Shu Z. Schiller

Virtual Team Research An Analysis of Theory Use and a Framework for Theory Appropriation

Recent information systems research has studied various aspects of virtual teams. However, the foundations and theoretical development of virtual team research remain unclear. We propose that an important way to move forward is to accelerate the process of theorizing and theory appropriation. This article presents an in-depth analysis of the current state of the art of theory application and development in virtual team research. We identify the frequency, pattern of use, and ontological basis of 25 virtual team-relevant theories. A researcher’s tool kit is presented to promote future theory application and appropriation. The tool kit consists of a descriptive and analytical database of theories relevant for virtual team research. We also present a framework for appropriating virtual team theories based on seven criteria. A detailed example demonstrates the application of the theory appropriation framework. The article contributes to the literature by presenting the state of the art of theory use in virtual team research and by providing a framework for appropriating reference-discipline theories.

Co-creation and Collaboration in a Virtual World: A 3D Visualization Design Project in Second Life

One of the most successful and useful implementations of 3D virtual worlds is in the area of education and training. This paper discusses the use of virtual worlds in education and describes an innovative 3D visualization design project using one of the most popular virtual worlds, Second Life. This ongoing project is a partnership between IBM and three universities in the United States: the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Iowa State University, and Wright State University. More than 400 MBA students have participated in this project by completing a creative design project that involves co-creation and collaboration in Second Life. The MBA students from the three universities worked in pairs to create designs to represent concepts related to IBM Power Systems, a family of IBM servers. The paper discusses observations and reflections on the 3D visualization design project. The paper concludes with a discussion of future research directions in applying virtual worlds in education.

Consumer Reactions to Intrusiveness of Online-Video Advertisements

ABSTRACT Online-video advertising is growing rapidly, yet advertisers and Web site owners might not be accounting for the potentially negative impact of these advertisements. The current study examined the effects of advertisement characteristics—such as length, humor, and informativeness—on perceived ad intrusiveness and, subsequently, on marketing outcomes for both online advertisers and Web site owners. Results showed that intrusive advertisements negatively affected attitudes and intentions toward both the advertised brand and the host Web site. Informative and humorous video advertisements and longer advertisements, however, were perceived as less intrusive. The results implied that advertisers need to pretest video advertisements rigorously to achieve optimal marketing outcomes.

Institutional boundaries and trust of virtual teams in collaborative design: An experimental study in a virtual world environment

Members of virtual teams often collaborate within and across institutional boundaries. This research investigates the effects of boundary spanning conditions on the development of team trust and team satisfaction. Two hundred and eighty-two participants carried out a collaborative design task over several weeks in a virtual world, Second Life. Multigroup structural equation modeling was used to examine our research model, which compares individual level measurement between two boundary spanning team conditions. The results indicate that trusting beliefs have a positive impact on team trust, which in turn, influences team satisfaction. Further, we found that, compared to cross-boundary teams, within-boundary teams exhibited not only higher trusting beliefs and higher satisfaction with the collaboration process but also a stronger relationship between team trust and team satisfaction. These results suggest that trust and group theories need to be interpreted in light of institutional affiliation and contextual variables. An important practical implication is that trust can be fostered in a virtual world environment and collaboration on complex tasks can be carried out effectively in virtual worlds. However, within-boundary virtual teams are preferred over cross-boundary virtual teams if satisfaction with the collaboration process is of the highest priority.

Communication Openness in the Workplace: the Effects of Medium (F2F and IM) and Culture (U.S. and China)

Abstract Open communication is critical to the effectiveness, efficiency, and overall success of a business. It is believed that communication openness interplays with media channels and cultural contexts in which the communication takes place. Our study investigated communication openness in downward, peer, and upward directions in face-to-face (F2F) and instant messaging (IM) in the workplace in both the United States and China. An online survey was administrated in both countries, and we received 529 valid responses. Repeated measures of ANOVA and MANOVA were used for data analysis. We found that the degree of openness in communication was higher in F2F conversations than through IM; however, this relationship differed in the two cultures. When communicating F2F, American employees were generally more open than Chinese employees, especially when such communication happened between peer colleagues. When communicating through IM, Chinese workers, however, were far more open than American workers in all downward, peer, and upward directions. The main findings, the implications for research and practice, and the limitations of this study were discussed accordingly.

Let Them Play! Active Learning in a Virtual World

In this research, the authors introduce Second Life in undergraduate marketing courses to evaluate its impact on learning. Following the principles of active learning, they conducted two studies (“observing-reflection” and “observing-doing-reflection”) in which a total of 201 marketing students participated. Findings show that students who feel Second Life is more game-like and easy to use report greater effectiveness of learning. When “doing” is incorporated in learning activity, enjoyment and learning outcomes improve significantly.

FlexRFID: A design, development and deployment framework for RFID-based business applications

The surge of RFID technology and ensuing competition in the RFID vendor market has increased the complexity of integration of RFID into current business processes. To address this problem, we present FlexRFID, a modeling template composed of state indicators, conditions, a simulation engine, and a device-independent deployment architecture for rapid prototyping of control applications using RFID and sensor hardware. The modeling technique is based on Moore Machines, a variant of finite state automata that allow states to be associated with outputs. With FlexRFID, users design applications by modeling business logic via transition of states based on sensor events. Outputs associated with individual states can handle operational characteristics of the application. In this article, we present the modeling methodology and demonstrate how organizations can develop complex applications easily using FlexRFID. We believe that the simplicity and flexibility of FlexRFID will lead to the development of RFID applications quickly even with limited resources. In addition, the parking entry application presented in our paper demonstrates FlexRFID’s capability of being used in business application context, as well as in research, training, and teaching.

CHAT for chat

This mixed methods study addresses learning in online chat virtual reference service at a large university library. Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) provides the guiding principle and philosophy for the investigation, understanding, and interpretation of learning in online chat service. The research data contains a total of 2380 chat transcripts in their natural setting dated from May 1st to December 31st, 2015. Quantitative data analysis was first conducted, followed by qualitative data analysis on a corpus of 2007 chat conversations with a total of 382,793 words. The findings suggest that mediated learning in chat reference conversations is co-constructed with the technical environment that is mediated by online technology and the social environment that is mediated by social presence. The primary role of the online technology is that it enables developmental transformation of learning of the patron who benefits from both give fish and teach fishing styles of teaching. A mixed methods study guided by the Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT).A total of 2380 chat transcripts in their natural setting were analyzed.The mediated learning activity is delivered through Give Fish and Teach Fishing styles of teaching.The mediating artifact is composed of both technical and social environments.Teach Fishing is significantly associated with patrons expressions of appreciation.

Design of the expense allocation mechanism in e-waste recycling deposit system under EPR framework

In order to address the serious issue of informal e-waste recycling in China, though carefully analyzing correlative monetary, information and product flow for Chinas e-waste special fund administration, we propose to establish a framework of a deposit refund system under the EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) principles. The deposit refund system can increase the incentives of consumer recycling and ensure the construction of a formal recycling channel. Given the economic responsibilities of the multiple parties involved, we also come up with an optimized design of the reverse supply chain expense mechanism for e-waste recycling. In addition, after analyzing the concept and the core role of the deposit fund, we introduce it as a corresponding parameter in the supply chain model. This research extends a typical reverse supply chain model to one that involves manufacturer, third-party recycler, and consumer, as while as considers government decision and consumer activities. The proposed expenses allocation incentive mechanism is constructed on the foundation of the supply chain optimization theory. This research provides a new perspective on supply chain analysis by focusing on the issues of e-waste recycling, its environmental impacts, and incentives to informal recycling in China. Meanwhile, this study also takes into account the appropriate role of the Chinese government and the influence of the deposit fund to the supply chain and is intended to resolve the problem of the shared responsibility in e-waste recycling.

Building a Third-party Recycling Platform for E-waste Recycling through an Extended Producer Responsibility Framework

The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system has recently been implemented within E-waste recycling as a key environmental measure. The current insufficient measures and lack of standards in China limit the adoption of EPR . This paper proposes a third-party E-waste recyling system (EWRS) models through EPR. The hope is to simplify the process of returning E-waste from consumers to producers and to help developing a scientific recycling and standard management system.The proposed framework uses the e-commerce information platform to collect and analyze recycling data in real time, therefore optimizing the design of the supply chain. 1. BACKGROUND