As researchers today seek to understand how virtual worlds may be effectively leveraged for collaborative purposes, exploring the role of leadership in virtual world teams may help shed light on how to manage synchronous and highly interdependent work activities for better team outcomes. Based upon Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory, this dissertation seeks to understand how leadership affects team member performance and proposes that 1) the relationship between a leader and a team member influences the degree to which a team member is allocated and develops resources and 2) to the extent which a team member receives or develops resources, their performance will be enhanced. Findings from a field survey of 61 members in a large virtual world team (VWT) within the MMORPG Everquest suggest that leader-member relationships matter, having a direct impact on members' allocation and development of resources. However, a mediation test strongly suggests that it is the quantity and the type of resource that impacts performance and not the direct influence of the leader-member relationship. From a theoretical standpoint, opening the "black box" of LMX theory has revealed more precise causal mechanisms by which leader-member relationships impact performance. The influential resources identified include two dimensions of empowerment, access to better work assignments, benevolence-based trust, obligation, and identification. From a practical standpoint, this research provides guidance into what leaders may do to effectively management VWTs. For example, better member performance could be achieved through coaching and avoiding micro-management, providing members with better team assignments, and binding VWT members to each other such that collective interest replaces self-interest. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Management in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2010. / May 17, 2010. / MMOGS, Virtual Worlds, Leadership, Virtual Teams, LMX / Includes bibliographical references. / Molly Wasko, Professor Directing Dissertation; Michael Brady, University Representative; David Paradice, Committee Member; Gerald Ferris, Committee Member; Deborah Armstrong, Committee Member.

In today's business environment, deception is commonplace. In hiring situations, successful deception by job candidates can lead to a poor fit between the candidate's abilities and the requirements of the job, and this can lead to poor performance. This study seeks to inhibit successful deception by job candidates by suggesting that managers limit communication with job applicants to the media that the applicant is least comfortable using for deception. Media vary on several dimensions, such as their ability to transmit cues and convey personal focus. The choice of which media to use to communicate a lie will depend on the characteristics of the media, as well as several other factors. Some of these factors are situational, such as the familiarity of the receiver with the sender, and some of these factors are related to the individual attempting to communicate the lie. Because different people react to lying differently, their preference for media characteristics will vary when they lie. Deception research has largely been conducted in a North American context, using North American subjects. As a result, our understanding of deception and its detection outside of North America is limited. In today's multicultural business environment, job applicants can come from a variety of cultural backgrounds, and the attitudes, beliefs, customs and norms related to deception that they exhibit may differ from those of their North American counterparts. Taking this into account, the current study seeks to predict media choice for deception based on a subject's espoused national culture. A scenario-based media choice task was given to subjects in the United States and China, aimed at determining the effect of espoused collectivism, espoused power distance, espoused uncertainty avoidance, espoused masculinity, espoused long-term orientation, espoused universalism, the severity of the lie and the familiarity of the reciever on media choice. Results indicate that espoused collectivism, espoused power distance, espoused masculinity and the severity of the lie had an impact on media choice. The findings of the current study carry implications for researchers and for managers. For researchers this study suggests that media choice and deception models developed in North America may not hold when applied to subjects who are not North American. In addition, this study contributes to a relatively understudied area of deception research: deception from the point of view of the deceiver. For managers charged with hiring candidates for positions sensitive with regard to national security, this study suggests communication media, based on the espoused national culture of the candidate, that should make successful deception more difficult. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Management Information Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2008. / June 25, 2008. / Media Choice, Media Selection, Culture, Deception, Lying / Includes bibliographical references. / Joey F. George, Professor Directing Dissertation; Lee Stepina, Outside Committee Member; David Paradice, Committee Member; Ashley Bush, Committee Member.

Due to the increased availability of online collaboration tools, individuals are now likely to work together in settings where computers are their primary mode of communication. However, because many communication cues are absent in these settings, unique problems arise, such as deception. Deceptive individuals are difficult to detect over computer-mediated channels because many audio and visual cues to deception are filtered out. This dissertation presents two experiments where groups performed a computer-mediated collaborative task either without deceivers or with confederate deceivers. Task complexity was manipulated in the first experiment, and subject experience and task complexity were manipulated in the second experiment. Results suggest that groups performing a low complexity task were better at detecting deception than were groups performing a high complexity task. Furthermore, experienced groups had higher task performance but did not have higher deception detection accuracy than did groups without experience. These findings should help organizations identify decision-making settings where group performance and deception detection accuracy are at risk and allow them to take actions to minimize the negative impact of deception. These actions might include minimizing the cognitive complexity of a group task and making sure that individuals have had multiple experiences together before performing their task. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Management Information Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2007. / March 26, 2007. / Computer-Mediated Communication, Collaborative Groups, Task Complexity, Group Member Experience, Deception, Instant Messaging / Includes bibliographical references. / Joey F. George, Professor Directing Dissertation; Gerald R. Ferris, Outside Committee Member; David B. Paradice, Committee Member; Katherine M. Chudoba, Committee Member.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is an integrated set of software modules which are linked to a common database to handle basic corporate functions such as planning, manufacturing, sales, marketing, accounting, distribution, human resource and inventory. When ERP is implemented successfully, it can reduce operating costs, increase productivity, and improve customer services. However, ERP fails to deliver the promised benefits in many companies due to the poor implementation planning. A successful ERP implementation requires a careful thinking, good planning from a strategic perspective. It is difficult to measure the success of an extremely complex information system such as ERP as it involves almost every aspect of business operations. Different people from different perspectives will have different views about the success of ERP implementation. Therefore, we adopted Critical Success Factors (CSFs) approach. We identified the critical success factors for the success implementation of ERP based on literature review. A model is developed with assumption that there is Relative Importance (RI) among these critical success factors. The data collected in Chinese Mainland manufacturing companies were analyzed on Structural Equation Modeling by LISREL. Six critical success factors were identified by the survey as the relative important critical success factors. They are (1) Business Process Reengineering management, (2) change readiness, (3) software competence and IT skills, (4) departmental communication, (5) top management support, and (6) hardware and equipments. Understanding the importance of these factors will help managers to make a good planning for ERP implementation. It is suggested to set high priority to these critical success factors, which can help managers to have a better control of the activities in the process of ERP implementation. Hopefully, it will increase the chance to implement ERP successfully.

Information technology engages users in a variety of ways. No longer confined to information systems in organizational contexts, technology has become much more pervasive and personalized. As individuals are increasingly exposed to the types of triggers that prompt automatic technology engagement, technology use has moved beyond the bounds of intentionality. This leads to the development of technology-use behaviors that may become automatic or difficult to control. Individuals can begin to develop spontaneous-use behaviors and feel compelled to interact with the systems they use. This new type of system use is called compulsive technology use. Compulsive technology use is defined as spontaneous interaction with an information system or technology that is unintentional, uncontrollable, effortless, and efficient. Compulsive technology use is effortless and efficient in that it does not interfere with other cognitive processes. Compulsive technology use is unintentional in the sense that no act of will is required to initiate it. Compulsive technology use is uncontrollable in that a person has difficulty controlling the process once it has been initiated. But little is known about what drives compulsive technology use. This dissertation explores the phenomenon of compulsive technology use in the context of mobile applications. The roles of technology habit and perceptions of sunk costs in the development of compulsive technology use will be addressed. In addition, identifying the technological drivers of technology habit will contribute to the understanding of how the characteristics and features of technology influence compulsive technology use. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Management in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2014. / April 4, 2014. / Automatic, Compulsive, Habit, Mobile Apps, Sunk Costs, Triggers / Includes bibliographical references. / Ashley Bush, Professor Directing Dissertation; Charles Hofacker, University Representative; David Paradice, Committee Member; Deborah Armstrong, Committee Member.

Although deception research in the communication field has a long history, it is a relatively new topic of research in management information systems. Deception detection research has expanded to include lies transmitted via computer-mediated communication. Recent studies have only begun to look at the influence of media richness, training, and warning on deception detection accuracy. Studies on the effect of training on deception cue recognition with cross-media comparison are scarce. In addition, few studies have been conducted on the effects of training with warning on deception detection. This study examines the effects of media richness, training, warning, and the combination of training and warning on deception detection accuracy. To test the hypotheses, a laboratory experiment, in which deceivers were interviewed based upon deceptive information in their enhanced resumes, was conducted. Results of the study indicate that training in deceptive cue recognition improves deception detection success. / A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Management Information Systems in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2005. / June 24, 2005. / Media Richness, MIS, Training, Deception, Warning, Computer-mediated Communication / Includes bibliographical references. / Joey F. George, Professor Directing Dissertation; Gerald R. Ferris, Outside Committee Member; David B. Paradice, Committee Member; Michael H. Dickey, Committee Member; Pamela L. Perrewe, Committee Member.

Emotion regulation at work has been receiving an increasing amount of research attention in the literature over the past two decades. The management literature has focused primarily on emotion regulation in the service sector, with emotional dissonance as the explanatory variable predicting primarily negative intrapersonal outcomes, such as experienced stress and burnout. An emerging stream of research in other literatures, such as developmental psychology and social psychology, however, views emotion regulation in a more positive way as being essential for personal growth and positive social relationships. Building on this stream of research and previous literature on emotional labor, it is proposed that both intrapersonal and interpersonal mechanisms are important factors that determine the consequences of emotion regulation. By integrating interpersonal mechanisms of emotion regulation in the theory building, and by examining individuals' emotion regulatory behaviors beyond the service sector, this study seeks to present a clearer picture as to the influences of emotion regulation on one's work life than has been previously examined. Integrating previous research, the dissertation presents a comprehensive model of the antecedents, mediators, moderators, and consequences of emotion regulation. Both situational and individual differences factors that influence individuals' tendency to regulate their own emotions are considered. Further, emotion regulatory strategies and political skill are argued to play important roles in determining the effectiveness of emotion regulation. Both intrapersonal mechanisms (i.e., emotional dissonance) and interpersonal mechanisms (i.e., peer perceived authenticity, liking, trust, and social support) are proposed to mediate the influences emotion regulation has on such work related outcomes as affective well being, job satisfaction and job performance. Matched survey data were collected from 108 pairs of employees from a hospice organization. Hierarchical regression and structural equation modeling were used to test the hypotheses. Additional analyses were also conducted based on the hypotheses testing results and prior research. Results provided support for a number of the hypotheses set forth regarding the antecedents of emotion self regulation, including the positive influence of emotional self awareness, and negative influence of social status, on the frequency of emotion self regulation. The majority of the moderating hypotheses did not receive support from the data. The data also failed to provide adequate support for the interpersonal mechanisms of emotion self regulation. However, further analyses of the main effects of emotion regulatory strategies revealed some interesting relationships between emotion regulatory strategies and relationship quality and affective well being, and further, with job satisfaction, trust, and social support. The additional analyses also found evidence for main effects of political skill on work related outcomes including affective well being, job satisfaction, and job performance. A discussion of the results includes an evaluation of research limitations, suggestions for future research, contributions to the literature, and practical limitations. / A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Management in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2006. / May 19, 2005. / Emotion in Organizations, Emotion Regulation / Includes bibliographical references. / Pamela L. Perrewé, Professor Directing Dissertation; John Corrigan, Outside Committee Member; Gerald R. Ferris, Committee Member; Bruce T. Lamont, Committee Member.

Within the last decade, researchers and managers in organizations have become increasingly interested in understanding knowledge and the processes through which knowledge is created, distributed, and exchanged. The recognition that knowledge is a valuable resource has emerged within an increasingly complex business environment, one in which advances in technologies have enabled the exchange of knowledge in unprecedented ways. Thus, the link between technology and knowledge exchange is a significant topic of interest, and one that has important implications for how technology is implemented to support knowledge work. The purpose of this dissertation is to further the understanding of knowledge exchange within organizations, and how technology has influenced this exchange, by examining the dyadic relationships between people by mapping how knowledge flows from one person to another. A key extension of prior research is the inclusion of both face-to-face exchanges and email exchanges. Using a social network approach, this study was based on theories of social capital to develop hypotheses describing how an individual's centrality in one network, e.g. the email communication network, is related to his/her centrality in the knowledge network. We then developed hypotheses relating to centrality in the knowledge network to individual performance, both in terms of creativity and efficiency. Data were gathered and analyzed in network form, and we used SNA (social network analysis) and SEM (structural equation modeling) to test the hypotheses. Although intended to increase the effectiveness of knowledge exchange, technology may actually inhibit the exchange of certain types of knowledge. For example, Davenport and Prusak (2000) suggest that the use of CMC (computer-mediated communication) can diminish the personal contact that is often required for the effective exchange of more tacit-related knowledge. Thus, the key contribution of this study is to understand how technology affects the exchange of different types of knowledge, and how an individual's position in the knowledge network affects performance. The findings from this research suggest some important modifications to our theoretical understanding of knowledge exchange and performance. First, individuals sharing knowledge do not see it as simply tacit/explicit, but also consider its sensitivity. Face-to-face channels with trusted sources are the most preferred method for exchanging sensitive knowledge. Second, the communication channel is not an important consideration in the exchange of research knowledge – this requires knowing where expertise resides and if that expertise will be made available. Finally, the findings suggest that embedding knowledge workers in more knowledge flows does not result in a uniform increase in individual performance. Some work tasks, such as teaching, require practice over long periods of time and innate abilities. So how does the structure and quality of relationships impact knowledge exchange and performance? It depends on the sensitivity of the knowledge more than the tacitness of the knowledge, and the type of tasks being performed. / A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Management Information Systems in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2009. / June 30, 2009. / Social Network, Knowledge Exchange, Individual Performance, Social Capital / Includes bibliographical references. / Molly Wasko, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; David Paradice, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Pamela Perrewé, Outside Committee Member; Deborah Armstrong, Committee Member.

Open Source Software (OSS) has exploded over the last few years as a means of producing high-quality software. The members of OSS project communities develop and support the software on a mostly volunteer basis, usually with no financial remuneration. This software is then made freely available (in both monetary terms and licensing terms) to those who wish to utilize it. Much has been written about the use of OSS in business, motivations of the volunteers, OSS software quality and how OSS communities are organized and governed. Two aspects of OSS that remain unexplored revolve around how an OSS project community is sustained, and whether such a community is necessary for the success of the software. These questions form the basis for this study. In this study, OSS is first demonstrated to have many properties of a public good, with the associated attributes of non-rivalry and non-excludability. Unlike typical public goods, OSS is not subject to underproduction as it may be disjunctively produced. It is not subject to overutilization either, since multiple copies may be made for essentially zero cost. The key issue to be investigated in OSS is neither production nor consumption of the public good, but rather how to sustain the project community which writes, supports, and improves the software. Sustaining this community is possible due to network effects – that is, the software becomes more useful as more individuals use it. Among this body of users are some individuals who are willing to donate their time and talents to the community. A model of community success which proposes that resources furnished by project members are converted into benefits to the community through communication activities is utilized to answer the research questions driving this study. A community must maintain access to a pool of resources such as the time, energy, knowledge and material resources of its members. These resources are converted into benefits for the community through communication activities. Increased communication activities about support and development issues relating to the software lead to a more successful software product and a more successful community, as indicated by higher levels of social capital within the community. A more successful OSS project – in terms of both software and community – will be able to grow through retention of existing members and attraction of new members. These individuals in turn increase the resources available to the community. / A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Management Information Systems in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2007. / March 12, 2007. / Open Source, Virtual Communities, Software Development, Open Source Software, Free Software / Includes bibliographical references. / David Paradice, Professor Directing Dissertation; G. Stacy Sirmans, Outside Committee Member; Molly Wasko, Committee Member; Katherine Chudoba, Committee Member.

Today's business organizations emphasize the importance of teamwork and collaboration within work groups more than ever before. Unfortunately, group interaction is not always positive. Very little research has been conducted to investigate the behavior and judgments of group members who are belong to group in which one of the members is deceptive. This study is one of the first attempts to look at this phenomenon, from both the deceiver and receiver sides. Groups of three student subjects engaged in a group negotiation task, with one of the group members randomly assigned the role of deceiver. Groups varied by the availability of computer-supported communication for discussion purposes, their physical proximity with one another, and the number of group members who were warned about the possibility of deception. Hypotheses were developed to predict the amount of deceptive activity and the level of deception detection displayed by group members in each of these circumstances. Results indicated that individuals lied more when using computers to communicate with others and when both of their group partners had been warned. Group members were not proficient at detecting lies in any of the conditions. Implications of these findings and their potential implications for research and practice are discussed. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Management Information Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2004. / June 17, 2004. / Groups, Computers, CMC, Dispersion, Deception / Includes bibliographical references. / Joey F. George, Professor Directing Dissertation; Gerald R. Ferris, Outside Committee Member; Katherine M. Chudoba, Committee Member; David B. Paradice, Committee Member.