Measuring Workers’ Perceptions of Algorithmic Control: Item Development and Content Validity Assessment

2023 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Alizadeh, Armin; Hirsch, Felix; Benlian, Alexander; Wiener, Martin; Cram, W. Alec

Abstract: Algorithmic control (AC) refers to organizations’ use of increasingly intelligen ... Expand

Abstract: Algorithmic control (AC) refers to organizations’ use of increasingly intelligent algorithms and related digital technology to steer worker behavior. While previous studies have identified and conceptualized various forms of AC in both platform and traditional work contexts, the presented conceptualizations lack measurability. This key shortcoming hampers further empirical research on the current use of AC and its manifold consequences. In this study, we report on the item development process for a scale for measuring perceived AC from a workers’ perspective. Following well-established approaches, an initial item pool was developed. The items were discussed and refined with the support of five academic experts and three AC workers. A subsequent rating study with 98 workers was conducted to ensure the content validity of all items. On this basis, the study at hand presents a comprehensive set of items for both AC in general and its seven sub-dimensions. Collapse

Topics: platform worker organizational context technostress database system ride sharing platform

Methods: qualitative interview survey design card sorting computational algorithm survey

Perceived Algorithmic Control: Conceptualization and Scale Development

2023 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 1

Authors: Alizadeh, Armin; Hirsch, Felix; Benlian, Alexander; Wiener, Martin; Cram, W.

Abstract: Organizations today leverage big data analytics combined with modern informatio ... Expand

Abstract: Organizations today leverage big data analytics combined with modern information and communication technology (ICT) to control workers in a largely automated manner. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as algorithmic control (AC). Research has shown that worker perceptions of AC applications can impact critical outcomes such as worker resistance, continuance intention, and well-being. Despite recent efforts to better understand these worker-level effects of AC, no systematic measures of workers' perceptions of AC exist to date. In this study, we develop and present a scale to empirically measure AC at the worker level. In particular, following established scale development guidelines, we conceptualize AC in terms of seven distinct forms, and derive, evaluate, and validate a final set of 33 measurement items. In doing so, our study paves the way for a much-needed, more systematic investigation of AC and its worker-level implications. Collapse

Topics: database system video conference social media

Methods: qualitative interview survey design psychometrics card sorting descriptive statistic

Intellectual capital and team resilience capability of information system development project teams

2023 | Information & Management | Citations: 16

Authors: Cheng, Kuang-Ting; Hsu, Jack Shih-Chieh; Li, Yuzhu; Brading, Ryan

Abstract: Adversities are inherent in the information system development (ISD) process and ... Expand

Abstract: Adversities are inherent in the information system development (ISD) process and often put projects to a halt. However, it is unclear what capabilities the team needs to resist and bounce back from adverse events. The purpose of this study is to propose that team resilience capability (TRC), containing affective, cognitive, and behavioral factors is vital for effective project performance. Further, by adopting the conservation of resource perspective, we theorize that intellectual capital, including human capital, technology capital, and political capital fosters TRC. Survey data collected from 149 ISD project teams confirmed our ideas that TRC is strongly tied with project performance and is more affected by human capital, followed by political capital and tech­ nology capital. Collapse

Topics: human resource management project productivity systems development information technology capability pandemic

Methods: survey partial least squares regression regression analysis method literature study business process modeling

A Maturity Model for Assessing the Digitalization of Public Health Agencies

2023 | Business & Information Systems Engineering | Citations: 0

Authors: Doctor, Eileen; Eymann, Torsten; Fürstenau, Daniel; Gersch, Martin; Hall, Kristina; Kauffmann, Anna Lina; Schulte-Althoff, Matthias; Schlieter, Hannes; Stark, Jeannette; Wyrtki, Katrin

Abstract: Requests for a coordinated response during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the li ... Expand

Abstract: Requests for a coordinated response during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the limitations of locally-operating public health agencies (PHAs) and have resulted in a growing interest in their digitalization. However, digitalizing PHAs – i.e., transforming them technically and organizationally – toward the needs of both employees and citizens is challenging, especially in federally-managed local government settings. This paper reports on a project that develops and evaluates a continuous (vs. a staged) maturity model, the PHAMM, for digitalizing PHAs as a cornerstone of a digitally resilient public health system in the future. The model supports a coordinated approach to formulating a vision and structuring the steps toward it, engaging employees along the transformation journey necessary for a federally-managed field. Further, it is now being used to allocate substantial national funds to foster digitalization. By developing the model in a coordinated approach and using it for distributing federal resources, this work expands the potential usage cases for maturity models. The authors conclude with lessons learned and discuss how the model can incentivize local digitalization in federal fields. Collapse

Topics: government system IS maturity resource allocation health information system usability

Methods: qualitative interview survey design science literature study maturity model

Avoiding the Diffusion of Responsibility in Social Networking Groups: A Field Experiment on Responses to Online Help-Request Referrals

2023 | Journal of the Association for Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Feng, Nan; Hu, Zhongtao; Wu, Yi; Choi, Ben

Abstract: Help-request referral (HRR) campaigns are being increasingly adopted by online s ... Expand

Abstract: Help-request referral (HRR) campaigns are being increasingly adopted by online service providers to attract online traffic and engage new users. In these campaigns, participants are required to collect a specific amount of help from their social network in exchange for attractive rewards. Participants often face challenges in obtaining positive feedback from their social networking groups due to the diffusion of responsibility. Based on the triangle model of responsibility, this study proposes and empirically tests a research model that examines two key determinants (i.e., request personalization and relational closeness) of recipients’ perceived responsibility that further shape their responses to HRR. Our field experiment empirically supports the research hypotheses. Overall, this study enriches the literature on online social referrals by focusing on HRR, where social referrals are broadcasted and senders reap referral benefits. The study also provides practical insights for HRR designers and social networking service providers. Collapse

Topics: personalization usability WeChat marketing management online word of mouth

Methods: survey experiment field experiment logistic regression analysis of covariance

Attributes of Continuity in Support Information Systems: A Study of Social Media Listening Experiences

2023 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Herrera, Lucia Castro; Shahbazi, Maryam; Majchrzak, Tim A.; Gjøsæter, Terje; Bunker, Deborah

Abstract: The increasing recurrence of crises threatens the continuity of services provid ... Expand

Abstract: The increasing recurrence of crises threatens the continuity of services provided by public service organizations (PSOs) to their communities, especially those in need. Beyond contingency plans, PSOs must rely on robust support information systems able to withstand transitions between day-to-day activities and crisis response with as minimal interruptions as possible. Through the analysis of experiences of use of social media analytics as a support system in PSOs, this study proposes a set of attributes that take place while transitioning between non-crisis and crisis states. The sociotechnical nature of transitions calls for a zoomed-out analysis based on shared patterns that could lead to generalization in the future. The results of our study contribute towards understanding how continuity and equilibrium are exercised in volatile and dynamic environments. In addition, our results could help organizations self-assess their social media analytics teams or other support systems within the proposed parameters. Collapse

Topics: social media social media analytics emergency management pandemic problem solving

Methods: qualitative interview case study card sorting qualitative content analysis literature study

Understanding and Measuring Computational Thinking: A Tripartite View of Competence

2023 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Ji, Shenjia; Xun, Yijing; Lee, Kwok On Matthew

Abstract: Computation is critical to social development for information processing in tod ... Expand

Abstract: Computation is critical to social development for information processing in today's digital world. Computational Thinking (CT), the underlying cognitive functioning of designing computation, has been under heated discussion. However, the conceptualization of CT and its measurements still require improvement when discussing CT as a competence for problem-solving. This study first conceptualizes CT in problemsolving context by identifying the framework of competence based on a tripartite view and applying it to clarify that CT competence consists of CT knowledge, skills, and attitudes. It then aims to develop a self-reported scale for complementing CT measurements based on the tripartite view. This work contributes to CT theories and measures through a more precise conceptual framework and an instrument developed based on it. It enriches IS studies by a new perspective that humans form their cognitive process for problem-solving under digital technologies, especially computational tools. Collapse

Topics: problem solving

Methods: literature study survey card sorting survey design theory development

FACILITATING AMATEUR ESPORTS PARTICIPATION AMONG MASS GAMERS: A SERIOUS LEISURE PERSPECTIVE

2023 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Ke, Xiaobo; Wagner, Christian

Abstract: The sustainable success of sports depends on a well-developed amateur participa ... Expand

Abstract: The sustainable success of sports depends on a well-developed amateur participation base. The important role of amateur participation is transferring to esports, a professionalized form of organized video game competition. While esports has enjoyed considerable popularity, concerns about its viability are growing, as its revenue displays an increasingly slow growth and is small. Recently, amateur esports has been emerging to support esports sustainability, although little is known about mass gamers' amateur esports participation. To understand the phenomenon and facilitate its development, adopting the serious leisure perspective and affordance theory, we investigate relationships between mass gamers' video game engagement and their amateur esports participation. Specifically, two serious leisure-based gaming experiences influencing amateur esports participation are identified, enabling us to confirm two game affordances for developing both experiences. This study enriches our knowledge of amateur esports development by explaining how video game engagement facilitates amateur esports participation from a serious leisure perspective. Collapse

Topics: esport video game user experience affordance usability

Methods: survey PLS tool data transformation factor analysis partial least squares regression

Theories: theory of affordance

Tools of Trade of the Next Blue-Collar Job? Antecedents, Design Features, and Outcomes of Interactive Labeling Systems

2023 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Knaeble, Merlin; Nadj, Mario; Germann, Luisa; Maedche, Alexander

Abstract: Supervised machine learning is becoming increasingly popular -and so is the nee ... Expand

Abstract: Supervised machine learning is becoming increasingly popular -and so is the need for annotated training data. Such data often needs to be manually labeled by human workers, not unlikely to negatively impact the involved workforce. To alleviate this issue, a new information systems class has emerged -interactive labeling systems. However, this young, but rapidly growing field lacks guidance and structure regarding the design of such systems. Against this backdrop, this paper describes antecedents, design features, and outcomes of interactive labeling systems. We perform a systematic literature review, identifying 188 relevant articles. Our results are presented as a morphological box with 14 dimensions, which we evaluate using card sorting. By additionally offering this box as a web-based artifact, we provide actionable guidance for interactive labeling system development for scholars and practitioners. Lastly, we discuss imbalances in the article distribution of our morphological box and suggest future work directions.To alleviate these issues, labeling tasks are nowadays performed in cooperation with machine intelligence. Hereby, a new class of information systems has emerged -that of interactive labeling (IL) systems. IL is defined as "combining automatic steps with incremental user input" (Bernard et al., 2018). IL differentiates from plain labeling tasks by incorporating machine intelligence in an interactive fashion, as opposed to using manual work start to end. For instance, when having crowdworkers annotate documents, Ramos et al. (2020) provide guidance in form of an iterative, incremental process, leveraging the workers capabilities to teach humans a skill. With only minimal training, their novices matched the performance of professionals. Their guidance further leads to lower frustration among participants. Chang et al. (2017) have worked on designing IL systems leveraging the scalability of crowdworking platforms. When having images labeled, they used a series of synchronized stages involving multiple workers each. By allowing for ambiguity and labeling as structures instead of binary decisions, they could decrease instruction effort and allow for an ex-post setting of label boundaries. While it may be easy to decide that a photo of a house cat should be labeled 'cat', and that of a Caterpillar-branded (short CAT) excavator should not be, the decision for a wild leopard is not straight forward. Hereby the stages of their system allow for labeler-led creation of new subcategories, if disagreement occurs. This is especially helpful to prevent fatal inconsistencies in the dataset, if, for instance, some labelers find leopards to be cats, while others do not. The IL system asks labelers for explanations for such disagreement, extracts sub-category names, and uses these as new labels to allow for the task issuers to resolve the question after labeling has concluded. So far, a considerable number of articles have already been published despite the young nature of this new class of information systems. Amershi et al. (2014) provide an initial overview, differentiate IL from previous works, and introduce the mistreatment of users as oracles. Further, we have previously studied user archetypes addressed in IL research illustrating two competing perspectives of how users are treated (Knaeble et al., 2020): (a) oracle (e.g. users are asked if a label is correct) versus (b) teacher (e.g. users can provide deeper explanations in labeling tasks). Moreover, recently, we derived five general design principles along prominent literature findings and exemplary IL approaches illustrating that the design of such systems is diverse, and can significantly vary in scope and functionality . However, this diversity encompasses a complex of dimensions and characteristics across different IL systems that is not currently well understood. Y. Zhang et al. (2022) have recently argued for more support for those developing IL systems, as they commonly need to be tailor-made. Knowing which design features IL systems offer (and which alternatives exist) is therefore of utmost importance. Hereby, designers and developers of IL systems require an overview of the available design features of IL systems, to be able to make educated decisions. Furthermore, research needs to draw connections between such design features, foregoing antecedents, and following outcomes. Recent research in crowdworking has highlighted the importance of both (Alpar and Osterbrink, 2020). Antecedents are hereby task and context specific requirements and necessities, in the context of IL systems this could be what data is supposed to be labeled, whereas outcomes are goals which are seen as desirable by designers, such as efficiency. By understanding such antecedents and outcomes, IL designers and developers get examples on how to optimize their systems regarding given antecedents or desired outcomes. As IL is a young and popular field of research the need for conducting such a study is exacerbated further. As we will show, the amount of relevant research is increasing rapidly. While we have derived knowledge about how IL systems currently treat users (Knaeble et al., 2020) and we outlined general goals to aim for when creating IL systems , there is a gap of design knowledge on how to achieve such goals. Specifically there is no overview of existing design features, foregoing antecedents, and following outcomes. Hereby, research has created, implemented, and evaluated numerous design features of IL systems, but is yet to aggregate such results for a holistic picture. On this basis, we formulate the following research question (RQ): How to describe antecedents, design features, and outcomes of interactive labeling systems in a morphological box? Hereby, we rely on a systematic literature review (SLR), deductive and inductive coding, as well as a card sorting evaluation. Our theoretical contributions lie in the following. First, we present a literature-grounded and userevaluated systematic overview of a new class of information systems, along antecedents, design features, Collapse

Topics: database system recommender system crowdsourcing open source systems development

Methods: qualitative interview card sorting literature sample literature study qualitative coding

Disentangling Emotional and Cognitive Factors of Escalation of Commitment: Evidence for a Psychophysiological Link

2023 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Marx, Carolin; Uebernickel, Falk

Abstract: Escalation of commitment -the tendency to persist with failing courses of actio ... Expand

Abstract: Escalation of commitment -the tendency to persist with failing courses of action -can determine whether a distressed Information Systems (IS) project can be turned around. To disentangle the emotional and cognitive factors that give rise to escalation we conducted a between-subject randomized controlled laboratory experiment with 75 Master, MBA, and Ph.D. students, including data triangulation between neurophysiological and behavioral measures. This study successfully replicates the bias in the context of IS project distress, provides evidence for a psychophysiological link, supports the predictions on the role of negative and complex emotional states of self-justification theory over coping theory, and adds to a better understanding of how escalation tendency changes over time due to learning effects. Our findings contribute to enhancing decision-making in uncertain environments by using cognitive and emotional markers and thereby provide the foundation for developing neuro-adaptive de-escalation strategies. Collapse

Topics: decision making IT project artificial intelligence cloud computing decision support

Methods: regression analysis method simulation biometric measurement experiment descriptive statistic

Theories: self justification theory cognitive dissonance theory cognitive theory