N. Sadat Shami

Bio: N. Sadat Shami is an academic researcher from IBM. The author has contributed to research in topics: Employee engagement & Social media. The author has an hindex of 21, co-authored 43 publications receiving 1227 citations. Previous affiliations of N. Sadat Shami include Cornell University & University of Michigan.

Microblogging Inside and Outside the Workplace

Abstract: Microblogging has recently generated a lot of research interest. Yet very little is known about how corporate employees use microblogging tools. This study examined microblogging in the workplace by conducting a content analysis comparing posts from individuals who were using an internal proprietary tool and Twitter simultaneously. In both settings, posts that provided information or were directed to others were more common than posts on status. Within these categories, it was more frequent to provide information externally than internally but more common to ask questions either through broadcast or directed posts internally than externally. Qualitative interviews explored users’ motivations regarding microblogging behavior. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of microblogging for business use.

In-group/out-group effects in distributed teams: an experimental simulation

Abstract: Modern workplaces often bring together virtual teams where some members are collocated, and some participate remotely. We are using a simulation game to study collaborations of 10-person groups, with five collocated members and five isolates (simulated 'telecommuters'). Individual players in this game buy and sell 'shapes' from each other in order to form strings of shapes, where strings represent joint projects, and each individual players' shapes represent their unique skills. We found that the collocated people formed an in-group, excluding the isolates. But, surprisingly, the isolates also formed an in-group, mainly because the collocated people ignored them and they responded to each other.

Making sense of strangers' expertise from signals in digital artifacts

Abstract: Contemporary work increasingly involves interacting with strangers in technology-mediated environments. In this context, we come to rely on digital artifacts to infer characteristics of other people. This paper reports the results of a study conducted in a global company that used expertise search as a vehicle for exploring how people interpret a range of information available in online profiles in evaluating whom to interact with for expertise. Using signaling theory as a conceptual framework, we describe how certain 'signals' in various social software are hard to fake, and are thus more reliable indicators of expertise. Multi-level regression analysis revealed that participation in social software, social connection information, and self-described expertise in the corporate directory were significantly helpful in the decision to contact someone for expertise. Qualitative analysis provided further insights regarding the interpretations people form of others' expertise from digital artifacts. We conclude with suggestions on differentiating various types of information available within online profiles and implications for the design of expertise locator/recommender systems.

All Work and No Play

Abstract: Many conversational agents (CAs) are developed to answer users' questions in a specialized domain. In everyday use of CAs, user experience may extend beyond satisfying information needs to the enjoyment of conversations with CAs, some of which represent playful interactions. By studying a field deployment of a Human Resource chatbot, we report on users' interest areas in conversational interactions to inform the development of CAs. Through the lens of statistical modeling, we also highlight rich signals in conversational interactions for inferring user satisfaction with the instrumental usage and playful interactions with the agent. These signals can be utilized to develop agents that adapt functionality and interaction styles. By contrasting these signals, we shed light on the varying functions of conversational interactions. We discuss design implications for CAs, and directions for developing adaptive agents based on users' conversational behaviors.

Machine Learning and Grounded Theory Method: Convergence, Divergence, and Combination

Abstract: Grounded Theory Method (GTM) and Machine Learning (ML) are often considered to be quite different. In this note, we explore unexpected convergences between these methods. We propose new research directions that can further clarify the relationships between these methods, and that can use those relationships to strengthen our ability to describe our phenomena and develop stronger hybrid theories.

Social Media Use in Organizations: Exploring the Affordances of Visibility, Editability, Persistence, and Association

Abstract: The use of social media technologies—such as blogs, wikis, social networking sites, social tagging, and microblogging—is proliferating at an incredible pace. One area of increasing adoption is orga...

Models and methods in social network analysis

Abstract: Models and Methods in Social Network Analysis presents the most important developments in quantitative models and methods for analyzing social network data that have appeared during the 1990s. Intended as a complement to Wasserman and Faust’s Social Network Analysis: Methods and Applications, it is a collection of original articles by leading methodologists reviewing recent advances in their particular areas of network methods. Reviewed are advances in network measurement, network sampling, the analysis of centrality, positional analysis or blockmodeling, the analysis of diffusion through networks, the analysis of affiliation or “two-mode” networks, the theory of random graphs, dependence graphs, exponential families of random graphs, the analysis of longitudinal network data, graphic techniques for exploring network data, and software for the analysis of social networks.

The Future of Competition: Co-Creating Unique Value with Customers

Abstract: THE FUTURE OF COMPETITION: CO-CREATING UNIQUE VALUE WITH CUSTOMERSC.K. Prahalad & Venkat RamaswamyThe authors - C.K. Prahlad and Venkat Ramaswamy, are known for their non-traditional approach and that has made possible to bring out this path breaking book. Unlearning age old management practices and understanding the changes that is sweeping the business world and giving a framework to the still evolving concept of co-creation of value where customer is at the centre stage is indeed a tough task. And authors have accomplished that with aplomb.Our industrial system is generating more goods and services than before but customer satisfaction remains low in spite of having overwhelming choices, profit level of companies is shrinking though many more decision making tools are at its disposal. What is going wrong and how to set this right? Companies are grappling with these issues and trying to fathom these problems. With the emerging technologies, customers are well informed, well connected with their peer groups and very active in their domain. Now customers have started playing dominant role in the value chain through co-creation of experience which enhances the value.The book can be divided into three distinct parts covering twelve chapters, highlighting future of competition and the role to be played by consumers, markets and companies. First six chapters develop the framework of consumers' role in the changing scenario. Early chapters give a brief account of the change that is taking place; how autonomy of companies in creating product value and satisfying consumers, is slowly and surely giving way to consumer-centric approach? How consumer and firm interact and co-create value, and how the cocreation experience becomes the very basis of value? The authors develop the co-creation experience framework in the subsequent chapters very cogently and lucidly. It goes like this, the co-creation experience depends highly on individuals. Each person's uniqueness affects co-creation process as well as co-creation experience. Dialogue, access, risk assessment and transparency (DART) are the building blocks of value co-creation process and companies use this to engage customer effectively as collaborator. In the domain of competition, co-creation experience plays the most important role in decision making. This process further gains momentum in the later chapters of first part as co-creation experience is shaped by dimensions such as choice of channels, options made available, quality of transaction and price-experience relationship. This experience will vary from consumer to consumer due to the different traits of individual. To ensure that the transaction between the consumer and the firm produces positive co-creation experience, the presence of an appropriate environment is imperative, authors develop this concept very carefully. This environments accommodate the heterogeneity of consumer and facilitate a variety of co-creation experience. In the present day world, emerging technology acts as an experience enabler, facilitating innovation in experience environment. With intense competition, sky high consumer expectation; consumer looks for uniqueness which is possible only through personalized co-creation experience. …