Wearable Bluetooth Sensors for Capturing Relational Variables and Temporal Variability in Relationships: A Construct Validation Study

The advent of wearable sensor technologies has the potential to transform organizational research by offering the unprecedented opportunity to collect continuous, objective, highly granular data over extended time periods. Recent evidence has demonstrated the potential utility of Bluetooth-enabled sensors, specifically, in identifying emergent networks via colocation signals in highly controlled contexts with known distances and groups. Although there is proof of concept that wearable Bluetooth sensors may be able to contribute to organizational research in highly controlled contexts, to date there has been no explicit psychometric construct validation effort dedicated to these sensors in field settings. Thus, the two studies described here represent the first attempt to formally evaluate longitudinalBluetooth data streams generated in field settings, testing their ability to (a) show convergent validity with respect to traditional self-reports of relational data; (b) display discriminant validitywith respect to qualitative differences in the nature of alternative relationships (i.e., advice vs. friendship); (c) document predictive validity with respect to performance; (d) decompose variance in network-related measures into meaningful within- and between-unit variability over time; and (e) complement retrospective self-reports of time spent with different groups where there is a “ground truth” criterion. Our results provide insights into the validity of Bluetooth signals with respect to capturing variables traditionally studied in organizational science and highlight how the continuous data collection capabilities made possible by wearable sensors can advance research far beyond that of the static perspectives imposed by traditional data collection strategies

The Promise and Perils of Wearable Sensors in Organizational Research

Rapid advances in mobile computing technology have the potential to revolutionize organizational research by facilitating new methods of data collection. The emergence of wearable electronic sensors in particular harbors the promise of making the large-scale collection of high-resolution data related to human interactions and social behavior economically viable. Popular press and practitioner-oriented research outlets have begun to tout the game-changing potential of wearable sensors for both researchers and practitioners. We systematically examine the utility of current wearable sensor technology for capturing behavioral constructs at the individual and team levels. In the process, we provide a model for performing validation work in this new domain of measurement. Our findings highlight the need for organizational researchers to take an active role in the development of wearable sensor systems to ensure that the measures derived from these devices and sensors allow us to leverage and extend the extant knowledge base. We also offer a caution regarding the potential sources of error arising from wearable sensors in behavioral research

Networks, knowledge, and knowledge networks: A critical review and research agenda

International audienceA large and growing body of empirical research shows that social relationships and the networks these relationships constitute are influential in explaining the processes of knowledge creation, diffusion, absorption, and use. The authors refer to such networks as "knowledge networks." They advance an understanding of knowledge networks at multiple levels by conducting a systematic review and analysis of empirical research published on this topic in leading management, psychology, sociology, and economics journals. The authors develop a comprehensive framework that organizes the knowledge networks literature, which they use to review extant empirical research within and across multiple disciplines and levels of analysis. They identify points of coherence and conflict in theoretical arguments and empirical results within and across levels and identify emerging themes and promising areas for future research

Wearable Bluetooth Sensors for Capturing Relational Variables and Temporal Variability in Relationships: A Construct Validation Study

The advent of wearable sensor technologies has the potential to transform organizational research by offering the unprecedented opportunity to collect continuous, objective, highly granular data over extended time periods. Recent evidence has demonstrated the potential utility of Bluetooth-enabled sensors, specifically, in identifying emergent networks via colocation signals in highly controlled contexts with known distances and groups. Although there is proof of concept that wearable Bluetooth sensors may be able to contribute to organizational research in highly controlled contexts, to date there has been no explicit psychometric construct validation effort dedicated to these sensors in field settings. Thus, the two studies described here represent the first attempt to formally evaluate longitudinalBluetooth data streams generated in field settings, testing their ability to (a) show convergent validity with respect to traditional self-reports of relational data; (b) display discriminant validitywith respect to qualitative differences in the nature of alternative relationships (i.e., advice vs. friendship); (c) document predictive validity with respect to performance; (d) decompose variance in network-related measures into meaningful within- and between-unit variability over time; and (e) complement retrospective self-reports of time spent with different groups where there is a “ground truth” criterion. Our results provide insights into the validity of Bluetooth signals with respect to capturing variables traditionally studied in organizational science and highlight how the continuous data collection capabilities made possible by wearable sensors can advance research far beyond that of the static perspectives imposed by traditional data collection strategies.This article is published as Matusik, J. G., Heidl, R., Hollenbeck, J. R., Yu, A., Lee, H. W., & Howe, M. (2019). Wearable bluetooth sensors for capturing relational variables and temporal variability in relationships: A construct validation study. Journal of Applied Psychology, 104(3), 357-387. Doi: 10.1037/apl0000334. Posted with permission. </p

When discretionary boundary spanning relationships cease becoming discretionary: The impact of closed ties on informal leadership perceptions.

Organizations have recognized that effective informal leadership is a source of competitive advantage and invest heavily in leadership development efforts. Moreover, because of historical shifts in the nature of work, this informal leadership often takes the form of inter-unit boundary spanning. Because of these two developments, discretionary boundary spanning (DBS) between units has increasingly become a critical, dynamic, bottom-up activity where individuals lacking formal authority step up and take on informal leadership responsibilities. In this study, we draw upon Simmelian Tie Theory (STT) to examine the relationship between different types of DBS and formal leaders’ perceptions of a subordinate’s informal leadership and performance. We empirically document that a small number of closed task-oriented and closed friendship-oriented DBSs are instrumental in helping individuals demonstrate informal leadership. However, we also show that DBS places constraints on informal leadership when closed ties become too numerous. This results in an inverted-U relationship between the number of closed DBS ties and perceptions of leadership where the apex (i.e., point of over-embeddedness) emerges at a smaller number for friendship-oriented DBS relative to the apex for task-oriented DBSs. We discuss the theoretical implications of these results, as well as the practical implications for managers of organizations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)This accepted article is published as Guo, Z. (A.), Heidl, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Yu, A., & Howe, M. (2021). When discretionary boundary spanning relationships cease becoming discretionary: The impact of closed ties on informal leadership perceptions. Journal of Applied Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000911. Posted with permission

The Promise and Perils of Wearable Sensors in Organizational Research

Rapid advances in mobile computing technology have the potential to revolutionize organizational research by facilitating new methods of data collection. The emergence of wearable electronic sensors in particular harbors the promise of making the large-scale collection of high-resolution data related to human interactions and social behavior economically viable. Popular press and practitioner-oriented research outlets have begun to tout the game-changing potential of wearable sensors for both researchers and practitioners. We systematically examine the utility of current wearable sensor technology for capturing behavioral constructs at the individual and team levels. In the process, we provide a model for performing validation work in this new domain of measurement. Our findings highlight the need for organizational researchers to take an active role in the development of wearable sensor systems to ensure that the measures derived from these devices and sensors allow us to leverage and extend the extant knowledge base. We also offer a caution regarding the potential sources of error arising from wearable sensors in behavioral research.This is a manuscript of an article from Organizational Research Methods, Nov 2015; 1-29. doi: 10.1177/1094428115617004. Posted with permission.</p