• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.39-69
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• 2012

With the advent of communication technologies including electronic collaborative tools and conferencing systems provided over the Internet, virtual collaboration is becoming increasingly common in organizations. Virtual collaboration refers to an environment in which the people working together are interdependent in their tasks, share responsibility for outcomes, are geographically dispersed, and rely on mediated rather than face-to face, communication to produce an outcome. Research suggests that new sets of individual skill, knowledge, and ability (SKAs) are required to perform effectively in today's virtualized workplace, which is labeled as individual virtual competence. It is also argued that use of online social networking sites may influence not only individuals' daily lives but also their capability to manage their work-related relationships in organizations, which in turn leads to better performance. The existing research regarding (1) the relationship between virtual competence and task performance and (2) the relationship between online networking and task performance has been conducted based on different theoretical perspectives so that little is known about how online social networking and virtual competence interplay to predict individuals' task performance. To fill this gap, this study raises the following research questions: (1) What is the individual virtual competence required for better adjustment to the virtual collaboration environment? (2) How does online networking via diverse social network service sites influence individuals' task performance in organizations? (3) How do the joint effects of individual virtual competence and online networking influence task performance? To address these research questions, we first draw on the prior literature and derive four dimensions of individual virtual competence that are related with an individual's self-concept, knowledge and ability. Computer self-efficacy is defined as the extent to which an individual beliefs in his or her ability to use computer technology broadly. Remotework self-efficacy is defined as the extent to which an individual beliefs in his or her ability to work and perform joint tasks with others in virtual settings. Virtual media skill is defined as the degree of confidence of individuals to function in their work role without face-to-face interactions. Virtual social skill is an individual's skill level in using technologies to communicate in virtual settings to their full potential. It should be noted that the concept of virtual social skill is different from the self-efficacy and captures an individual's cognition-based ability to build social relationships with others in virtual settings. Next, we discuss how online networking influences both individual virtual competence and task performance based on the social network theory and the social learning theory. We argue that online networking may enhance individuals' capability in expanding their social networks with low costs. We also argue that online networking may enable individuals to learn the necessary skills regarding how they use technological functions, communicate with others, and share information and make social relations using the technical functions provided by electronic media, consequently increasing individual virtual competence. To examine the relationships among online networking, virtual competence, and task performance, we developed research models (the mediation, interaction, and additive models, respectively) by integrating the social network theory and the social learning theory. Using data from 112 employees of a virtualized company, we tested the proposed research models. The results of analysis partly support the mediation model in that online social networking positively influences individuals' computer self-efficacy, virtual social skill, and virtual media skill, which are key predictors of individuals' task performance. Furthermore, the results of the analysis partly support the interaction model in that the level of remotework self-efficacy moderates the relationship between online social networking and task performance. The results paint a picture of people adjusting to virtual collaboration that constrains and enables their task performance. This study contributes to research and practice. First, we suggest a shift of research focus to the individual level when examining virtual phenomena and theorize that online social networking can enhance individual virtual competence in some aspects. Second, we replicate and advance the prior competence literature by linking each component of virtual competence and objective task performance. The results of this study provide useful insights into how human resource responsibilities assess employees' weakness and strength when they organize virtualized groups or projects. Furthermore, it provides managers with insights into the kinds of development or training programs that they can engage in with their employees to advance their ability to undertake virtual work.

• Management & Information Systems Review
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.75-101
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• 2018

Social enterprise in Korea has faced with many problems such as small size, management capability, lack of technology and weak ability to obtain resources despite its quantitative growth, raising concern over sustainability of social enterprises. Despite such tough environment, unique feature of social enterprise, differentiated from commercial enterprise is that it has clear social mission. In addition, social enterprise has the organizational feature in that vulnerable social group of workers coexists with ordinary workers, and plays a role of helping independence of vulnerable social group. Due to this feature, successful organizational socialization of members in social enterprise is a very important feature. Based on assumption that social mission of social enterprise can be utilized as the unique competitiveness of social enterprise through vision-sharing in the organization, and may give positive effects on successful organizational socialization of organization members, this study aims to conduct empirical research on relationship between vision-sharing and organizational socialization and to explore mediation effects of organizational health as organizational environmental element in relationship between vision sharing and organizational socialization. This study was conducted on 156 employees working at social enterprises. As a result of study, first, vision sharing is found to have positive effects on organizational socialization at social enterprises. Second, vision sharing in social enterprise has positive effects on organizational health. Third, vitality and community-oriented in social enterprise are found to have mediation effects among lower elements of organizational health in relationship between vision sharing and organizational socialization. In conclusion, it is confirmed that the more visions of organization are shared, the more members recognize their organization healthy, resulting in successful organizational socialization. This study is meaningful in that it presents the plans for successful organizational socialization of members of social enterprise including vulnerable groups and that it is the empirical study on plans of social enterprise on human resource management.

• Management & Information Systems Review
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.223-248
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• 2012

This study analyses support policy and structural change of textile industry in Daegu Kyungbuk region, and suggests major issues for textile industry's innovation. In Daegu Kyungbuk, it was 1999 that a policy, so called Milano Project, in order to promote a textile industry was devised. In 2004, the Regional Industrial Promotion Plan was devised. The plan was born from a view point of establishing a regional innovation system and of promoting the innovative clusters under a knowledge based economy. After then, the Regional Industry Promotion Project or Regional Strategic Industry Promotion Project became a core of regional textile industrial policy. Research results indicated that the first stage Milano project (1999-2003) showed both positive and negative effects. There were no long-term development plan, clear vision and strategy. But, core industrial infrastructure for differentiated product development, such as New product Development Support Center and Dyeing Design Practical Application Center, was constructed. The second stage Daegu Textile Industry Promotion Plan (2004-2008) displayed a significant technological performance and new product sales with the assistance of Kyungbuk province. Also, textile industry revealed positive fruits such as financial structure, productivity, and profitability as a result of strong restructuring. In industrial structure, there was a important change from clothe textile material to industry textile material. Most of textile companies did not showed high capability in CEO's technology innovation intention, entrepreneurship, R&D and human resource competency in compare with other industry. We suggested that Daegu Kyungbuk has to select and concentrate on the high-tech textile material and living textile for sustainable development and competitiveness. We also proposed a confidence and cooperation based innovation network and company oriented innovation cluster.