When Reflection Hurts: The Effect of Cognitive Processing Types on Organizational Adaptation to Discontinuous Change

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 1

Authors: Alves, Marlon Fernandes Rodrigues; Vastola, Vincenzo; Vasconcelos Ribeiro Galina, Simone; Zollo, Maurizio

Abstract: Technological breakthroughs, institutional disruptions, and natural disasters of ... Expand

Abstract: Technological breakthroughs, institutional disruptions, and natural disasters often alter the course of organizations and entire industries. Such discontinuous changes threaten organizations’ survival by affecting the value of the knowledge accumulated in routines and capabilities. Although it is widely acknowledged that managerial cognition is a critical antecedent of organizational responses to discontinuous change, the role of type 1 (intuitive) and type 2 (reflective) processing in the adaptation of shared patterns of behavior, that is, routines, remains understudied. Drawing on dual-process theory, we propose that particular features of type 1 processing render this approach superior to type 2 processing, especially in highly ambiguous environments in which information is limited and difficult to verify. We tested our hypotheses in a longitudinal experiment linking individual-level factors with organizational-level practices of routine adaptation. Experienced managers, paired in 80 groups, developed routines in a first round of a simulation game; in a second round, we then introduced a discontinuous change making previous routines obsolete in order to observe how they adapted. The data show that priming type 1 processing facilitates organizational adaptation more than type 2 processing by providing faster, more routinized, efficiently coordinated, and optimal responses. In addition, type 1 appears to be more functional in highly ambiguous environments, whereas type 1 and type 2 processes yield similar levels of performance under low levels of ambiguity. Overall, our study advances the understanding of the nondeliberative dimension of organizational adaptation to discontinuous change.History: This paper has been accepted for the Organization Science Special Issue on Experiments in Organizational Theory.Funding: This work was supported by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Finance Code 001).Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2021.1517. Collapse

Topics: decision making strategic management innovation management problem solving task productivity

Methods: experiment longitudinal research parametric test ANOVA statistical hypothesis test

Theories: dual-system theory dynamic capabilities theory

Dynamics of Trust: Unpacking Trust in Human-AI Collaboration in Decision-Making

2023 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Baduna, Maryam; Hylving, Lena

Abstract: This literature review examines trust in AI-augmented decision-making systems i ... Expand

Abstract: This literature review examines trust in AI-augmented decision-making systems in collaborative settings. The analysis suggests that human characteristics, AI characteristics, the decision-making environment, and the collaboration setting are antecedents of human trust in AI. This literature review contributes to the theoretical knowledge of trust with a dynamic learned trust framework, which represents an integrated understanding of trust in AI in human-AI collaborative decision-making. The review also provides practical implications for AI designers and implementors for improving the trustworthiness and adoption of AI for human-AI collaboration. By providing insight for researchers and audiences in information systems, organization and management, this paper can serve as a starting point for investigating the nuances, complexities and dynamics of trust in human-AI relationships. Collapse

Topics: decision making artificial intelligence human AI collaboration human computer interaction expert system

Methods: literature study literature sample computational algorithm synthesis machine learning

An Adversarial Dance: Toward an Understanding of Insiders’ Responses to Organizational Information Security Measures

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

Authors: Balozian, Puzant; Burns, A.; Leidner, Dorothy

Abstract: Despite the increased focus on organizational security policies and programs, s ... Expand

Abstract: Despite the increased focus on organizational security policies and programs, some employees continue to engage in maladaptive responses to security measures (i.e., behaviors other than those recommended, intended, or prescribed). To help shed light on insiders' adaptive and maladaptive responses to IS security measures, we conducted a case study of an organization at the forefront of security policy initiatives. Drawing on the beliefs-actions-outcomes (BAO) model to analyze our case data, we uncover a potentially nonvirtuous cycle consisting of security-related beliefs, actions, and outcomes, which we refer to as an "adversarial dance." Explaining our results, we describe a novel belief framework that identifies four security belief profiles and uncovers an underexplored outcome of IS security: insiders' lived security experiences. We find that individuals' unfavorable lived security experiences produce counterproductive security-related beliefs that, in turn, lead to maladaptive behaviors. Maladaptive behaviors create new potential for security risk, leading to increased organizational security measures to counter them. Thus, the adversarial dance continues, as the new security measures have the potential to reinforce counterproductive security-related beliefs about the importance and risk of IS security and lead to new maladaptive behaviors. To help situate our findings within the current security literature, we integrate the results with prior research based on extant theories. While this paper is not the first to suggest that security measures can elicit maladaptive behaviors, the emergent belief framework and expanded BAO model of IS security constitute an important contribution to the behavioral IS security literature.Puzant Balozian is an assistant professor of computer information systems at James Madison University. His research focus is primarily on the impacts of organizational factors on individual user behaviors in the context of information security and privacy and addressing security policy compliance and violation. Collapse

Topics: IT security IT security defense productivity IT security threat anonymity

Methods: case study qualitative interview personal interview theory development survey

Theories: information systems theory neutralization theory behavioral theory

YUMA -An AI Planning Agent for composing IT Services from Infrastructure-as-Code Specifications

2023 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Baer, F.; Leyer, M.

Abstract: Infrastructure-as-code enables cloud architects to automate IT service delivery ... Expand

Abstract: Infrastructure-as-code enables cloud architects to automate IT service delivery by specifying IT services through machine-readable definition files. To allow for a reusability of the infrastructure-as-code specifications, cloud architects specify IT services as compositions of sub-processes. As the AI planning agents for automated IT service composition proposed by prior research fall short in the infrastructure-as-code context, we design a search-based problem-solving agent named YUMA according to a design science research process to fill this research gap. YUMA holds a search tree reflecting the state space and transition model. It includes an algorithm for building the search tree and two algorithms for determining the minimum composition plan. The underlying IT service composition problem is explicated for the infrastructure-as-code context and formulated as a search problem. The results of the demonstration and evaluation show that YUMA fulfills the requirements necessary to solve this problem and digitizes an important task of cloud architects. Collapse

Topics: cloud computing artificial intelligence problem solving programming language source code

Methods: computational algorithm design artifact simulation reinforcement learning design process

Microfoundations of Adaptive Search in Complex Tasks: The Role of Cognitive Abilities and Styles

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 1

Authors: Bergenholtz, Carsten; Vuculescu, Oana; Amidi, Ali

Abstract: Problem-solving in complex environments requires a cognitively demanding search ... Expand

Abstract: Problem-solving in complex environments requires a cognitively demanding search for task solutions. Managing this search process presents a major challenge in organizations. We contribute to the literature on this topic by providing new evidence on the cognitive antecedents that shape how individuals search when engaged in complex problem-solving tasks. We present results from three laboratory studies, wherein 335 individuals solved a complex task. In doing so, they generated behavioral data coupled with survey-based measurements of the individuals’ cognitive styles and performance-based tests of their cognitive abilities. Our data analysis contributes to the current literature by documenting systematic heterogeneity in the persistence and distance of search that can be explained by the participants’ level of creativity, attention to detail, and executive functions. We extend the research on the microfoundations of adaptive search by linking cognitive antecedents with a complex search task, widening our insight into what search behavior certain cognitive microfoundations lead to, and showing how managers can more effectively shape organizational search.History: This paper has been accepted for the Organization Science Special Issue on Experiments in Organizational Theory.Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2023.1654. Collapse

Topics: decision making logistics management problem solving anonymity competitive advantage

Methods: laboratory experiment survey qualitative interview experimental task generalized linear model

Theories: ambidexterity theory

Network Centralization and Collective Adaptability to a Shifting Environment

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 1

Authors: Bernstein, Ethan S.; Shore, Jesse C.; Jang, Alice J.

Abstract: We study the connection between communication network structure and an organizat ... Expand

Abstract: We study the connection between communication network structure and an organization’s collective adaptability to a shifting environment. Research has shown that network centralization—the degree to which communication flows disproportionately through one or more members of the organization rather than being more equally distributed—interferes with collective problem-solving by obstructing the integration of existing ideas, information, and solutions in the network. We hypothesize that the mechanisms responsible for that poor integration of ideas, information, and solutions would nevertheless prove beneficial for problems requiring adaptation to a shifting environment. We conducted a 1,620-subject randomized online laboratory experiment, testing the effect of seven network structures on problem-solving success. To simulate a shifting environment, we designed a murder mystery task and manipulated when each piece of information could be found: early information encouraged an inferior consensus, requiring a collective shift of solution after more information emerged. We find that when the communication network within an organization is more centralized, it achieves the benefits of connectivity (spread of novel better solutions) without the costs (getting stuck on an existing inferior solution). We also find, however, that these benefits of centralization only materialize in networks with two-way flow of information and not when information only flows from the center of the network outward (as can occur in hierarchical structures or digitally mediated communication). We draw on these findings to reconceptualize theory on the impact of centralization—and how it affects conformity pressure (lock-in) and awareness of diverse ideas (learning)—on collective problem-solving that demands adaptation.History: This paper has been accepted for the Organization Science Special Issue on Experiments in Organizational Theory.Funding: The authors acknowledge financial support from the Division of Research at the Harvard Business School for making this research possible. Collapse

Topics: social influence problem solving internet technology social network debugging

Methods: experiment machine learning simulation Poisson regression logistic regression

Theories: organizational theory

Gender Differences in Responses to Competitive Organization? A Field Experiment on Differences Between STEM and Non-STEM Fields from an Internet-of-Things Platform

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Boudreau, Kevin J.; Kaushik, Nilam

Abstract: Prior research, primarily based on laboratory experiments of children and studen ... Expand

Abstract: Prior research, primarily based on laboratory experiments of children and students, suggests that women might be more averse to competition than are men; women might, instead, be more inclined toward collaboration. Were these findings to generalize to working-age men and women across the workforce, there could be profound implications for organizational design and personnel management. We report on a field experiment in which 97,678 adults from a wide range of fields of training and career stages were invited to join a product development platform. Individuals were randomly assigned to treatments framing the opportunity as either involving competitive or collaborative interactions with other participants. Among those outside of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, we find differences in the willingness of men and women to participate under competition. Thus, patterns in non-STEM fields conform to the usual claims of gender differences. However, among those in STEM fields, we find no statistical gender differences. Results hold under a series of alternative specifications, controls, and stratified analyses of 17 narrowly defined STEM subfields. The results are consistent with sorting into fields on the basis of competitiveness, as suggested by prior research, as well as other explanations we discuss. Overall, heterogeneity among women and heterogeneity among men appear to be at least as important as population-wide gender differences.History: This paper has been accepted for the Organization Science Special Issue on Experiments in Organizational Theory.Funding: This work was supported by Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation [Grant G00005624].Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2022.1624. Collapse

Topics: new product development mobile system internet of things accounting electronic mail

Methods: experiment Wald test field experiment laboratory experiment theory development

Low-Coders, No-Coders, and Citizen Developers in Demand: Examining Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Through a Job Market Analysis

2023 | International Conference on Business Informatics | Citations: 0

Authors: Binzer, Björn; Winkler, Till J.

Abstract: The emergence of low-code/no-code (LCNC) platform technologies and the resultin ... Expand

Abstract: The emergence of low-code/no-code (LCNC) platform technologies and the resulting increase in citizen development programs are facilitating the democratization of the design, development, and deployment of digital solutions. Citizen developers, non-technical employees who leverage LCNC platforms, are at the heart of this trend. While many firms perceive LCNC and citizen development as a crucial component of their digital transformation strategy, little is known about the evolving roles in this field or the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA). To address this knowledge gap, we processed 113,106 job postings published on Indeed.com. Our topic modeling methodology identified 34 KSA topics and classified them into the three domains platform, business, and technology. We contribute to research by empirically demonstrating which competencies are required to successfully work in the LCNC field. Our findings can guide individual professionals and organizations alike. Collapse

Topics: online labor market Indeed.com low code development platform Python project management

Methods: topic model natural language processing computational algorithm latent dirichlet allocation NLTK

Why it Remains Challenging to Assess Artificial Intelligence

2023 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Brecker, Kathrin; Lins, Sebastian; Sunyaev, Ali

Abstract: Artificial Intelligence (AI) assessment to mitigate risks arising from biased, u ... Expand

Abstract: Artificial Intelligence (AI) assessment to mitigate risks arising from biased, unreliable, or regulatory non-compliant systems remains an open challenge for researchers, policymakers, and organizations across industries. Due to the scattered nature of research on AI across disciplines, there is a lack of overview on the challenges that need to be overcome to move AI assessment forward. In this study, we synthesize existing research on AI assessment applying a descriptive literature review. Our study reveals seven challenges along three main categories: ethical implications, regulatory gaps, and technical limitations. This study contributes to a better understanding of the challenges in AI assessment so that AI researchers and practitioners can resolve these challenges to move AI assessment forward. Collapse

Topics: artificial intelligence societal evaluation criteria IS impact systems design problem solving

Methods: literature study literature sample qualitative content analysis computational algorithm

Data-Induced Rationality and Unitary Spaces in Interfirm Collaboration

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Cepa, Katharina; Schildt, Henri

Abstract: The real-time data transfer between collaborating companies allows them to repre ... Expand

Abstract: The real-time data transfer between collaborating companies allows them to represent and control activities across firm boundaries, providing new ways to organize collaborative efforts. We conducted an inductive multiple case study of five long-term relationships to examine the effects of data-intensive technologies on the organization and management of collaborative relationships in industrial companies. Our analysis shows how the delegation of digital activities into specialized digital units fostered data-driven mindsets and data-driven interactions that jointly formed a holistic data-induced rationality for managing the relationship. Together, the compartmentalization of digital collaboration and the data-induced rationalities turned these units into “unitary spaces,” organizational enclosures where structural tensions and competing demands were temporarily suspended to foster single-minded pursuit of collaborative short-term benefits for the partner company. Funding: The authors are grateful for the financial support from the Academy of Finland [Grant 274536]. Collapse

Topics: digital service interorganizational relationship big data problem solving analytical information system

Methods: qualitative interview computational algorithm theory development multiple case study qualitative coding

Theories: theory of affordance sociotechnical systems theory