Impact of Intellectual Capital on Firm Performance: the Influence of Innovation Capability and Environmental Dynamism

The business values of intellectual capital (IntC) and innovation capability (InnoC) are enduring research questions, especially for high-tech firms. Although each one has been recognized as a critical factor for firm’s competitiveness, few studies discussed the influence of IntC and InnoC on firm performance in one integrated framework. Moreover, the moderating effects of environmental dynamism on IntC or InnoC to firm performance were often neglected. This paper developed a research model to explain IntC’s impact on firm performance, with InnoC as a mediating variable and environmental dynamism as a moderating variable. Using a survey study conducted in high-tech firms in China, we tested the research model and found that InnoC partly mediate the effect of IntC on firm performance. Environmental dynamism moderates the relationship between structural capital, relational capital, InnoC, and operational performance, as well as between structural capital and financial performance

Effects of Supervisors\u27 Technology-Mediated Interruption Behavior on Their Work-Life Balance

Although technology-mediated interruption has received substantial research attention over the past several years, most of the existing research investigates the effects of interruptions only from the perspective of the interrupted person. In this paper, we aim to answer the recent calls for research from the interrupters’ perspective and develop a research model based upon Conservation of Resources (COR) theory and Action Regulation Theory (ART) to explore the effects of supervisors’ technology-mediated interruption behavior. In this model, we propose that supervisors’ technology-mediated interruption behavior leads to information overload and sense of control, which impact work/non-work exhaustion and work/non-work performance, and eventually affect the supervisors’ perception of work-life balance. We also propose that personal characteristics including supervisors’ sense of power and computer experience will moderate the relationships between supervisors’ technology-mediated interruption behavior and information overload/sense of control. We plan to test the proposed research model using experience sampling methodology (ESM)

An Exploratory study of the Video Bloggers’ Community

Video blogs (or vlogs) are a form of blogs where each post is a video. This study explores the community of video bloggers (or vloggers) by studying the community’s structure as well as the motivations and interactions of vloggers in the community. A social network analysis of a list of personal vloggers identifies the community’s structure. Open-ended interviews with core vloggers in the sample provide in-depth understanding on the motivations and interactions of the vloggers. Overall, the results indicate that the vloggers’ community exhibits a core/periphery structure. Such community is formed based upon shared interest and active interaction. In addition, the rich communication provided in vlogs allows for a more personal and intimate interaction, making vlogs a potentially powerful tool for business applications

Word of Mouth Marketing through Online Social Networks

This paper proposes a research agenda for studying factors that may affect marketing effectiveness in the context of online communities. Findings of prior studies are synthesized into a more comprehensive review of the state of the art of research on word of mouth marketing through online social networks. Based on the review, we propose a research model that incorporates both network and individual factors, present the research plan, and discuss the potential implications of the research

The Interaction of Research Methods for System Evaluation and Theory Testing: A New Vision of the Benefits of Multi-Methodological Information Systems Research

A number of multi-methodological Information Systems research frameworks have been proposed to guide research in the IS field. In this paper, we describe a three-year program of research evaluating a computer- based training system for deception detection (Agent99 Trainer) using one such multi-methodological IS framework. The process and results of this research program clearly demonstrate the benefits of combining and triangulating multiple research methods. Moreover, through the experiences in the Agent99 Trainer study, we discover two different types of interactions between the research methods that were applied in this study. One of the interactions is between the results from different methods, while the other is between the results and the methods themselves. Hence, we propose an extended interpretation of multi-methodological IS research frameworks to incorporate these two types of interactions between research methods. We argue that this extended interpretation will provide a more specific explanation for why the triangulation among multiple research methods can provide benefits to IS research

A Systematic Review of Social Networks Research in Information Systems: Building a Foundation for Exciting Future Research

Social networking applications such as blogs, instant messengers, podcasts, social networking websites (e.g., Renren in China, Vkontakte in Russia, Facebook), professional networking websites (e.g., LinkedIn), Twitter, and virtual worlds (e.g., Second Life) have become increasingly popular in the last few years. Because these applications have substantial implications for users, organizations, and society, social networks (SNs) have gained attention from information systems (IS) researchers and grown steadily as a research area since 2004. However, to organize the accumulated research and encourage researchers to examine new and pressing issues in SNs, available knowledge needs to be synthesized and research gaps need to be addressed (Bandara et al., 2011). Therefore, we systematically reviewed publications about SNs published in major IS journals between January 2004 and August 2013 and, in this paper, overview the state of IS research regarding SNs. We show the evolution of the existing IS research on SNs to build a common nomenclature and taxonomy for this area of research, to identify theories used, and to provide a useful roadmap for future research in this area

Virtual Interaction for Effective E-Learning

This research investigates whether information technologies, such as automated question answering (QA), can add interactivity into a multimedia-based e-learning system, as well as how this type of virtual interaction affects the effectiveness of e-learning. Based on a review of multiple learning theories and technologies, an exploratory model for studying the effectiveness of interactive e-learning, Learning with Virtual Mentors (LVM), is proposed and a prototype system is developed to implement the LVM model. A series of studies, including a controlled experiment and surveys, have been conducted to explore the relationships among the core constructs of the LVM model: learning phases, system interactivity, learning activity, and learning outcomes. Findings indicate that virtual interaction positively impacts student behaviors by encouraging students to interact more and increasing student satisfaction with the learning process; however, the correlation between virtual interaction and actual learning performance is limited. Consequently, the LVM model needs to be further explored and developed