Catálogo de publicaciones - libros

An increase in demand for software services has led to development of software from different dispersed locations. This has brought in complexities to managing software projects. This research work focuses on the development of a process maturity model that balances different perspectives in one organization that is carrying out software sustenance work from geographically dispersed locations.

Building on behavioural leadership theory and structuration theory, we present a two-order theory of leadership. It describes four classes of first-order leadership behaviours and and defines second-order leadership as behaviour that influences changes in the structure that guides group action. We argue that second-order leadership is enabled by first-order leadership and is therefore action embedded and grounded in processes that define the social identity of the group. We propose that effective virtual teams will exhibit a paradoxical combination of shared, distributed first-order leadership complemented by strong, concentrated, and centralized second-order leadership. We conclude by suggesting future research that might be conducted to test and further elaborate our theory.

Existing models of leadership have been built on the assumption of face-to-face interaction, cultural homogeneity, and hierarchical organizational structures. We introduce a new model, Ambassadorial Leadership, which recognizes that different behaviors are needed for leading globally distributed virtual teams. The behaviors include those that are characteristic of an Ambassador who must be culturally sensitive, able to span boundaries created by geography and functional background, and able to help build a collective identity for the virtual team. We conducted a pilot study to examine the model and to compare our model to the transformational leadership factors. The results showed good discriminant and convergent validity as well as some indication that the new model adds some complementary dimensions to the transformational leadership model.

More and more people take part in virtual environments in which they present a “virtual self”—an online profile that indicates key information about them to other participants and viewers. This research investigates how people present themselves in the virtual yet work-related environments of occupational online forums. To do so, the research analyzes the profiles of more than 300 registered users of an online forum dedicated to issues of interest to bankers. These profiles are interpreted in relation to Goffman’s (1959) seminal ideas of mystification (allowed by the separation between backstage and public action) and presentation of self and of Turkle’s (1995) ideas of multiple, interrelated, online and offline selves. This research builds a grounded categorization of profiles. The four categories of profiles that emerged from the data correspond to clearly distinct ways participants in the online forums present themselves. Over time, two categories have become dominant while another has dwindled. This research holds implications for the understanding of the presentation of self in virtual but work-related environments. It shows how participants in online forums build their virtual self by playing with the mystification inherent of the virtual environment. It also shows an interplay between the virtual and the offline when some participants “de-mystify” their profile. Finally, the increasing prevalence of two categories of profiles suggests that, over time, social norms of presentation of self emerge and condition socially accepted virtual selves in occupational online forums.

Although virtual interactions are often assumed to be separate and distinct from the “real world,” they are ultimately situated in material reality. In this paper I propose that a situated approach to understanding virtuality can be drawn from Goffman’s (1974/1986). I explain how Goffman’s terminology and concepts afford a powerful way of integrating the study of virtual action and interaction with the study of social action and interaction more generally. His frame analysis provides language and concepts for distinguishing virtual worlds from each other and from real worlds in a way that is consonant with significant aspects of human-computer interaction. It helps to account for the phenomenon of immersion in virtual worlds, while at the same time, it is better suited for understanding both co-present and mediated social interaction. I conclude by discussing some limitations of this approach and suggestions for further research.

There is a long tradition of research on work in teams and their increasingly important use as an approach to organizational design. While the implicit assumption has been that individuals work on one team at a time, many individuals are now being asked to juggle several projects and their associated multiple team memberships (MTM) simultaneously. This creates a set of interesting opportunities and challenges for organizations that choose to structure work in this way. In this paper, we review the limited existing research on MTM work. We then present the results of a survey documenting the prevalence of MTM work and the findings from a pilot interview study suggesting a number of challenges, benefits, and enabling conditions associated with MTM work. We discuss the implications for managers working in MTM environments as well as for scholars of teams and, in doing so we describe what we see as key items on the agenda for future research on this topic.

Learning is a critical capability for virtual group effectiveness. The objective of this study is to understand when learning occurs. Once we understand when learning occurs we are better able to stimulate learning to enhance the effectiveness of virtual groups. Additionally, understanding the nature of learning triggers and the results they produce informs how we may achieve desired learning outcomes. This study develops a framework to explain, and empirically studies, when learning occurs in virtual groups. The study employed a single, embedded, qualitative case study designed to study learning triggers in an Open Source Software project. Findings suggest that learning occurs ensuing learning triggers. Learning triggers vary in type and source. The type and source of learning triggers effects whether learning occurs in the group and the type of learning outcomes the trigger produces.

Virtual teams have been seen as a promising way of organizing work for organizations to cope with the current rapidly changing business environment. Issues concerning virtual teams have received considerable attention in both the academic and practical world. In this paper, a case study approach was used to explore Chinese perceptions of the impact of national cultural difference (China vs. U.S.) on knowledge sharing activities in global virtual teams. Four cultural dimensions (language, education, technology and material culture, and attitudes and values) were identified. The final results show that language has the most salient impact on an individual’s knowledge sharing activities, followed by education, attitudes and values, and technology and material culture. Individual characteristics, organizational culture, time zone problems and leadership style all have a mediated impact on knowledge sharing activities.

Grid technologies are widely regarded as important innovations for drawing together distributed knowledge workers into virtual communities. After reviewing the developments in e-science, we examine the emergence of e-social science and the potential impact on scientific discovery. Grids are currently in a key developmental phase during which the field of information systems can bring significant insight. We consider what is new about the Grid phenomena and discuss the issues raised by this particular approach to the virtualization of research practices. Our analysis is organized into three subsections that focus on: developments in e-social science research methods; the theoretical issues involved in pursuing an e-social science agenda; as well as the status and nature of the research materials that it gives rise to in information systems.

One key dimension of the virtualization of the workplace is the formation of new types of partnerships where organizations let internal functions be handled by an external partner, the so-called outsourcing of services. The formation of an outsourcing partnership imposes the risk of knowledge-drainage on the client organization as specific internal competence decreases when the service provider takes over the technological knowledge and has a significant impact on the business processes in general. The aim of this paper is to address the issue of partnership outsourcing and to explore strategies that are used to keep the competence within the client organization even as it opens itself up to the partnership. Based on the framework of Four Outsourcing Relationship Types provided by Kishore et al. [], this paper investigates the relationship between a large minerals group, Alpha Corp. and its remote service provider, RDC. Alpha has three different strategies for maintaining competence within the organization while engaging in the outsourcing relationship. The first is exploiting the full potential of its partnership with RDC, the second is heavy investment in information technology, and the third is structured and systematic maintenance. The findings of the study show that the relationship between Alpha and RDC can be characterized as an alliance type relationship and that the only way for Alpha to preserve competence is to maintain an inspired and engaged workforce and fully embrace the partnership in order to create a win-win situation.