Class Participation in Online Learning Environments - The Role of the Psychological Contract in Determining Use of Computer Mediated Communication

Online educational offerings are becoming increasingly commonplace. At the same time, relatively little is understood about the factors contributing to students’ participation in computer-mediated communication (CMC) in such environments, which ultimately affects student satisfaction with the online learning experience. In this paper, I propose a model that examines the relationship between an individual’s psychological contract and CMC contributions. Individual differences and course structure are proposed to influence the development of the psychological contract. Felt social presence is proposed to mediate the relationship between the psychological contract and CMC contributions, while social influence moderates the relationship. Implications for research and practice arising from the theoretical model are also discussed

Problems, What Problems? An Examination of the Interactive Relationship of Technology Difficulties and Political Efficacy on Job Satisfaction

We examined the interactive relationship between perceived technology difficulties and political efficacy on employees’ job satisfaction. Technology difficulties refer to the inabilities to maximize usage of the technology. The sample consisted of 325 individuals employed in a wide range of work environments. We hypothesized that political efficacy, which we define as success at achieving outcomes by influencing others, would minimize the harmful effects of technology difficulties on employees’ job satisfaction. Results strongly support our hypothesis. Specifically, individuals with low levels of political efficacy reported lower levels of job satisfaction as technology difficulties increased. Further, job satisfaction increased for high political efficacy individuals as technology difficulties increased. Implications of these results, strengths and limitations of this research, and directions for future research are offered