The Rise of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations: Coordination and Growth within Cryptocurrencies

The rise of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin is driving a paradigm shift in organization design. Their underlying blockchain technology enables a novel form of organizing, which I call the “decentralized autonomous organization” (DAO). This study explores how tasks are coordinated within DAOs that provide decentralized and open payment systems that do not rely on centralized intermediaries (e.g., banks). Guided by a Bitcoin pilot case study followed by a three-stage research design that uses both qualitative and quantitative data, this inductive study examines twenty DAOs in the cryptocurrency industry to address the following question: How are DAOs coordinated to enable growth? Results from the pilot study suggest that task coordination within DAOs is enabled by distributed consensus mechanisms at various levels. Further, findings from interview data reveal that DAOs coordinate tasks through “machine consensus” and “social consensus” mechanisms that operate at varying degrees of decentralization. Subsequent fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analyses (fsQCA), explaining when DAOs grow or decline, show that social consensus mechanisms can partially substitute machine consensus mechanisms in less decentralized DAOs. Taken together, the results unpack how DAO growth relies on the interplay between machine consensus, social consensus, and decentralization mechanisms. To conclude, I formulate three propositions to outline a theory of DAO coordination and discuss how this novel form of organizing calls for a revision of our conventional understanding of task coordination and organizational growth

Reorganization and Participation in Decentralized Platform Ecosystems: Evidence from Blockchain Forking

Like any organizational system, platform ecosystems reorganize to update its alignment with the internal and external environments. However, unlike reorganizations of centrally managed platforms performed by the owners, reorganizations of decentralized platforms ecosystems do not rely on formal authority. Instead, the network self-reorganizes to renew the structure, rules, and information to evolve. Little is known about how self-reorganizations influence the participation of various types of networks. In this study, we investigate nine reorganization events on Ethereum, a blockchain-based decentralized smart contract platform, to unpack how self-reorganization related to hard forking influence participation in the development, validation, transaction, and complementor networks. We find that, while participation increases across all networks show a small increase after hard forking events, more complex dynamics are at play within each network that builds on delicate trade-offs between participation structure, configuration, and incentives. Our findings have implications for blockchain research as well as for start-ups building decentralized applications on top of decentralized smart contract platforms

Bitcoin and the Rise of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations

Bitcoin represents the first real-world implementation of a “decentralized autonomous organization” (DAO) and offers a new paradigm for organization design. Imagine working for a global business organization whose routine tasks are powered by a software protocol instead of being governed by managers and employees. Task assignments and rewards are randomized by the algorithm. Information is not channelled through a hierarchy but recorded transparently and securely on an immutable public ledger called “blockchain”. Further, the organization decides on design and strategy changes through a democratic voting process involving a previously unseen class of stakeholders called “miners”. Agreements need to be reached at the organizational level for any proposed protocol changes to be approved and activated. How do DAOs solve the universal problem of organizing with such novel solutions? What are the implications? We use Bitcoin as an example to shed light on how a DAO works in the cryptocurrency industry, where it provides a peer-to-peer, decentralized and disintermediated payment system that can compete against traditional financial institutions. We also invite commentaries from renowned organization scholars to share their views on this intriguing phenomenon

The Potential Benefits of Taking Introduction to Art for Non-Art Major College Students

This research was conducted to discern the potential benefits for non-art majors taking a general art course based on the perspectives of both discipline-based art education (DBAE) and visual culture and art education (VCAE). The research also attempted to ascertain the impact of DBAE and VCAE on the students. DBAE considers art an indispensable part of general education and supports a broad educational mission that promotes building minds and cultivating problem solving, VCAE stresses “meaning making” and active learning. This study demonstrated how the goals or objectives of art education promoted by both DBAE and VCAE are beneficial and crucial for the development of college students. A survey questionnaire was used to obtain qualitative data related to students’ learning outcomes. The researcher first identified the themes prominent in both DBAE and VCAE and then translated those themes into survey items. This study was conducted on the campuses of one college and one university in the southern district of Taiwan. Both are technology schools and award bachelor degrees. After data were cleaned, there were 189 valid questionnaires. In addition, textbooks frequently used by art educators to teach Introduction to Art were analyzed. This research concluded that student participants have benefited from most of the learning outcomes. Based on their answers to the closed-ended questions, students benefited equally from DBAE and VCAE themes. But in responses to the open-ended questions, participants acknowledged more benefits from DBAE outcomes than from VCAE outcomes

Electrophysiological Characterization of SecA-dependent Protein-conducting Channel

Sec translocon is the major machinery for protein translocation in E.coli including SecYEG, SecA and other Sec proteins. It is generally assumed that during translocation process, SecYEG serves as a protein-conducting channel and transports the protein across membranes by using SecA ATPase as driving force. However, previous work suggested that protein translocation can occur without SecYEG. In order to understand the role of SecA in this SecYEG-independent process, we use voltage clamp recording as a tool to study the ionic activity of SecA-dependent protein-conducting channel. In a major deviation from the conventional view, we found that SecA alone is sufficient to promote the channel activity with liposomes made of E.coli phospholipids in both whole cell recording in the oocytes and in the single channel recording with patch clamp. The activity is strictly dependent on the presence of functional SecA, including those from different species of bacteria. However, this SecA-alone dependent channel activity is less efficient compared to the membranes containing SecYEG. Furthermore, the channel activity loses the signal peptide specificity. Addition of purified SecYEG restores the signal peptide specificity as well as the efficiency. This channel activity is more sensitive to SecA-specific inhibitors compared with membranes containing wild-type SecYEG but is less sensitive to membranes containing suppressor proteins. This is the first time it has been shown that SecA binds to lipid low-affinity site and functions as a protein-conducting channel. To further characterize the structural roles of SecA as the core of the channel, we use several SecA variants to reconstitute with liposomes to determine the domains involved in forming functional channels. Using deletion truncated domains of 901 residues SecA and liposomes in the oocytes recordings, we identify two critical SecA domains for the formation of pore channel activity: with phospholipids alone, and for interacting with SecYEG to gain higher activity. These data provide fundamental understanding for the SecA-dependent protein –conducting channels. Our findings also suggest the possible evolution process on the protein translocation pathways from prokaryotes through eukaryotes

A Model, Volunteer, Student Service-Learning Program for Holy Savior High School

A model, volunteer, student service-learning program was developed for Holy Savior High School, Tienchung, Taiwan. The program was designed to be implemented during the everyday life of the school and curriculum, as well as for after school hours in the community. Five (5) specific student service-learning activities and projects were developed and designed for implementation: 1) Environmental Beautification. 2) Service to the Poor. 3) Service to Senior Citizens. 4) Service to Delinquent Youths. 5) Christmas Garden Fair. Development of the model program was influenced by a review of current literature and student service-learning information obtained from selected schools