Cindi Smatt

Equity or equality? a conceptual examination of the influence of individualism/collectivism on the cross‐cultural application of equity theory

Conceptually examines the effect of individualism/collectivism on the tenets of equity theory. It is the view of the authors that the equality principle of reward allocation in collectivistic cultures is not a separate method of distribution, but a subset of the theoretically grounded equity principle appropriately integrating the cross‐cultural individualism/collectivism value. To support this position, the authors reduce equity theory to its fundamental elements and illustrate how in dividualism/collectivism separately affects each component. The derived model and subsequent discussion should provide researchers with a theoretical frame work for future empirical studies.

Making it Personal: How Personalization Affects Trust Over Time

The over-arching purpose of this research is to broaden the study of trust as it applies to developing stable relationships in electronic environments. In contrast, previous research on trust has not progressed to looking at trust through its incremental development. This may be because methods are difficult to develop that study process models and concepts are difficult to operationalize that influence the incremental progression of variables. Exploring previous empirical research, antecedents emerge that enhance initial perceptions of trust, which possibly influence the progression of trust to deeper levels. More conceptual work identifies antecedents that swiftly cultivate trust, allowing for stable relationships to develop more quickly. One antecedent, personalization, has emerged as a popular technique to identify with consumers and is utilized and many popular electronic commerce websites. This research looks the effects of personalization on consumer’s trusting beliefs.

The impact of technology on network diversity

The purpose of this paper is to identify the barriers to career advancement and to investigate how technology may help to lift these barriers. Specifically, the authors look at the moderating effects of technology on network composition and career success and its impact on diversity in communication networks. This paper proposes the degree to which demographic variables predict career success. Technology is used to lift the barrier present for individuals dissimilar to those in the influential network. This facilitates participation and acceptance of individuals who would otherwise not communicate with individuals in the influential network.