Leadership in Action: The Effects of Leader-Member Exchange on Outcomes within Virtual Organizations

Player-founded organizations, or guilds, within massively multiplayer online games (MMOG) are complex social entities with organizational forms that mirror real-world companies. These guilds require leaders who possess a diverse array of skills. Examples of the skills required read like the introductory course of a business management degree – mediating conflict, planning, controlling, motivating. These skills are important - just as with real-world companies, failures on the part of leaders may explain the high degree of guild failures witnessed. The purpose of this purpose of this dissertation is to explore how relationships between leaders and members within this completely computer-mediated and synchronous environment affect member outcomes within guilds. I discuss how an exploratory study informs the choice of leader-member exchange theory to underpin this dissertation, develop a testable model which seeks to explain how relationship quality between leaders and members affects member outcomes as mediated by relational capital and the allocation of resources, and explain how this model will be operationalized and tested

Leadership in MMOGS: Emergent and Transformational Leadership Candidates

Player-founded organizations, or guilds, within massively multiplayer online games (MMOG) are complex social entities with organizational forms that mirror real-world companies. These guilds require leaders who possess a diverse array of skills. Examples of the skills required read like the introductory course of a business management degree – mediating conflict, planning, controlling, motivating. These skills are important - just as with real-world companies, failures on the part of leaders may explain the high degree of guild failures witnessed. Within popular MMOGs, the game mechanics allow the promotion of regular guild members to officer status. This begs the question, how might potential leaders be identified? Drawing from the emergent leadership literature, we discuss a mixed-methods study which attempts to identify potential leaders and their attributes by examining a multi-year database which represents one guild’s activities within the MMOG Everquest. Follow-up interviews with guild leadership provides a rich understanding of skills and attributes potential leaders require in coordinating a heterogeneous workforce within synchronous, non-collocated, entirely computer-mediated environments where the workforce serves on a voluntary basis. These interviews suggest these characteristics related to transformational leadership are highly sought after

Enocuraging Participation: Facilitators and Inhibitors of Virtual World Acceptance

Much of the promise implicit in virtual worlds depends on a critical mass of virtual world users, making it important to understand how to encourage individuals to participate in virtual worlds. Therefore, the objective of this study is to propose an integrative and parsimonious theoretical framework that is specific to virtual world acceptance. As many existing technology acceptance models have been focused primarily on utilitarian technologies, these models may not be sufficient to explain individual acceptance of virtual worlds because of their unique nature; specifically, virtual worlds may be viewed as both hedonic and utilitarian technologies. Based upon the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) and a deep literature review of hedonic influences on acceptance, we parsimoniously identify potential constructs influential in virtual world acceptance by analyzing quantitative and qualitative data using a survey research method designed to elicit feedback from potential adopters. Our proposed model extends UTAUT to include hedonic influences as well as integrating an unexpected finding; acknowledging the role of inhibitors in virtual world acceptance

Collaborative Worlds and Avatar-Based Communication: A Comparison of Virtual Worlds with Traditional Computer-Mediated Communications Media

Interest in virtual worlds from both academic and practitioner perspectives continues to grow. As a relatively new area of research, exploratory efforts to capitalize on and understand this new computer-mediated communications medium have been varied and multi-disciplinary, but also dangerously fragmented. Avatar-based communication distinguishes virtual worlds from traditional communications media and conceptually enables a potentially richer communications medium. Utilizing an integrative theoretical approach drawing from theories of social presence, media richness, media synchronicity, social influence, technology acceptance, and channel expansion, we seek to understand how virtual worlds compare with other communications media. Preliminary results from two phases of a Delphi study with expert participants present interesting findings. While not surprising that face-to-face communications are preferred in a wide variety of situations, what is surprising is that virtual worlds do not appear to be favorably ranked as compared to other leaner traditional communications media. Other results, implications and directions for future research are discussed

Applying Team-Based Learning in Online Introductory Information Systems Courses

Over the last two decades, the academy has experienced a renaissance of diversity in pedagogical techniques with the introduction of experiential learning, active learning, flipping the classroom, and, more recently, team-based learning (TBL). TBL adopts a two-stage process that incorporates individual learning with team collaboration. While frequently implemented in a face-to-face classroom, TBL has received limited attention in the online learning environment where geographically distributed, asynchronous learning poses challenges to its fundamental design. In particular, coordination costs and sequential inter-dependencies within the learning experience create unique challenges to online environments where students use limited communication channels compared to the traditional, face-to-face environments. This teaching tip discusses the authors’ experiences translating the principles of TBL and its learning sequence to an online introductory information systems course. We present instructor observations and qualitative feedback from students as the approach was implemented, including a model that outlines key activities in its implementation. We then conclude with a series of teaching suggestions to fellow academics seeking to adapt TBL to the online environment in their courses

Risk perceptions about personal Internet-of-Things: Research directions from a multi-panel Delphi study

Internet-of-Things (IoT) research has primarily focused on identifying IoT devices\u27 organizational risks with little attention to consumer perceptions about IoT device risks. The purpose of this study is to understand consumer risk perceptions for personal IoT devices and translate these perceptions into guidance for future research directions. We conduct a sequential, mixed-methods study using multi-panel Delphi and thematic analysis techniques to understand consumer risk perceptions. The results identify four themes focused on data exposure and user experiences within IoT devices. Our thematic analysis also identified several emerging risks associated with the evolution of IoT device functionality and its potential positioning as a resource for malicious actors to conduct security attacks

Utilisation of an operative difficulty grading scale for laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Background A reliable system for grading operative difficulty of laparoscopic cholecystectomy would standardise description of findings and reporting of outcomes. The aim of this study was to validate a difficulty grading system (Nassar scale), testing its applicability and consistency in two large prospective datasets. Methods Patient and disease-related variables and 30-day outcomes were identified in two prospective cholecystectomy databases: the multi-centre prospective cohort of 8820 patients from the recent CholeS Study and the single-surgeon series containing 4089 patients. Operative data and patient outcomes were correlated with Nassar operative difficultly scale, using Kendall’s tau for dichotomous variables, or Jonckheere–Terpstra tests for continuous variables. A ROC curve analysis was performed, to quantify the predictive accuracy of the scale for each outcome, with continuous outcomes dichotomised, prior to analysis. Results A higher operative difficulty grade was consistently associated with worse outcomes for the patients in both the reference and CholeS cohorts. The median length of stay increased from 0 to 4 days, and the 30-day complication rate from 7.6 to 24.4% as the difficulty grade increased from 1 to 4/5 (both p < 0.001). In the CholeS cohort, a higher difficulty grade was found to be most strongly associated with conversion to open and 30-day mortality (AUROC = 0.903, 0.822, respectively). On multivariable analysis, the Nassar operative difficultly scale was found to be a significant independent predictor of operative duration, conversion to open surgery, 30-day complications and 30-day reintervention (all p < 0.001). Conclusion We have shown that an operative difficulty scale can standardise the description of operative findings by multiple grades of surgeons to facilitate audit, training assessment and research. It provides a tool for reporting operative findings, disease severity and technical difficulty and can be utilised in future research to reliably compare outcomes according to case mix and intra-operative difficulty

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Prognostic Significance and Gene Expression Profiles of p53 Mutations in Microsatellite-Stable Stage III Colorectal Adenocarcinomas

Although the prognostic value of p53 abnormalities in Stage III microsatellite stable (MSS) colorectal cancers (CRCs) is known, the gene expression profiles specific to the p53 status in the MSS background are not known. Therefore, the current investigation has focused on identification and validation of the gene expression profiles associated with p53 mutant phenotypes in MSS Stage III CRCs. Genomic DNA extracted from 135 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues, was analyzed for microsatellite instability (MSI) and p53 mutations. Further, mRNA samples extracted from five p53-mutant and five p53-wild-type MSS-CRC snap-frozen tissues were profiled for differential gene expression by Affymetrix Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 arrays. Differentially expressed genes were further validated by the high-throughput quantitative nuclease protection assay (qNPA), and confirmed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Survival rates were estimated by Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses. A higher incidence of p53 mutations was found in MSS (58%) than in MSI (30%) phenotypes. Both univariate (log-rank, P = 0.025) and multivariate (hazard ratio, 2.52; 95% confidence interval, 1.25–5.08) analyses have demonstrated that patients with MSS-p53 mutant phenotypes had poor CRC-specific survival when compared to MSS-p53 wild-type phenotypes. Gene expression analyses identified 84 differentially expressed genes. Of 49 down-regulated genes, LPAR6, PDLIM3, and PLAT, and, of 35 up-regulated genes, TRIM29, FUT3, IQGAP3, and SLC6A8 were confirmed by qNPA, qRT-PCR, and IHC platforms. p53 mutations are associated with poor survival of patients with Stage III MSS CRCs and p53-mutant and wild-type phenotypes have distinct gene expression profiles that might be helpful in identifying aggressive subsets

Association of maternal Vitamin D status with glucose tolerance and caesarean section in a multi-ethnic Asian cohort: the growing up in Singapore towards healthy outcomes study

10.1371/journal.pone.0142239PLoS ONE10111-16GUSTO (Growing up towards Healthy Outcomes