Organizing Entrepreneurial Teams: A Field Experiment on Autonomy over Choosing Teams and Ideas

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 1

Authors: Boss, Viktoria; Dahlander, Linus; Ihl, Christoph; Jayaraman, Rajshri

Abstract: Scholars have suggested that autonomy can lead to better entrepreneurial team pe ... Expand

Abstract: Scholars have suggested that autonomy can lead to better entrepreneurial team performance. Yet, there are different types of autonomy, and they come at a cost. We shed light on whether two fundamental organizational design choices—granting teams autonomy to (1) choose project ideas to work on and (2) choose team members to work with—affect performance. We run a field experiment involving 939 students in a lean startup entrepreneurship course over 11 weeks. The aim is to disentangle the separate and joint effects of granting autonomy over choosing teams and choosing ideas compared with a baseline treatment with preassigned ideas and team members. We find that teams with autonomy over choosing either ideas or team members outperform teams in the baseline treatment as measured by pitch deck performance. The effect of choosing ideas is significantly stronger than the effect of choosing teams. However, the performance gains vanish for teams that are granted full autonomy over choosing both ideas and teams. This suggests the two forms of autonomy are substitutes. Causal mediation analysis reveals that the main effects of choosing ideas or teams can be partly explained by a better match of ideas with team members’ interests and prior network contacts among team members, respectively. Although homophily and lack of team diversity cannot explain the performance drop among teams with full autonomy, our results suggest that self-selected teams fall prey to overconfidence and complacency too early to fully exploit the potential of their chosen idea. We discuss the implications of these findings for research on organizational design, autonomy, and innovation.History: This paper has been accepted for the Organization Science Special Issue on Experiments in Organizational Theory.Funding: The authors are grateful for funding from the Innovation Growth Laboratory, the Peter Curtius Foundation, and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft [Grant CRC TRR 190].Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2021.1520. Collapse

Topics: team productivity entrepreneurship missing data intrinsic motivation evaluation criteria

Methods: experiment experimental group survey causal mediation analysis field experiment

Intellectual capital and team resilience capability of information system development project teams

2023 | Information & Management | Citations: 16

Authors: Cheng, Kuang-Ting; Hsu, Jack Shih-Chieh; Li, Yuzhu; Brading, Ryan

Abstract: Adversities are inherent in the information system development (ISD) process and ... Expand

Abstract: Adversities are inherent in the information system development (ISD) process and often put projects to a halt. However, it is unclear what capabilities the team needs to resist and bounce back from adverse events. The purpose of this study is to propose that team resilience capability (TRC), containing affective, cognitive, and behavioral factors is vital for effective project performance. Further, by adopting the conservation of resource perspective, we theorize that intellectual capital, including human capital, technology capital, and political capital fosters TRC. Survey data collected from 149 ISD project teams confirmed our ideas that TRC is strongly tied with project performance and is more affected by human capital, followed by political capital and tech­ nology capital. Collapse

Topics: human resource management project productivity systems development information technology capability pandemic

Methods: survey partial least squares regression regression analysis method literature study business process modeling

Emergent Cultural Contradictions from Overlapping Cultural Levels in Information Systems Development

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

Authors: Geeling, Sharon; Brown, Irwin; Weimann, Peter

Abstract: Research exploring the cultural influence on information system development (IS ... Expand

Abstract: Research exploring the cultural influence on information system development (ISD) projects tends to focus on a single level of influence (e.g., organizational culture) or cultural incompatibility between one or two cultural levels that are assumed to be discretely separate and static (e.g., national and organizational culture). In contrast, our research conceptualizes culture as dynamic and emergent, with varying levels of overlapping cultures that occur simultaneously in ISD projects (e.g., organizational and occupational culture overlaps). The case study method is used to examine two strategic projects in a single organization in South Africa. The findings describe how the overlap of different cultural levels gives rise to cultural contradictions in ISD projects. Understanding the relevance of the multiple cultures that exist in ISD projects offers further opportunity for refining explanations of cultural contradictions. Cultural contradictions that emerge from cultural overlaps during ISD are conceptualized as five distinct types: Vision Contradictions, Priority Contradictions, Process Contradictions, Role Contradictions, and Technology Contradictions. Despite variation in the context of each project, there is a similarity in the nature and effect of emergent cultural contradictions. The paper concludes with suggestions for addressing cultural contradictions in and influences on ISD projects. 1 We use the term 'contradiction' rather than 'paradox' in this paper as it more accurately reflects the spirit of the situation in our conceptualization -a cultural belief or understanding that "denies the truth or correctness of another" (Oxford University Press, n.d.). Paradox, in contrast, is more indicative of a self-contradictory statement that may nevertheless prove to be true (Oxford University Press, n.d.). 934 Emergent Cultural Contradictions from Overlapping Cultural Levels During Information Systems Development Volume 52 10.17705/1CAIS.05244 Paper 44 (Ramesh et al., 2017). Additionally, as effective leadership requires cultural understanding (Schein, 2010), we argue that a deeper understanding of cultural contradictions can assist leaders of ISD projects to identify appropriate interventions and craft positive outcomes from the cultural diversity present in ISD project teams.Our study, therefore, resulted in the pursuit of the following two objectives: (a) to develop a conceptual model for analyzing culturally induced contradictions experienced during an ISD project, and (b) to reveal the relationship between level-specific cultural influences and emergent cultural contradictions in ISD projects. The primary research question answered was:RQ1: What types of cultural contradictions influencing social interaction in ISD teams emerge at overlapping levels of culture in ISD projects?Emergent Cultural Contradictions from Overlapping Cultural Levels During Information Systems Development Volume 52 Collapse

Topics: organizational culture project management organizational value systems development pseudonymity

Methods: qualitative interview conceptual modelling case study constant comparative analysis personal interview

Pictures that are Worth a Thousand Donations: How Emotions in Project Images Drive the Success of Online Charity Fundraising Campaigns? An Image Design Perspective

2023 | Management Information Systems Quarterly | Citations: 0

Authors: Hou, Jian-Ren; Zhang, Jie; Zhang, Kunpeng

Abstract: Charity fundraising is becoming increasingly reliant on online platforms such a ... Expand

Abstract: Charity fundraising is becoming increasingly reliant on online platforms such as crowdfunding platforms. However, overwhelmingly, crowdfunding campaigns are not meeting their goals. Therefore, it is imperative to examine how the success of charity fundraising campaigns can be improved. In this paper, we focus on the design of project images on a crowdfunding website, which portray the themes and content of the projects. Employing the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model, we investigate the relationships between image attributes (S) and image emotions (O), and between image emotions (O) and campaign outcomes (R). We developed and trained a deep neural network model to identify the emotions conveyed in the images, and then implemented it to analyze project images from a popular crowdfunding platform. We applied the obtained image emotions together with the objective image attributes and the project outcome metrics to explore from a design perspective, what image attributes evoke image emotions, and how image emotions are related to the success of charity fundraising projects. Our results confirm these relationships and further suggest that the roles of image emotions on the success of crowdfunding campaigns vary with project characteristics such as the project budget and category. In addition, the image emotions of competing projects on the crowdfunding platform were found to reduce the project's performance. In an extended study, we conducted an online randomized controlled experiment by manipulating image attributes to reexamine the causal relationships and verify the mediating roles of positive and negative empathies between image emotions and campaign outcomes. This research contributes to the charity fundraising literature from a novel perspective of emotions in project images. It presents new and unique findings regarding the mediation roles of positive and negative empathies and the limitations of the emotion of sadness in certain types of charity fundraising. In addition, our findings provide useful insights for practitioners seeking to design successful online charity campaigns. Collapse

Topics: crowdsourcing crowdfunding project productivity Google+ website

Methods: experiment deep learning computational algorithm machine learning descriptive statistic

Contract Choice, Moral Hazard, and Performance Evaluation: Evidence from Online Labor Markets

2023 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Huang, Peng; Wang, Yifei

Abstract: Due to the spatial and temporal separations between clients and freelancers, onl ... Expand

Abstract: Due to the spatial and temporal separations between clients and freelancers, online labor markets (OLMs) are particularly susceptible to issues related to information asymmetry. Based on the economics of information, we hypothesize that the choice of contract type—i.e., between the fixed-priced (FP) contract and the time-and-materials (TM) contract—has important implications for curbing moral hazard during contract execution, and therefore will influence the client’s perceived contractual performance upon project completion. We test the predictions by assembling a dataset of data analytics projects completed by freelancers on Upwork, the largest online freelancing platform. We find that, consistent with our hypothesis, freelancers under a TM contract receive significantly lower performance ratings by their clients on average compared to those under an FP contract. Interestingly, we also find that the level of expertise required for a project moderates the effect of contract choice on client satisfaction; the negative impact of a TM contract is smaller (i.e., less negative) when a project requires intermediate-level or expert-level skills. Our study offers useful insights into an important institutional determinant of contractual performance evaluation, which has profound implications for freelancers’ reputations in OLMs. Collapse

Topics: moral hazard Upwork analytical information system programming language Elance

Methods: regression analysis method propensity score matching experimental group theory development longitudinal research

Theories: lemon market theory agency theory

The Interdependence of Coordination and Cooperation in Information Technology Outsourcing

2023 | Information Systems Research | Citations: 0

Authors: Im, Ghiyoung P.; Ahuja, Manju

Abstract: The success of information technology outsourcing projects largely depends on th ... Expand

Abstract: The success of information technology outsourcing projects largely depends on the extent to which partners are willing to learn through interactions with each other. This study investigates the antecedents and consequences of relational learning between clients and vendors in outsourcing projects. Drawing on the collaboration framework in interfirm relationships research, this study examines the interdependence of coordination and cooperation. The two antecedents of relational learning (i.e., shared domain knowledge and motivational elements) represent coordination and cooperation mechanisms. We investigate the independent (main) and interdependent (moderation) effects of these mechanisms on relational learning from both the client and vendor perspectives. The findings show that the interdependent model is better in explaining the impact of coordination and cooperation mechanisms in outsourcing projects. This finding enables partners to understand relationship dynamics more comprehensively and develop collaboration mechanisms that can bring synergy between coordination and cooperation. Our study also shows that the perceptions of motivational elements are not symmetric between clients and vendors. History: Yulin Fang, Senior Editor; Ning Su, Associate Editor. Funding: This research was supported by the College of Business at the University of Louisville. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2023.1216. Collapse

Topics: outsourcing business process management project productivity computer supported cooperative work resource allocation

Methods: descriptive statistic statistical hypothesis test survey theory development ordinary least square

Theories: goal framing theory

Unpacking the Black Box: A Cognitive Process Model of Escalation of Commitment in IS Project Management

2023 | International Conference on Business Informatics | Citations: 0

Authors: Marx, Carolin; Uebernickel, Falk

Abstract: In the plethora of challenges associated with managing Information Systems (IS) ... Expand

Abstract: In the plethora of challenges associated with managing Information Systems (IS), deciding when to persist or withdraw from a distressed IS project is of utmost importance. Distressed IS projects are particularly prone to Escalation of Commitment (EoC) -the tendency to persist with failing courses of action. To better understand how the cognitive "black box" behind this tendency unfolds, we uncovered 13 cognitive reasoning patterns and a cognitive process model based on 270 text-based reflections of 56 participants during a sequential decision-making simulation. Cognition differs between the four escalation phases regarding the temporal focus (retrospective, introspective, prospective), the underlying mechanism (starting momentum, path dependency, denial, perceived completion proximity), and the combination of cognitive reasoning patterns. The cognitive process model of EoC helps detangle the complexities of managing IS. Our findings also support IS managers in identifying signs of escalation and selecting the appropriate actions to turn distressed projects around. Collapse

Topics: decision making IT project IT project management decision quality project productivity

Methods: business process modeling simulation qualitative coding

Theories: cognitive dissonance theory self justification theory punctuated equilibrium theory

Control-style ambidexterity and information systems project performance: an expanded view of control activities

2023 | European Journal of Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Syed, Tahir Abbas; Wiener, Martin; Mehmood, Fahad; Abdelrahman, Mahmoud

Abstract: Information systems (IS) projects represent key building blocks of large-scale d ... Expand

Abstract: Information systems (IS) projects represent key building blocks of large-scale digital transformation and innovation initiatives. As a result, IS projects have become increasingly ambitious in terms of both goals and scale, making it even more challenging for managers to exercise control over such projects. While prior research focused primarily on the direct and interactive effects of formal and informal control modes on IS project performance, recent research directs attention to the importance of considering project managers’ control styles (i.e., how managers interact with controlees to enact controls). Corresponding studies also indicate that “either/or” control approaches – as opposed to “both/and” approaches – are no longer viable in today’s complex environment. As such, our study draws on an ambidexterity perspective to theoretically develop and empirically test the direct and interactive effects of control-style ambidexterity on IS project performance. Using matched-pair data from 146 IS projects (from 146 high-tech firms), we find that control-style ambidexterity improves project performance – directly and in combination with both formal and informal control. The study results contribute novel insights regarding the effective control of IS projects in the digital era and help explain mixed findings in prior literature, thereby facilitating continued theory development in the research area. Collapse

Topics: IT project project productivity IT project team database system innovation management

Methods: survey theory development partial least squares path modeling post-hoc analysis survey design

Theories: ambidexterity theory

Winner Takes All? The Blockbuster Effect on Crowdfunding Platforms

2023 | Information Systems Research | Citations: 0

Authors: Wang, Zhiyi; Yang, Lusi; Hahn, Jungpil

Abstract: Crowdfunding platforms are characterized by an uneven distribution of quality an ... Expand

Abstract: Crowdfunding platforms are characterized by an uneven distribution of quality and resources. Some projects achieve outstanding and exceptional performance. Those projects, which we call “blockbuster projects,” are believed to have a considerable impact on crowdfunding platforms, especially on other concurrent projects. There are two plausible yet opposing predictions: they may exhibit both a negative effect by monopolizing backer attention and resources and a positive effect by increasing the activeness of backer side. This tension could be further complicated, considering that blockbusters are inherently heterogeneous, which could result in different interrelations with other concurrent projects. To fully understand this tension, this study examines the effects of blockbuster projects on the overall performance of concurrent projects on the platform and the nuances of such effects for different interrelations between blockbusters and other projects. Drawing on the cross-side network effects literature and integrating insights from the unique features of crowdfunding, we develop a theoretical framework that highlights the multidimensional view of blockbuster effects: we propose that blockbuster projects have an overall positive effect on the performance of concurrent projects (overall effect), and such positive effect is stronger for related blockbusters (local effect) and blockbusters emerging before the focal project (temporal effect). Using data from a leading reward-based crowdfunding platform, the proposed hypotheses are tested and largely supported. Additional analyses, based on off-platform data and backer data, verify the mechanism driving the blockbuster effects: blockbusters increase the popularity of the platform, whereby backers participating in the blockbusters tend to develop positive impressions and heightened expectations, so that they are likely to participate in other concurrent projects. This study contributes to the crowdfunding literature on interactions among projects, the literature on distinctive agents in online markets, and the cross-side network effects literature. We also discuss practical implications for project creators and platform operators. History: Anandasivam Gopal, Senior Editor; Sunil Wattal, Associate Editor. Funding: This work was supported by the National University of Singapore and the Singapore Ministry of Education Academic Research [Grants R-253-000-119-112 and R-253-000-136-114]. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2022.1154. Collapse

Topics: crowdsourcing crowdfunding network effect Google+ consumer behavior

Methods: robustness check cluster analysis k-means clustering theory development econometric modeling

Control-style choices and performance impacts: How should senior IS managers enact control over uncertain IS projects?

2023 | Decision Support Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Wiener, Martin; Cram, W. Alec; Remus, Ulrich; Mähring, Magnus

Abstract: Information systems (IS) projects are notoriously difficult to control, especial ... Expand

Abstract: Information systems (IS) projects are notoriously difficult to control, especially under conditions of uncertainty. This difficulty is particularly pronounced for senior IS managers, such as CIOs and IT Vice Presidents, who tend to have scarce time and limited project-related knowledge but are ultimately held accountable for IS project performance. Focusing on this under-researched controller category, the study at hand contributes new insights into the enactment of controls by exploring how IS project uncertainty affects senior IS managers’ control-style choices, as well as how it moderates the impact of such choices on process and product performance. Based on a survey of 150 senior IS managers, we find that IS project uncertainty increases managers’ use of an authoritative control style but is unrelated to their use of an enabling control style. Further, in IS projects characterized by uncertainty, an authoritative control style is found to be effective for process performance, whereas an enabling style is found to be effective for product performance. Moreover, the results of a post-hoc analysis show that using the two control styles simultaneously under uncertainty delivers no discernible benefits, suggesting a decision-related control dilemma. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. Collapse

Topics: IT project IT manager project productivity decision support system IT skill

Methods: survey statistical hypothesis test post-hoc analysis PLS tool descriptive statistic

Theories: control theory