Public Opinion and Impression Management in the Communication of Performance During the Second Iraq War

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Audia, Pino G.; Rousseau, Horacio E.; Stimmler, Mary Kate

Abstract: Although studies show that organizations engaged in controversial actions often ... Expand

Abstract: Although studies show that organizations engaged in controversial actions often aim to minimize the release of threatening information, scholars know relatively little about what may prompt organizations to increase transparency in these situations. In this study, we focus on support from public opinion as a condition that may influence the disclosure of sensitive performance information to the public. Using the second Iraq War as an empirical context, we focus on the extent to which public officials—Pentagon spokespersons—release and frame information about war performance. This outcome is critical because the way in which organizations communicate their performance to outsiders has often been regarded as a key defensive impression management tactic. We hypothesize that high public support for the war will increase the likelihood that Pentagon officials release information about sensitive combat performance indicators in their press briefings and identify contingencies, such as adversity and organizational spokespersons’ power, that moderate this relationship. We also explore whether high public support decreases the strategic use of alternate performance frames that emphasize metrics that signal progress toward a desirable end state. Using a unique data set based on the coding of press briefings, public opinion data, and other public sources, we find support for several of our hypotheses. We discuss implications for understanding the relationship between public opinion and impression management and highlight the importance of extending this research to nongovernmental organizations. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2022.1598. Collapse

Topics: armed conflict organization structure website database system terrorist incident

Methods: logistic regression descriptive statistic statistical hypothesis test regression analysis method theory development

Theories: accountability theory

Algorithmic Transparency: Concepts, Antecedents, and Consequences – A Review and Research Framework

2023 | Communications of the Association for Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Bitzer, Tobias; Wiener, Martin; Cram, W. Alec

Abstract: The widespread and growing use of algorithm-enabled technologies across many as ... Expand

Abstract: The widespread and growing use of algorithm-enabled technologies across many aspects of public and private life is increasingly sparking concerns about the lack of transparency regarding the inner workings of algorithms. This has led to calls for (more) algorithmic transparency (AT), which refers to the disclosure of information about algorithms to enable understanding, critical review, and adjustment. To set the stage for future research on AT, our study draws on previous work to provide a more nuanced conceptualization of AT, including the explicit distinction between AT as action and AT as perception. On this conceptual basis, we set forth to conduct a comprehensive and systematic review of the literature on AT antecedents and consequences. Subsequently, we develop an integrative framework to organize the existing literature and guide future work. Our framework consists of seven central relationships: (1) AT as action versus AT as perception; factors (2) triggering and (3) shaping AT as action; (4) factors shaping AT as perception; as well as AT as perception leading to (5) rational-cognitive and (6) affective-emotional responses, and to (7) (un-)intended behavioral effects. Building on the review insights, we identify and discuss notable research gaps and inconsistencies, along with resulting opportunities for future research. review of the literature on AT. Not only has such an endeavor, to our knowledge, not yet been undertaken; but more importantly, we expect that such a review will reveal critical research gaps and inconsistencies and inform future research in the area. In particular, we aim to extend past work and contribute to the extant body of knowledge by (1) strengthening the conceptual foundations of AT; (2) reviewing the AT literature in a systematic manner; and (3) deriving a research framework. In doing so, our study offers a more nuanced conceptualization of AT, including the explicit distinction between AT as action and AT as perception, and delineates AT from related concepts. Moreover, following established guidelines (e.g., vom Brocke et al., 2015;Okoli & Schabram, 2010;Paré et al., 2015;Webster & Watson, 2002) and drawing on a review sample of 50 studies (published between 2002 and 2021), our study offers a comprehensive review and synthesis of prior research on the antecedents and consequences of AT. Finally, we propose an integrative framework to organize existing and guide future work. Collapse

Topics: database system algorithmic transparency artificial intelligence website digital service

Methods: computational algorithm literature study synthesis mixed method archival research

Data governance and the secondary use of data: The board influence

2023 | Information and Organization | Citations: 0

Authors: Black, Stuart; Davern, Michael; Maynard, Sean B.; Nasser, Humza

Abstract: The business analytics and strategic management literatures suggest that organiz ... Expand

Abstract: The business analytics and strategic management literatures suggest that organizations should seek to exploit data as a key mechanism for competitive advantage. However, the rules of engagement are evolving, the regulatory landscape is becoming increasingly complex, and ex­ amples of poor outcomes are increasingly common. The board – in its role of setting and moni­ toring risk appetite – needs to be able to govern the risk/reward trade-off of the data asset. Contemporary data governance approaches are inadequate: they are overly rigid and risk ori­ ented, limited in scope to an organization’s self-interest rather than considering the broad set of stakeholders, and do not provide a platform for the board to manage this critical risk. This paper uses a unique set of informants – 41 board directors – to demonstrate that differences in board perspectives influence how organizations explore the secondary use of data. Furthermore, this paper identifies a set of relevant individual, organizational and environmental factors and pre­ sents empirically based configurations of these factors that lead organizations to consider (or neglect) the secondary use of data as a critical enabler of competitive advantage. Collapse

Topics: data governance competitive advantage IT governance fuzzy logic strategic management

Methods: qualitative interview qualitative coding theory development mixed method personal interview

Theories: contingency theory fuzzy set theory transaction cost economics dynamic capabilities theory theory of everything

Team Performance: Nature and Antecedents of Nonnormal Distributions

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Bradley, Kyle J.; Aguinis, Herman

Abstract: Team research typically assumes that team performance is normally distributed: t ... Expand

Abstract: Team research typically assumes that team performance is normally distributed: teams cluster around average performance, performance variability is not substantial, and few teams inhabit the upper range of the distribution. Ironically, although most team research and methodological practices rely on the normality assumption, many theories actually imply nonnormality (e.g., performance spirals, team composition, team learning, punctuated equilibrium). Accordingly, we investigated the nature and antecedents of team performance distributions by relying on 274 performance distributions including 200,825 teams (e.g., sports, politics, firefighters, information technology, customer service) and more than 500,000 workers. First, regarding their overall nature, only 11% of the distributions were normal, star teams are much more prevalent than predicted by normality, the power law with an exponential cutoff is the most dominant distribution among nonnormal distributions (i.e., 73%), and incremental differentiation (i.e., differential performance trajectories across teams) is the best explanation for the emergence of these distributions. Second, this conclusion remained unchanged after examining theory-based boundary conditions (i.e., tournament versus nontournament contexts, performance as aggregation of individual-level performance versus performance as a team-level construct, performance assessed with versus without a hard left-tail zero, and more versus less sample homogeneity). Third, we used the team learning curve literature as a conceptual framework to test hypotheses and found that authority differentiation and lower temporal stability are associated with distributions with larger performance variability (i.e., a greater proportion of star teams). We discuss implications for existing theory, future research directions, and methodological practices (e.g., need to check for nonnormality, Bayesian analysis, outlier management). Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2022.1619. Collapse

Topics: team productivity customer service anonymity systems development virtual teamwork

Methods: meta analysis statistical hypothesis test Bayesian analysis descriptive statistic chi squared test

Right Place, Right Time: Configurations of Technology Use for Business Model Innovation

2023 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Böttcher, Timo; Krcmar, Helmut

Abstract: In the rapidly evolving digital era, firms need to innovate their business mode ... Expand

Abstract: In the rapidly evolving digital era, firms need to innovate their business models (BMs) to thrive and benefit from new digital technologies. While digital BM innovation (DBMI) can create competitive advantage through differentiation, firms often struggle to create and extract value from digital technologies. In this paper, we analyze 41 cases of BM change and identify three configurations that lead to DBMI and two configurations that do not. These configurations illustrate the BM elements in which digital technologies are used for DBMI and explain how firms use digital technologies for strategic innovation. Combined with existing research on DBMI, this research provides a missing piece of the puzzle to connect specific technologies in the BM to implement a digital business strategy and undergo a digital transformation. For practical purposes, the findings suggest three alternative strategies for DBMI that identify which elements need to be changed together to achieve DBMI. Collapse

Topics: business model value creation innovation management database system mobile application

Methods: case study survey qualitative content analysis triangulation literature sample

Theories: core competency theory

A platform-based approach to ambidexterity for innovation: An empirical investigation in the public sector

2023 | International Journal of Information Management | Citations: 0

Authors: Cao, Lan; West, Barry; Ramesh, Balasubramaniam; Mohan, Kannan; Sarkar, Sumantra

Abstract: Innovation in the public sector plays an important role in improving the quality ... Expand

Abstract: Innovation in the public sector plays an important role in improving the quality of public services and addressing economic and societal challenges. Most of the previous research on innovations has focused on the private sector. How organizations may achieve ambidexterity for innovations in the public sector characterized by unique constraints has been largely underexplored. Platforms have emerged as key components in organizations’ ap­ proaches to innovation. Using an empirical study in a public sector organization, this study identifies a platformbased approach that can be used to achieve ambidexterity in balancing exploitative and exploratory innovations in the public sector. Organizations facing constraints pertaining to structure, risk, and value may benefit from considering their product/service development, process management, and value formulation through this approach. This study also identifies practices in platform development, appropriation, and control that contributed to the success of the platform-based approach. Collapse

Topics: innovation management organization structure business process innovation organizational culture new product development

Methods: qualitative interview case study triangulation personal interview literature study

Theories: ambidexterity theory

How mindfulness decreases cyberloafing at work: a dual-system theory perspective

2023 | European Journal of Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Chen, Qian; Gong, Yeming; Lu, Yaobin; Chau, Patrick Y.K.

Abstract: Cyberloafing is a prevalent phenomenon in organisations that may cause serious p ... Expand

Abstract: Cyberloafing is a prevalent phenomenon in organisations that may cause serious problems. In previous studies, cyberloafing has been studied as planned and intentional behaviour. Interestingly, we have observed that cyberloafing frequently happens when employees use smartphones to assist with work tasks, but they may not necessarily intend to engage in this activity. We distinguish between active and passive cyberloafing and focus on studying the latter. Based on dual-systems theory, we introduce the construct of mindfulness in the exploration of the antecedences and internal mechanism of passive cyberloafing. We conducted a research survey with employees who use smartphones to assist with work tasks and collected 474 valid questionnaires to examine our research model. The results showed that dual systems are associated with cyberloafing by influencing mind-wandering, and mindfulness significantly decreased mind-wandering when using a smartphone. This study analyses cyberloafing from an innovative neuroscience perspective and contributes to the literature by proposing a new classification of cyberloafing behaviour, reveals the internal mechanism of how dual systems impact an individual’s behaviour, and introduces mindfulness as an antecedent factor of dual systems. Collapse

Topics: mindfulness smartphone social network information system use personality

Methods: survey data transformation SEM tool factor analysis exploratory factor analysis

Theories: dual-system theory big five model general systems theory

The Crisis in Local Newspapers and Organizational Wrongdoing: The Role of Community Social Connectedness

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Choi, Tony Jaehyun; Valente, Mike

Abstract: Drawing on institutional anomie theory, we examine how the crisis in local newsp ... Expand

Abstract: Drawing on institutional anomie theory, we examine how the crisis in local newspapers has induced organizational wrongdoings in local communities. We argue that, because local newspapers are the primary source of accountability journalism in local communities, their decline leads to an anomic state that increases the scale of organizational wrongdoing. We also investigate whether institutional complementarity helps overcome the anomic state: Due to functional similarity, community social connectedness compensates for the scarcity of local newspapers. Our analysis of U.S. metropolitan areas for the period of 2007–2015 reveals that the positive relationship between local newspaper scarcity and the scale of organizational wrongdoing is not present in all communities but does appear when a community lacks community social connectedness. We also find that this moderating role of community social connectedness is observed only for internal organizational wrongdoings that are less visible to the public than external ones. Collapse

Topics: digital news missing data decision making social capital database system

Methods: descriptive statistic statistical hypothesis test longitudinal research longitudinal data analysis hierarchical linear modeling

Theories: organizational behavior theory

Context and Aggregation: An Experimental Study of Bias and Discrimination in Organizational Decisions

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 1

Authors: Christensen, Michael; Dahl, Christian M.; Knudsen, Thorbjørn; Warglien, Massimo

Abstract: This paper addresses a notable gap at the intersection of organizational economi ... Expand

Abstract: This paper addresses a notable gap at the intersection of organizational economics and organization science: how does organizational context influence aggregation of individual behavior in organizational decisions? Using basic centralized versus decentralized organizational structures as building blocks for our experimental design, we examine whether assignment of organizational positions, incentive schemes, and structural configuration induce endogenous adaptation in the form of change in reservation levels (bias) or modified discrimination capability in subjects’ behavior. We found that evaluators adapted their reservation and discrimination levels in centralized structures, whereas they did not generally adapt their reservation and discrimination levels when placed in decentralized structures. We identify mechanisms that explain these findings; explain how they influence aggregate, organizational behavior; and discuss implications for research and practice.History: This paper has been accepted for the Organization Science Special Issue on Experiments in Organizational Theory.Funding: M. Warglien acknowledges financial support from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under [Grant Agreement 732942].Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2021.1502. Collapse

Topics: organization structure organizational context decision making organizational productivity graphical user interface

Methods: experiment statistical hypothesis test experimental design theoretical contribution cluster analysis

Theories: organizational behavior theory

A temporal graph framework for intelligence extraction in social media networks

2023 | Information & Management | Citations: 0

Authors: Chung, Wingyan; Lai, Vincent S.

Abstract: Social media networks (SMNs) are increasingly used in professional management of ... Expand

Abstract: Social media networks (SMNs) are increasingly used in professional management of knowledge workers and related assets. However, the factors affecting behavioral trends and activity levels in these networks are not well understood. Although social and cognitive theories can help to explain human behavior in traditional social networks, their application to SMNs has not been validated. Traditional social network modeling techniques may not accurately predict real-world SMN activities. This research developed a temporal graph framework for in­ telligence extraction in SMNs. Theory-based, data-driven models (Conformity Model (COM), Recency-Primacy Model (REM), Trend Interaction Model (TIM), Periodic Interaction Model (PIM)) were developed based on the framework to capture various aspects of user behavior: conformity effect, recency, primacy, periodicity, and dynamic trend. The models capture the activity history and dynamically combine pricing information to enhance predictive accuracy. Using data of 83,536 GitHub software repositories on cryptocurrency, this article reports the results of experiments that compare the models’ performance in predicting SMN activities over time. Experi­ mental results show that the model (REM) that captures recency/primacy effects of human cognitive processing outperformed other models in 9 (out of 18) measures pertaining to engagement, contribution, influence, and popularity. Primacy plays a dominant role in predicting engagement, contribution, and popularity, whereas recency plays a key role in predicting influence. Short-term trend (modeled with TIM) was found to yield significantly better performance on predicting user contribution. The models also outperformed an integrated machine learning (IML) model by most measures. Overall, the effects modeled by REM and TIM were found to be more significant than the effects modeled by COM, PIM, and IML. The research contributes to enhancing un­ derstanding of SMN behavior, developing new models to simulate and predict SMN activities, and designing new artifacts for information systems practitioners to manage knowledge assets and to extract SMN intelligence. Collapse

Topics: cryptocurrency social network systems development situation awareness user behavior

Methods: experiment machine learning longitudinal research computational algorithm time series analysis

Theories: psychological theory social contagion theory social interactionist theory social impact theory social sciences theory