Do you see what I see? A social capital perspective on microtask gig worker opportunity recognition within electronic networks of practice
In a forthcoming paper in the International Journal of Information Management, my team studies how microtask gig workers identify lucrative opportunities on platforms like MTurk.
Microtask gig workers (MGWs) rely on digital platforms to arrange work agreements with requesters to complete well-defined microtasks. Many MGWs use an electronic network of practice (ENP) to facilitate information sharing about desirable and undesirable microtasks. This study uses social capital theory to theorize how social capital’s dimensions – structural, cognitive, and relational – shape the development of uncertainty-reducing and individualized-skill benefits. Based on survey data from 436 Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) workers, the findings demonstrate that unique social capital dimensions affect specific ENP benefits. Understanding the communication style of an ENP (i.e., cognitive social capital) positively influences the uncertaintyreducing benefits of microtask information quality (MIQ) related to MTurk work. Combined with expectations of reciprocity and trust in ENP members (i.e., relational social capital), MIQ shapes microtask opportunity recognition (MOR), whereby individual MGWs identify opportunities to complete financially beneficial microtasks. The present study demonstrates that contextual factors, based on the coopetive nature of microtask ENPs, affect the interrelated structure of social capital theory and its underlying dimensions. Lastly, post hoc findings demonstrate the influence of MOR on MGWs’ financial performance, challenging previously held assumptions about the role of MIQ within the microtask literature.
The paper is co-authored with Paul DiGangi (University of Alabama-Birmingham), Jack Howard (University of Alabama-Birmingham), and Samuel Goh (University of Alabama-Birmingham).
Recommended Citation: DiGangi, P., Howard, J..L., Goh, S. and Thatcher, J.B. (Forthcoming). Do you see what I see? A social capital perspective on microtask gig worker opportunity recognition within electronic networks of practice. International Journal of Information Management.
Emotion and Information Technology Use: The Impact of State Affect on Cognitions and IT Use
In this paper forthcoming in Internet Research, my team probes the interrelationships between affect and trust on technology use.
This paper investigates the dynamics between state affect and trusting cognitive beliefs on post-adoptive information technology (IT) use behaviors in the form of intention to explore and deep structure usage. That state affect can have an undue influence on behaviors is recognized in practice, and some studies examine the impact of affective constructs, but how state affect impacts how we use IT remains largely unexplored. We theorize that state affect, in the form of positive affect and negative affect, will influence trusting cognitive beliefs regarding an IT artifact (in terms of perceived capability, reliability and helpfulness) as well as, more importantly, directly influencing intentions to explore and deep structure usage. We test our model using a sample of 357 IT users. Survey items were derived from established measures, and the data was analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results suggest that positive affect and trusting cognitive beliefs positively impact intention to explore and deep structure use, while negative affect and trusting cognitive beliefs positively impact intention to explore. Both positive affect and negative affect directly influenced trusting cognitive beliefs, and positive affect exhibited a significant impact on intention to explore even when controlling for the influence of trusting cognitive beliefs. In order to maximize value from workplace IT, our results suggest managers foster an authentically positive workplace environment and learning how to harness or redirect employees’ emotional energies.
The paper is co-authored with Michael Dinger (USC-Upstate), Julie Wade (USC-Upstate), Steven Dinger (Independent Scholar), and Michelle Carter (Washington State University).
Recommended citation: Dinger, M., Wade, J., Dingers, S., Carter, M., and Thatcher, J.B., (Forthcoming). “Emotion and Information Technology Use: The Impact of State Affect on Cognitions and IT Use.” Internet Research.
Individual IT Creativity: A Conceptual and Operational Definition
In this paper forthcoming at Information Technology and People, our team led by Colleen Carraher Wolverton develops a new measure of Individiual IT Creativity.
An organization’s competitive advantage can be strengthened if they are able to identify highly creative individuals who can develop novel and useful ideas with IT. In fact, organizational success in the 21st century may depend upon a firm’s ability to identify highly creative individuals who are able to develop novel and useful ideas, which are the outcome of creativity. We posit that IT (Information Technology) plays a significant role in creativity. Applying the Componential view of creativity, we propose the theoretically-derived concept of Individual Information Technology Creativity (IITC). Utilizing a 5-phase methodology, we provide a theoretically-derived and rigorously validated measure of IITC. This study demonstrates that IITC is manifest in individuals who: (a) possess IT expertise; (b) are motivated by IT tasks; and (c) exhibit IT creativity-relevant processes. We then develop a scale to measure IITC and examine IITC within a broader nomological network. This study facilitates the investigation of new streams of research into IITC, including new possible outcomes in addition to IT acceptance.
The paper is co-authored with Colleen Carraher Wolverton (the University of Lousiana – Lafayette), Tracy Rizzuto (the Lousiana State University), and Wynne Chin (the University of Houston.
Suggested Citation: Carraher Wolverton, C, Rizzuto, T, Thatcher, J.B., and Chin, Wynne, C. (Forthcoming). “Individual IT Creativity: A Conceptual and Operational Definition.” Information Technology and People.
Grace, Place, and Space: Fostering Employee Technological Innovation in the New Normal.
In a forthcoming paper in Internet Research, my team led by Jim Burleson reflects on post-pandemic changes in how we manage the workplace.
The ongoing shift to telework has brought about tremendous opportunities for employees to reimagine their use of technology. Opportunities abound for both discovering new technologies and new uses of existing technologies. However, opportunity alone is not enough to turn ideas into action. This opinion paper identifies grace, place and space as key concepts that can help managers navigate challenges and opportunities for technological innovation posed by telework. We provide a concise review of related research and events that inform our selection of conditions necessary to foster employee technological innovation. We identify three primary conditions necessary to foster employee technological innovation – grace, place, and space. “Grace” refers to employee autonomy, “place” refers to networking, and “space” refers to a reduction of overload. While telework may create opportunities for innovation, it also presents difficulties. Therefore, for each condition, we discuss inherent tensions and advise managers regarding how they can resolve those tensions and bring about innovation with a decentralized workforce. We situate our discussion on facilitating conditions that foster employee technological innovation in today’s current environment, one in which a rapid expansion of telework among employees is creating difficulties for managers. This paper addresses the “new normal” that managers will face for the foreseeable future.
The paper is co-authored by Jim Burleson (Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo) and Bruce E. Greenbaum (Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo).
Recommended Citation: Burleson, J.B., Greenbaum, B., and Thatcher, J.B. (Forthcoming). “Grace, Place, and Space: Fostering Innovation in the New Normal.” Internet Research.
Shocks and IS User Behavior: A Taxonomy and Future Research DirectionsShocks and IS User Behavior: A Taxonomy and Future Research Directions
In a forthcoming paper in Internet Research, my team reviews the literature on shocks and explores how they should be investigated in future Information Systems Research.
Jarring events, be they global crises such as COVID-19 or technological such as the Cambridge Analytica data incident, have bullwhip effects on billions of people’s daily lives. Such “shocks” vary in their characteristics. While some shocks cause, for example, widespread adoption of information systems (IS) as diverse as Netflix and Teams, others lead users to stop using IS, such as Facebook. To offer insights into the multifaceted ways shocks influence user behavior, this study assesses the status quo of shock-related literature in the IS discipline and develops a taxonomy that paves the path for future IS research on shocks. We conducted a literature review (N=70) to assess the status quo of shock-related studies in the IS discipline. Through a qualitative study based on users (N=39) who experienced shocks, we confirmed the findings of previous literature in an illustrative IS research context. We integrated these findings to inform a taxonomy of shocks impacting IS use. Our studies identify different ways that shocks influence user behavior. The taxonomy reveals that IS research could profit from considering environmental, private, and work shocks and shedding light on positive shocks. IS research could also benefit from examining the urgency of shocks, as there are indications that this influences how and when individuals react to a specific shock. Our findings complement previous rational explanations for user behavior by showing technology use can be influenced by shocks. Our studies offer a foundation for forward-looking research that connects jarring events to patterns of technology use.
The paper is co-authored with Marco Meier (University of Bamberg), Christian Maier (University of Bamberg), and Tim Weitzel (University of Bamberg).
Recommended Citation: Meier, M., Maier, C., Thatcher, J.B., and Weitzel, T. (Forthcoming). “Shocks and IS User Behavior: A Taxonomy and Future Research Directions.” Internet Research.
How COVID-19 Stole Christmas: How the Pandemic Shifted the Calculus around Social Media Self-Disclosures
In a forthcoming paper in the Journal of Business Research, our team shows that social media users’ reasons for posting content changed during the COVID19 pandemic.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, social media use increased significantly, and news media also reported increased levels of social shaming for behaviors that were now deemed high-risk for spreading or contracting the virus. This study examines how this pandemic-afflicted environment changed what and how individuals disclosed online during the 2020 holiday season. Using data collected at two time periods in December 2020 from Facebook and Instagram users, the data show that social calculus constructs comprise most of the significant predictors for online self-disclosure; evaluation apprehension is also a significant moderator. In a post-hoc analysis with 2019 disclosure data, this study finds that most of the significant predictors of behavior arise from privacy calculus, providing evidence of a shift in the salient predictors of online self-disclosure. The implications of this research to businesses and future research directions are discussed.
The paper is coauthored with Teagen Nabity-Grover (Boise State University) and Christy MK Cheung (Hong Kong Baptist University).
Suggested Citation: Nabity-Grover, T., Cheung, C.M.K., and Thatcher, J.B. (Forthcoming). “How COVID-19 Stole Christmas: How the Pandemic Shifted the Calculus around Social Media Self-Disclosures.” Journal of Business Research.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Hiring: The Role of Social Media Disclosures on Stigma and Hiring Assessments of Veterans
In a forthcoming paper in Personnel Psychology, our team shows that veterans posting on social media about PTSD adversely impacts their career opportunities.
A significant percentage of veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Veterans are often directed to social media platforms to seek support during transition to civilian life. However, social media platforms are increasingly used to aid in hiring decisions, and these platforms may make veterans’ PTSD more discoverable during the hiring process. Based on social identity theory and identity management theory, the integrated suspicion model, and the stigma literature, we conducted four studies that examine veterans’ PTSD disclosures on social media and the consequences in the hiring process. Study 1 suggests that 16% to 34% of veterans included cues related to PTSD status on social media. Study 2, based on 290 upper-level business students, shows that veterans with PTSD were more stigmatized than veterans without PTSD and stigmatization is associated with more suspicion, and lower hiring-related ratings (of expected task performance, expected organizational citizenship behaviors, expected counterproductive work behaviors, and intention to interview). Study 3, based on 431 working professionals with hiring experience, further supported relationships from Study 2. Study 4, based on 298 working professionals, identifies peril (i.e., perceptions regarding danger associated with veterans with PTSD) as an additional mediator for the effects of PTSD on hiring-related ratings. In sum, we identify and explore the identity management conundrum that social media disclosure poses for veterans with PTSD in the hiring process and discuss potential remedies and avenues for future research.
The paper is coauthored with Wenxi Pu (University of Manitoba), Phil Roth (Clemson University), Christy Nittrouer (Texas Tech), and Mikki Hebl (Rice University).
Suggested Citation: Pu, W., Roth, P., Nittrouer, C., Thatcher, J.B., and Hebl, M. (Forthcoming). “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Hiring: The Role of Social Media Disclosures on Stigma and Hiring Assessments of Veterans.” Personnel Psychology.
Workgroup Embeddedness and Professionalism Among IT Professionals: Impacts on Work-Life Conflict and Organizational Citizenship
In a forthcoming paper in the Journal of the AIS, our team reflects on how embeddedness in a workplace shapes work-life conflict and organizational citizenship.
Over their careers, IT professionals become embedded in their workplace. In the Organizational Behavior literature, research has found job embeddedness provides direct, positive benefits for employers, including lower turnover intention, lower levels of withdrawal behaviors, lower actual turnover, and more. In this paper, we present a more nuanced view, namely that embeddedness among IT professionals may influence the development of professionalized mindsets that, in turn, have a mix of positive and negative consequences. To understand these relationships, we introduce a concept called workgroup embeddedness (WGE). WGE captures how IT professionals become embedded in their organizational workgroup or unit. We report a multi-phase study that 1) developed a measure of WGE, 2) established the validity of WGE, and 3) evaluated the implications of WGE among 150 IT professionals using data collected at two points in time. We found that WGE exhibits drives increases in professionalism, which, in turn, increases work-life conflict. Also, we find that both WGE and professionalism positively influence organizational citizenship behaviors. These findings indicate that WGE may play a role in socializing and driving more professional mindsets, such as professional identification, among IT professionals that lead to positive outcomes, like citizenship, but may come at the expense of negative consequences in their non-work lives. Post hoc findings highlight that belief in public service and identification with the IT profession plays in influencing work-life conflict and organizational citizenship. We conclude with implications for research and practice.
The paper is co-authored with Michael Dinger (USC-Upstate), Varun Grover (University of Arkansas), and John Tripp (Clemson University).
Suggested Citation: Dinger, M., Thatcher, J.B., Grover, V. and Tripp, J.F. (Forthcoming). “Workgroup Embeddedness and Professionalism Among IT Professionals: Impacts on Work-Life Conflict and Organizational Citizenship.” Journal of the AIS.
WHEN CONSTRUCTS BECOME OBSOLETE: A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO EVALUATING AND UPDATING CONSTRUCTS FOR INFORMATION SYSTEMS RESEARCH
In a forthcoming paper in MIS Quarterly, our team reflects on when and why construct definitions and measures require updating, particularly in a fast-moving domain such as Information Systems.
In this paper, we confront a paradox in the IS literature that even though our field focuses on the rapid pace of technological change and the dramatic scale of technology-enabled organizational and societal changes, we sometimes find ourselves studying these changes using—largely without question—constructs that were developed in a vastly different IT, user, and organizational environment. We provide guidelines to help assess whether an existing construct warrants updating and to structure the updating task if it is undertaken. Our three-step process provides for a theoretically grounded and comprehensive method that ensures we balance the need for construct updating against the need to sustain our cumulative tradition. We illustrate our guidelines using computer self-efficacy (CSE) as a case study. We document each of the steps involved in analyzing, reconceptualizing, and testing the revised construct information technology self-efficacy (ITSE). Our analyses show that the new construct better explains both traditional and contemporary constructs with a traditional (postal survey) and contemporary (online panel) sample. We discuss the implications of our work both for research on self-efficacy and more broadly for future updating of other important constructs.
The paper is co-authored with Debbie Compeau (Washington State University) and John Correia (Gonzaga University).
Recommended citation: Compeau, D., Correia, J. and Thatcher, J.B. (Forthcoming). “When Constructs Become Obsolete: A Systematic Approach to Evaluating and Updating Constructs for Information Systems Research.” MIS Quarterly. DOI: 10.25300/MISQ/2022/15516
CAN YOU SEE OPPORTUNITY KNOCKING? AN EXAMINATION OF TECHNOLOGY-BASED POLITICAL SKILL ON OPPORTUNITY RECOGNITION IN ONLINE COMMUNITIES FOR MTURK WORKERS
In a forthcoming paper in Internet Research, our team examines how political skill shapes an individual’s ability to identify lucrative tasks on gig-work platforms.
Political skill has emerged as a concept of interest within the information systems literature to explain individual performance outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to adapt political skill to technology-mediated contexts. Specifically, we seek to understand political skill’s role in shaping microtask workers’ opportunity recognition when utilizing online communities in microtask work environments. We tested our research model using a survey of 348 Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) workers who participate in microtask-related online communities. MTurk is a large, popular microtasking platform used by thousands of microtask workers daily, with several online communities supporting microtask workers. Technology-based political skill plays a critical role in shaping the resources microtasking workers rely upon from online communities, including opportunity recognition and knowledge sharing. The ability to develop opportunity recognition positively impacts a microtask worker’s ability to leverage online communities for microtask worker performance. Tenure in the community acts as a moderator within the model. The study makes several contributions. First, we adapt political skill to an online community to account for how microtask workers understand a community’s socio-technical environment. Second, we demonstrate the antecedent role of political skill for opportunity recognition and knowledge sharing. Third, we empirically validate the link between online communities and microtask worker performance.
The paper is co-authored with Paul DiGangi (University of Alabama-Birmingham), Charn McAllister (Northern Arizona University), Jack Howard (University of Alabama-Birmingham), and Gerald Ferris (Florida State University).
Recommended Citation: DiGangi, P., McAllister, C., Howard, J., Ferris, G. and Thatcher, J.B. (Forthcoming). “Can you see opportunity knocking? An examination of technology-based political skill on opportunity recognition in online communities for MTurk workers.” Internet Research.