TAM), Social Identification Theory and Word-of-Mouth communication in virtual environment (eWOM). Based on these theories an explicative model has been proposed applying SEM analysis to a sample of SNS users’ of tourist service buyers. The results support the majority of the hypotheses and some relevant practical and theoretical implications have been pointed out for tourist managers