Exploring key determinants of virtual worlds \ud business success based on users' experience and\ud perception

Given the growth and popularity of virtual worlds, companies have a\ud strong interest in presenting themselves successfully in virtual worlds. We\ud designed an experimental study to identify the key determinants of virtual worlds\ud business success based on users’ experience and perception. The preliminary\ud results indicate that Starbucks, McDonalds, and Paris are the 3 most favorite sites.\ud Furthermore, 5 key determinants (entertainment, functionality, interactivity,\ud reality, and sociality) of business success in virtual worlds are identified in this\ud study. We conclude the practical and theoretical implications of the findings of\ud this study.\u

Relating Organizational Politics to Social Networks and Individual Performance:An Empirical Study of a Chinese Manufacturer

Although the recognition of organizational and human resource related processes as inherently social has long been recognized and studied, they are often not studied together. Given the social processes that directly and significantly predict the formation of social networks, our understanding of these areas is underdeveloped. Therefore, a research model is proposed in this study to relate organizational politics to social networks and individual-level performance. A total of 78 usable responses were collected from on-site surveys conducted in a small-sized Chinese manufacturer in Shanghai, a subsidiary of Shanghai Precision & Scientific Instrument Co., Ltd (SPSIC). The data was analyzed to examine hypothesized relationships using AMOS 22. Results demonstrated that all hypothesized relationships were supported. This study contributes to the social networks literature as well as provides practical guidance to business managers