We study how the knowledge that software developers receive from other software developers in their company impacts their performance. We also study the boundary conditions of this relationship. The results of our empirical study indicate that receiving knowledge from other software developers in the company is positively related to the performance of the knowledge-receiving software developers. Moreover, this relationship was stronger when the software developers had high rather than low task autonomy, when they had high- rather than low-quality social exchanges with their supervisors, and when the software development firms used formal knowledge utilization processes. Theoretically, these results contribute to a better understanding of the processes through which software developers utilize the knowledge that they receive from their peers in the firm. Practically, they show software development firms how emphasizing the task, social, and institutional dimensions of the software development process can help them increase knowledge utilization and performance in software development. > >
Little is known about how individuals come to relate to settings in virtual worlds (VWs), which are defined as digital environments in which individuals, groups, and even organizations interact in virtual (that is to say,nonphysical) spaces. This research develops a theory of virtual space and place (VSP), specifically relating this to the setting of Second Life (SL), a prominent social virtual world. We explore how three-dimensional space, as perceived by users, is able to provide them with an interactive experience with virtual objects, as well as with other VW denizens. To test our theory, we build interactive work tools in SL that are designed to reflect various degrees of motion range and to influence presence. The three information technology tools are evaluated by 150 business professionals who are either familiar or unfamiliar with SL. Implications for practice and directions for future research are discussed.
Blogging is becoming increasingly popular as a global phenomenon. Individual blog traffic and blogosphere structure are of interest to academia and practice. Although it is difficult to get a snapshot of the blogosphere with enough blogs over a long enough period to capture the real situation, chaos theory finds underlying order in this apparent random and complex phenomenon. This study provides an overall view of blogging from micro (individual blog traffic dynamics) and macro (blogosphere structure) levels through a chaos theory lens. Key concepts of chaos theory are used to construct an interpretive framework to illustrate blog system behavior dynamics. Blog systems tend to be nonlinear, dynamic, and deterministic, as well as sensitive to initial conditions. The study also demonstrates the feasibility of applying chaos theory thinking to areas such as knowledge management and the recent global financial crisis. Implications for practice and research opportunities are presented.
The article discusses the implementation of the electronic meeting systems (EMS) at the International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) in an alliance with Tucson-based University of Arizona. EMS' apply information technology to support the meeting process and help accomplish goals. The project at the University of Arizona has grown from initial support lore single site to 33 IBM sites and over 15,000 people have used the expanding EMS tool kit. The author states that EMS has improved group performance by an average of 55 percent. The site that was picked for the EMS Phase 1 installation and evaluation was a multi-line manufacturing plant with about 5,000 employees located in the rural setting of Owego, New York. Article topics also include Phase 2 EMS operationalization and the success factors of EMS.