UNDERSTANDING THE ADAPTIVE USE OF IT CAPABILITIES AND DEVELOPMENT OF SHARED MENTAL MODELS IN VIRTUAL TEAMS

Virtual teams (VT) consist of people who rely on information technology (IT) capabilities to interact and work from different geographic locations to accomplish explicit team goals. The virtual team has become an important building block in organizations to fulfill such purposes as generating new knowledge, managing a project, and delivering customer services. However, virtual teams continue to present many challenges to organizations. Developing shared mental models (SMM), which are team members’ shared understanding about key elements of the team’s environment, is one of the most significant challenges facing virtual teams. Despite the critical importance of IT in virtual teams, no study has empirically examined how virtual teams’ adaptive use of IT capabilities will influence the development of SMM in virtual teams. Drawing on theories from shared mental models and technology use research, this dissertation examines the interplay between the adaptive use of IT capabilities (AUITC) and the development of shared mental models in virtual teams. Using multiple longitudinal case studies within an educational setting, this dissertation examines this interplay relationship in detail through within-case analysis and cross-case analysis. Overall, study results showed that the degree to which virtual teams’ shared mental models converge is affected by the three dimensions of IT capabilities adaptive use: inclusiveness, usage experience, and fit. The findings suggest that managers of virtual teams should 1) encourage teams’ inclusive use of IT capabilities, 2) build an open and innovative culture, 3) choose knowledgeable, proactive, and responsible team leaders, 4) introduce technologies to support VTs that are compatible across heterogeneous platforms, and 5) set up clear team expectations about IT capabilities. Based on the results of this study, further research is provided. Virtual teams (VT) consist of people who rely on information technology (IT) capabilities to interact and work from different geographic locations to accomplish explicit team goals. The virtual team has become an important building block in organizations to fulfill such purposes as generating new knowledge, managing a project, and delivering customer services. However, virtual teams continue to present many challenges to organizations. Developing shared mental models (SMM), which are team members’ shared understanding about key elements of the team’s environment, is one of the most significant challenges facing virtual teams. Despite the critical importance of IT in virtual teams, no study has empirically examined how virtual teams’ adaptive use of IT capabilities will influence the development of SMM in virtual teams. Drawing on theories from shared mental models and technology use research, this dissertation examines the interplay between the adaptive use of IT capabilities (AUITC) and the development of shared mental models in virtual teams. Using multiple longitudinal case studies within an educational setting, this dissertation examines this interplay relationship in detail through within-case analysis and cross-case analysis. Overall, study results showed that the degree to which virtual teams’ shared mental models converge is affected by the three dimensions of IT capabilities adaptive use: inclusiveness, usage experience, and fit. The findings suggest that managers of virtual teams should 1) encourage teams’ inclusive use of IT capabilities, 2) build an open and innovative culture, 3) choose knowledgeable, proactive, and responsible team leaders, 4) introduce technologiestosupportVTsthatarecompatibleacrossheterogeneousplatforms, and 5) set up clear team expectations about IT capabilities. Based on theresults of this study, further research is provided

Using Embedded Mixed Methods in Studying IS Phenomena: Risks and Practical Remedies with an Illustration

Drawing on lessons learned from a mixed-methods research project, we illustrate how mixed research approaches are fruitful in studying the complexities and interactions inherent in IS phenomena, which is particularly relevant when one investigates relatively new and “messy” phenomena in that many opportunities for errors and omissions can arise. Mixed-methods research designs can also prove to be valuable in exploratory or new areas of research and provide empirical evidence from multiple sources and types of data that one can truly triangulate. In this paper, we discuss the risks associated with using a specific mixed-methods research strategy (i.e., embedded mixed-methods design) and the practical remedies we used to address them. This discussion provides operational guidance to researchers interested in adopting mixed research designs to study emergent IS phenomena

An Exploratory Study of the Impact of IT Capabilities Adaptation on Shared Mental Models Similarity

Developing an effective IT use strategy to achieve its potential is a central concern in organizations. As teams are essential in accomplishing projects and tasks, it becomes relevant to understand the nature of IT use by teams. In this study, we propose a new term, IT capabilities adaptation (ITCA), which represents an emergent view with regard to patterns of successful IT use in teams. By incorporating the construct shared mental models (SMM) as the dependent variable, we develop and pilot test a theoretical model to examine the impact of ITCA on SMM similarity. The model is constructed and examined at the team level. Based on findings in previous studies, we specify four salient properties of IT capabilities adaptation. The findings suggest that the SMM similarity index is significantly associated with IT usage experience and change of perceived complexity

Market Reaction To Top Executive Turnover In China Growth Enterprises Market: Focus On Difference Of Executive Characteristics

As China\u27s capital market matures, any event that occurs in an enterprise may have an impact on the stock price of a listed company. When a company changes its executives, it usually brings different degrees of fluctuations in the company\u27s stock price. Generally speaking, the background characteristics of the executive\u27s educat[1]ion, age, and social relations will contain a certain amount of information, and according to relevant information, the stock price can be impacted. This study will use event analysis method which obtain a three-day period before and after the occurrence of executive change to study whether the background characteristics of the previous and next executives of the company\u27s executive turnover affect the degree of stock price changes. This article focuses on companies listed on the China Growth Enterprises Market, because the volatility of such companies\u27 stock price fluctuations for executives will be more significant

Project Management Tools as Boundary Objects in Agile Software Development

In agile software development (ASD) teams, it is essential to overcome knowledge boundaries to prevent product delays. The theory of boundary objects suggests that using the objects can help bridging knowledge boundaries within ASD teams in collaborations. Although prior research has reported that the use of boundary objects within traditional software development (TSD) teams is helpful, this topic in agile background still needs more exploration. Additionally, findings on the effects of boundary objects in bridging knowledge gaps are mixed. In this in-progress study, we conceptually explored the role of project management tools as boundary objects in ASD teams. Empirical study was conducted by using eight student teams, each consisting of four to five team members, which were asked to deliver a software using project management tools. Preliminary data analysis showed that PMTs indeed have positive influence in agile context

A solution processed flexible nanocomposite electrode with efficient light extraction for organic light emitting diodes.

Highly efficient organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on multiple layers of vapor evaporated small molecules, indium tin oxide transparent electrode, and glass substrate have been extensively investigated and are being commercialized. The light extraction from the exciton radiative decay is limited to less than 30% due to plasmonic quenching on the metallic cathode and the waveguide in the multi-layer sandwich structure. Here we report a flexible nanocomposite electrode comprising single-walled carbon nanotubes and silver nanowires stacked and embedded in the surface of a polymer substrate. Nanoparticles of barium strontium titanate are dispersed within the substrate to enhance light extraction efficiency. Green polymer OLED (PLEDs) fabricated on the nanocomposite electrode exhibit a maximum current efficiency of 118 cd/A at 10,000 cd/m(2) with the calculated external quantum efficiency being 38.9%. The efficiencies of white PLEDs are 46.7 cd/A and 30.5%, respectively. The devices can be bent to 3 mm radius repeatedly without significant loss of electroluminescent performance. The nanocomposite electrode could pave the way to high-efficiency flexible OLEDs with simplified device structure and low fabrication cost

The wage-productivity nexus in the world factory economy

This paper highlights new findings on the wage-productivity nexus in the World Factory Economy. After presenting the long-run macro-elasticity characterizing the phase of Chinese economic development since the eighties, we look at the wage-productivity nexus from a micro level perspective using a detailed firm-level dataset covering the period of ownership restructuring (1998-2007). A few results are quite robust under different estimation strategies. First, throughout the impressive Chinese economic miracle, elasticities of real wages to productivities – that is the ratios of rates of variations of the former to the latter – are always positive both under pooled and longitudinal estimates, both at firm- and sectoral-levels. Second, such elasticities are dramatically low, and falling in many distinct phases since the late seventies. That is, even in the manufacturing sector, the distribution of gains from the impressive labour productivity growth appears to be markedly uneven. Finally, third, governance institutions seem to matter a lot, with the majority of ownership types exhibiting firm-specific wage determination processes. The low elasticities of wages to productivity are plausibly the consequence of the massive flow of migrant workers from the rural areas to the coasts, somewhat resembling the early phase of the English Industrial Revolution with the pattern of enclosure in the country-side and massive migrations to the industrial towns