Browsing by Author "Vera, Dusya M."
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Item A Qualitative Study on the Perceptions of the Lack of Physically Disabled Public Relations Practitioners(2018-12) Sebesta, Amanda; Vardeman-Winter, Jennifer; Yamasaki, Jill; Vera, Dusya M.This paper explores the perceptions of physically disabled practitioners in the public relations field. The purpose of the study was to get disabled practitioner’s perspectives on the industry to explore how the public relations field is falling behind when recruiting from this group. A qualitative study was done using open-ended interview questions, with the goal of receiving experiences from disabled practitioner’s on their time in the industry, discrimination they faced, and how they feel public relations can improve.Item Collective Intuition in Strategic Decision Making: A Research Program, Development and Validation of New Measures, And an Exploratory Study(2016-08) Samba, Codou; Vera, Dusya M.; Werner, Steve; Rude, Dale; Hess, James D.Firm outcomes of decisions made by senior managers have been the subjects of intense scrutiny from strategy researchers. Three dominant approaches to strategic decision making pervade this literature: rationality, political behavior, and intuition. Although several commentaries have been written on intuition, little is known about its essence, and its use in and impact for organizations. Nevertheless, managers are increasingly adopting this decision tool as an important and effective alternative or addition to more comprehensive and extensive approaches to strategic decision making. Fundamentally, intuitions are nonconscious, holistic and fast associations of information elements that result in affectively charged judgments. While helpful, this definition of intuition is generic, and is thus limited in its function of isolating and substantiating the nature of intuitive decision making. In this work, I define intuition as a multi-construct and multi-level phenomenon and then attempt to answer the following question: “in making strategic decisions, do senior managers use their intuition when they actually should?” My dissertation seeks to extend intuition research in the context of strategic decision making. Specifically, I aim to shed light into the intuitive phenomenon, its use in the context of strategic decision making, and its outcomes. This is an important contribution given that managers and researchers may have bought into intuition hastily and treated it too casually given its complexity. In short, I make several theoretical contributions to the literature: (1) conceptual refinement of intuition that delineates and define its major constructs; (2) conceptual development of collective intuition; and (3) theoretical development for factors driving the use and effectiveness of collective intuition. On the empirical aspect of intuition research, measuring this organizational phenomenon has so far been a rather difficult and intimidating task. Definitional issues highlighted in the theoretical work may have played a role in slowing the progress of intuition research. Sound measures stem from strong construct definitions, and further contributions of my dissertation rest on the quality of the measures of intuition I use to test my models. Therefore, I developed and validated four new scales that reflect the multi-construct multi-level nature of intuition. The new measures of collective intuition show good reliability and construct validity. In addition to the multi-phase and multi-sample scale development process, I describe an exploratory study, in which these new scales were used to test a subset of my hypotheses. Finally, post-hoc analyses reveal promising findings concerning the interplay among the three dimensions of the strategic decision making process--collective intuition, rationality, and political behavior.Item CSI-Driven Alliances: Relational Uncertainty, Negative Spillover, and ShareholderManager Agency Concerns(2022-08) Sabz, Azadeh; Vera, Dusya M.; Chiu, Sana; Miller, C. Chet; Zhu, LingThe social performance of firms is increasingly relevant in shaping opportunities and threats in a wide array of markets. This study examined the effects of firms’ corporate social irresponsibility (CSI) on their alliance activities. CSI is often related to negative consequences for firms such as reduced legitimacy, market share reduction, decreases in a firm’s stock market evaluation, stakeholders’ sanctions, and top management turnover, which may affect firms’ motivations to form strategic alliances to mitigate its CSI. At the same time, high-CSI firms may face challenges in their alliance activity stemming from increased relational uncertainty, negative spillover, and agency problems between shareholders and CEOs. This study proposes that the relationship between CSI and the number of alliances is contingent on factors at the firm and governance levels. Further, the study investigates whether CSI has varying effects on different types of alliances, specifically domestic versus cross-border alliances and equity joint ventures versus non-equity contractual alliances. Using a sample of U.S. public firms from 2004-2014, I found that, for firms with high visibility, CSI reduces the number of new alliances, while the association is positive for firms with low visibility. The results also support that the association between CSI and a firm's cross-border alliances is stronger than the association between CSI and a firm's domestic alliance activity. In addition, I found a stronger association between the focal firm’s CSI and its number of new domestic joint-ventures than between the focal firm’s CSI and its number of new domestic contractual alliances. Finally, results show that the link between CSI and new domestic joint-ventures is stronger than that between CSI and new domestic contractual alliances.Item Directors’ Professional Devaluation from Firm Bankruptcy: an Integrated Model of the Effects of Stigma, Devaluated Competence, and Gained Experience(2016-08) Ballard, Klavdia M.; Vera, Dusya M.; Werner, Steve; Pathak, Seemantini M.; Witt, L. AlanBuilding on signaling theory and the literature on judgment under uncertainties, I examine the effects of a stigmatizing event on board of directors’ professional future. I ask if the professional devaluation of directors--in terms of number of board appointments, quality of board appointments, and compensation from board appointments--takes place due to the stigma of incompetence, or courtesy stigma, or layered stigma. My theoretical model differentiates among directors associated with (1) the origin of the bankruptcy, (2) its filing, and (3) the organizational reorganization. I associate bankruptcy origination with stigma of incompetence, and bankruptcy filing with courtesy stigma. In addition, I argue that monitoring a company through bankruptcy reorganization is a value-increasing experience and will be rewarded by the executive labor market. Finally, the model considers the possibility of overlaps in the involvement of directors in more than one stage of Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and the associated consequences in the executive labor market. My findings confirm that, indeed, directors are treated differently by the elite labor market, because of the types of stigmas they carry. More specifically, directors, who are stigmatized as incompetent, carry fewer board appointments than those who are stigmatized by association. Although my predictions about the effects of layered stigma and the effects of involvement in reorganization were not supported, I uncovered some promising relationships that may indicate stigma internalization by compromised board members.Item Disaster Relief Supply Chain Management: the Effect of Organizational Factors on Improvisation and Performance(2013-08) Strakos, Joshua K.; Bregman, Robert L.; Chin, Wynne W.; Robinson, Powell; Sahin, Funda; Vera, Dusya M.; Altay, NezihWithin the past decade disasters have taken a tremendous humanitarian and economic toll globally. Providing effective relief to the victims of these disasters requires efficient management of a quickly formed supply chain in the context of a rapidly changing and extremely uncertain environment. Supply chain management under these circumstances requires both planning and improvisation. In an effort to help organizations use scarce time and resources more efficiently, this research examines the relationships between planning, capability factors, improvisation, and performance in disaster relief supply chains. Survey data from disaster relief practitioners is analyzed using the partial least squares method of structural equation modeling. Factors and capabilities which affect the effectiveness of planning and the incidence and effectiveness of improvisation in disaster relief supply chain management are presented. Incidence of Improvisation is found to have a positive effect on the performance of disaster relief supply chains. Creative capability, empowerment, and information focus are found to increase the incidence of improvisation. Information focus and empowerment are found to have a positive direct effect on performance. Overall, the factors studied show how planning, capabilities, improvisation, and performance are related in the realm of disaster relief supply chain management.Item Does the Percentage of Women on a Firm's Board of Directors Matter? Effects on Relative Board Power, Committee Composition, and Strategic Change(2012-05) Angert, Cory; Keller, Robert T.; Vera, Dusya M.; Pathak, Seemantini M.; Díaz-Sáiz, JoaquínThis study examines how the percentage of women on a company’s board of directors (PWOB) affects board governance, and in turn, how board governance impacts the extent of firm strategic change. Scant research exists that investigates the connection between PWOB and relative board power, and prior research has not tested for a direct relationship between relative board power and firm strategic change. Through the application of agency theory and upper echelons theory lenses, I attempt to fill this gap in management research. The moderating effects of nominating, compensation, executive, and audit committee composition are investigated, with the findings’ offering important implications that should help both researchers and practitioners better understand how the demographic composition of a board committee can affect processes at both the board level and the firm level. The relationship between PWOB and strategic change is tested with partial least squares (PLS) analysis using PLS-Graph on a three-year sample (2006-2008) of the 2006 top two hundred-fifty Fortune 500 companies. Evidence is found that supports the theory that, under certain circumstances, there exists a positive relationship between PWOB and relative board power. Support is also found for the moderating effects of the percentage of women on each of a board’s major committees on the relationship between PWOB and relative board power. While these effects are significant, they are found to attenuate the PWOB / relative board power relationship. Possible justification for these moderators’ acting opposite the direction initially hypothesized is provided. Limited evidence supporting the moderating effects of committee chairperson gender on the PWOB / relative board power relationship is discovered, and no support is found for PWOB’s exhibiting a connection, either directly or as mediated by relative board power, with firm strategic change.Item Essays on Customer-Based Brand Equity(2022-12-08) Shibuya, William; Du, Rex Y.; Tirunillai, Seshadri; Lu, Shijie; Vera, Dusya M.This dissertation presents two essays on customer-based brand equity, with Panel Vector Autoregression (PVAR) models as the main method of investigation, applied to brand health data tracking 1,033 brands from 35 sectors over six years. Essay 1 shows how a stronger customer-based brand equity makes companies more attractive to job seekers. Its first study shows not all elements of customer-based brand equity are equal in driving employer brand equity. Being perceived as a quality brand helps more than being perceived as a value brand. Advertising is less effective than positive buzz. A second study measured the willingness of almost 1,000 survey respondents to make tradeoffs between employer brand equity and salary. Results suggest job seekers would accept significantly lower salaries to work for a more attractive brand. Essay 2 presents empirical regularities about positive-negative asymmetries in brand metrics. Marketers frequently use net scores without accounting for differences in weights between the positive and negative sides of a metric. But should we use such net scores? Patterns from two studies indicate we should weigh positive and negative ratings differently. The impact of changes on the positive side of brand metrics is stronger than the impact of changes on the negative side. The pattern is valid for changes in quality, value, and buzz and for their impact on purchase consideration and purchase intent. Another pattern is that, for quality and value, the inertia of the positive side is higher than the inertia of the negative side. For buzz, the pattern depends on the rank: the inertia of the positive side (compared to the inertia of the negative side) is higher for lower-ranked brands but lower for higher-ranked brands. Thus, we should consider positive-negative asymmetries in brand metrics to avoid bias when estimating their effects.Item Essays on Designing and Managing Service Outsourcing Contracts(2017-08) Ye, Yuan; Peng, David Xiaosong; Robinson, Powell; Narayanan, Arunachalam; Vera, Dusya M.The global market for outsourced services has doubled to more than one hundred billion dollars over the past decade. While firm-level service outsourcing has received growing attention in the literature, there is less research on designing and managing contracts for outsourced services (i.e., service contracting). Practically speaking, many services are highly specialized or unique, creating significant challenges when it comes to designing and managing outsourcing contracts effectively. By examining decisions related to contract design and management, this dissertation seeks to provide managerial insights on service outsourcing not revealed in the prior literature. Specifically, an in-depth survey has been conducted in multiple industries (healthcare, oil and gas, and manufacturing) to collect information on a variety of outsourced services. The dissertation consists of two essays. Drawing on transaction cost theory (TCT), the first essay investigates the relationships among transaction hazards, contract specificity, monitoring, and service performance. The empirical results unlock these relationships by revealing that 1) transaction hazards drive contract specificity, and 2) monitoring mediates the relationship between contract specificity and performance. The second essay applies the Kraljic Portfolio Model to manage service outsourcing contracts strategically. The framework first maps services into four quadrants based on the importance of purchasing and market complexity. It further develops detailed sourcing practices for services in each quadrant based on the strategies proposed by the Kraljic portfolio purchasing model. The empirical findings of this essay shed light on identifying the most effective supply management practices for services.Item Forging a Greener Path: How Corporate Boards Impact Environmental Sustainability(2018-08) Salaiz, Ashley; Vera, Dusya M.; Werner, Steve; Pathak, Seemantini M.; Hess, James D.A growing majority of large, publicly traded firms incorporate sustainability (environmentally-friendly innovations) into their business strategies. This dissertation seeks to understand how some firms can achieve more radical sustainability while other firms make only incremental achievements. Many firms have implemented organizational structures, such as sustainability-focused committees, among their board of directors. Uniting the resource dependence and organizational structure literatures, this study posits that the presence of a sustainability committee may or may not be instrumental in pushing firms toward the adoption of more radical sustainable developments, depending upon key attributes of the committee members and the uncertainty the firm faces. The panel dataset, which consist of green patents on more than 100 firms with sustainability committees, confirms that firms have a greater proportion of radical patents when they have dedicated rather than non-dedicated sustainability committees. Results also indicate that the impact of dedicated committees on the proportion of radical green patents is even stronger if the firm faces higher levels of uncertainties, and if the committee members carry specific attributes.Item Formal Mentoring Advantage for Leadership Development and Thoughts of Quitting in Early Career: Mediating Roles of Leadership Self-Efficacy and Protégé’s Network(2019-08) Joo, Min Kyu; Atwater, Leanne E.; Vera, Dusya M.; Cullen-Lester, Kristin L.; Witt, L. AlanA large number of organizations implement formal mentoring programs in both developed and developing countries. Although the positive effects of formal mentoring on various outcomes have been explored over the last two decades, little is known about the underlying mechanisms through which quality of formal mentoring affects leadership development and thoughts of quitting. In this study, I tested a comprehensive model to explain how quality of formal mentoring can enhance leadership development and reduce the consideration of turnover by integrating social cognitive and social capital theories. I collected data from 100 mentor-protégé dyads in four organizations in South Korea. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate the effects of quality of formal mentoring on motivation to lead, promotability, and thoughts of quitting through the changes in protégés’ leadership self-efficacy and networks. I found that high-quality formal mentoring can facilitate the positive changes in protégés’ leadership self-efficacy and networks in the workplace, which in turn positively affects protégés’ motivation regarding leadership over time. I also found that the change in protégés’ leadership self-efficacy mediated the relationship between high-quality formal mentoring and promotability. Besides these mechanisms, I found that the relationship between high-quality formal mentoring and the change in protégés’ networks is strengthened when protégés have a higher level of political skill. The current study discusses implications for theory, research, and practice.Item Idea Contests: How to Design Feedback for an Efficient Contest(2016-08) Dargahi, Rambod; Hess, James D.; Blair, Edward A.; Syam, Niladri B.; Vera, Dusya M.Inviting the public or a targeted group of individuals to submit their ideas or solutions to a specific problem or challenge within a predefined period of time is called an “idea contest.” Idea contests are the straightforward mechanism to solicit and leverage the innovation and the intelligence of thousands of individuals. With the advent of the Internet, companies can easily organize idea contests with an easy access for anyone to participate from anywhere around the world. A contest organizer needs to design a contest so that more individuals are encouraged to participate, generate more innovative ideas/solutions, and to remain active throughout the contest. In my dissertation, I explore the effects of idea contest parameters –such as award size and structure, contest duration, the visibility of submissions, and the feedback- on the participation, motivation, and performance of individuals before and after joining a contest. Feedback, as the primary focus of my dissertation, is a less studied parameter in the context of idea contests. In my first essay, I investigate the relative importance of each contest design parameter, particularly feedback, with each other in motivating individuals to participate in a contest. In this regard, I both ran a conjoint study among real designers and collected online data from 99designs website. Feedback plays an important role in increasing the likelihood of participation and the participation rate for an idea contest. In the second essay, I explore the effect of two different types of feedback –absolute vs. relative- on the performance of participants during an idea contest. By running a real contest with participants from a major public university, I measured how participants in an idea contest react to different types of feedback. The likelihood of revising ideas as well as the quality of ideas submitted were the primary dependent variables in this field experiment.Item Knowledge-Based and Contextual Factors Associated with R&D Teams’ Improvisation Capability(Journal of Management, 11/1/2016) Vera, Dusya M.; Nemanich, Louise; Vélez-Castrillón, Susana; Werner, SteveWe examine three knowledge-based processes and interactions underlying an effective improvisation capability in research and development (R&D) teams: a team’s ability to create a shared understanding of new knowledge, a team’s experience working together, and a team’s ability to gather external knowledge. Using a sample of 100 R&D teams developing computer technology innovations, we also examine the moderating role of “minimal structures” (goal clarity combined with autonomy) as a contextual factor supporting effective improvisation. Our results detected different ways in which the processes and interactions involved in an improvisation capability interacted with the context. We find support for the positive relationship between shared understanding of new knowledge and improvisation capability and find that this relationship is strengthened by minimal structures. Team’s experience working together was not associated with improvisation capability, but when minimal structures are present, more experience working together is positively related to improvisation. Finally, a team’s external knowledge-gathering ability is positively associated with improvisation, but, surprisingly, when minimal structures are present, this positive effect is reduced. We conclude with implications for improvisation theory and for the practice of R&D teams.Item Recruiting and Strategic Human Resource Management: Hr Bundles, Organizational Culture, and Individual Differences in Applicant Attraction(2014-05) Lee, Hwan Woo; Werner, Steve; Elkins Longacre, Teri; Vera, Dusya M.; Witt, L. AlanI examine the responses of job applicants to the human resources (HR) system and organizational culture to explain why individuals vary in their choice of potential workplaces. Prospective applicants subjectively interpret various signals from organizations, and they make decisions as to whether to apply for jobs at a particular organization based on those signals. While there is a growing body of research identifying the linkage between individual HR practices and recruiting outcomes, little research addresses how different vocation interests differentiate preferences for particular HR bundles. Utilizing signaling theory and person–organization fit (P-O fit) theory, I explore the impact of individual differences on organizational attractiveness to organizations described by two factors: HR bundle (cost reducing and performance enhancing) and culture type (bureaucratic and innovative). Through this research, I also examine how different HR bundles deliver different signals to applicants and the way in which these signals are supplemented by appropriate contextual factors (e.g., organizational culture). I found a strong main effect of high-performance work systems---it attracts most people. This main effect becomes stronger when combined with a higher social person. When applicants’ socialness is high, they are even more likely to choose high-performance work systems than cost-reducing bundles. Linking the bundling research to recruiting, this study provides insightful evidence of interactions among HR bundles and job applicants’ individual differences for organizational attractiveness as well as evidence of interactions among HR practices and job applicants’ individual differences for organizational attractiveness.Item The Bright Side and Dark Side of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Entrepreneurship(2022-12-08) Ho, Chien-Wei; Keller, Robert T.; Vera, Dusya M.; Chiu, Sana; Hui, Sam K.The double-edged sword effect of ADHD has intrigued entrepreneurship scholars in the last decade. This study discovers the bivariate effects of ADHD factors on entrepreneurial capabilities and behaviors. Integrating social cognitive theory into the upper echelons literature, this study posits that an entrepreneur’s ADHD-like tendency has dual effects on building entrepreneurial self-efficacy, which is one situation-specific mechanism which impacts subsequent entrepreneurial behaviors. Additionally, this study proposes that such effects are moderated by the entrepreneur’s motivation toward entrepreneurship and national individualism (US vs. Taiwan). The survey consisting of 119 entrepreneurs confirms that, on the dark side, entrepreneurs exhibit lower entrepreneurial self-efficacy when they have a higher level of inattention. The negative impact of inattention on entrepreneurial self-efficacy is attenuated when the entrepreneurs were pushed into entrepreneurship, and when they were in a country with individualistic culture. Results also indicate that, on the bright side, entrepreneurs with a higher level of hyperactivity exhibit higher entrepreneurial self-efficacy when they were pulled into entrepreneurship, and when they were in a country with individualistic culture. This study contributes to the entrepreneurship literature by providing a fine-grained understanding of the mechanism that underlies the dual-side effects of ADHD on entrepreneurial capabilities. On top of that, this study suggests a factorial structure to better capture the dual aspects of ADHD in the entrepreneurship field.Item The Impact of Middle Manager Leadership on Strategy Implementation Effectiveness(2018-08) Tawse, Alexander; Atwater, Leanne E.; Werner, Steve; Vera, Dusya M.; Patrick-Ralhan, Vanessa M.Strategy implementation effectiveness is a critical component of organizational performance and middle managers play a key role in the implementation process. However, little has been done to identify the critical dimensions of strategy implementation effectiveness and the impact of middle manager leadership on the process of strategy implementation is not well understood. As a result, strategy research often overlooks the impact of middle management leadership as a source of performance heterogeneity. To improve our understanding of the strategy implementation process, I develop and test a theoretical model that investigates the indirect impact of three types of middle manager leadership behaviors on strategy implementation effectiveness through three mediating mechanisms that are influenced by three moderating contingency factors. The findings, based on survey data gathered from top managers, middle managers, and their teams at Houston METRO Transit Authority, confirm various aspects of the model and highlight the importance of middle manager leadership and team coordination on strategy implementation effectiveness, as well as the moderating effect of perceived organizational support on team commitment to implement strategy.Item The Impact of Slack Resources on Exploration and Exploitation: an Upper Echelons and Behavioral Theory of the Firm Perspective(2015-08) Tabesh, Pooya; Vera, Dusya M.; Keller, Robert T.; Werner, Steve; Hess, James D.Slack resources can be critical for organizational success, but cumulative research regarding the relationship between slack and organizational outcomes (e.g., firm performance and innovation) has resulted in mixed findings. Using the behavioral theory of the firm, I untangled the effect of slack by differentiating between the impacts of unabsorbed, absorbed, and potential slack and investigating their effects on exploratory and exploitative activities in organizations. More importantly, I introduced an upper echelons perspective in order to highlight the critical role of CEO tenure, functional background type, functional background breadth, and technical education in unabsorbed slack deployment. This is one of the first such efforts in the organizational literature. The findings, based on panel data from the computer software industry, confirm differential effects of unabsorbed and potential slack on exploration and exploitation. Results also indicate that firms led by CEOs with wider breadth of functional background and with technical education tend to use more unabsorbed slack resources towards exploitative activities.Item The Individual and Combined Effects of CEO Humility, CEO Narcissism, and CEO Competence on Firm Performance(2015-08) Maldonado, Tiffany; Vera, Dusya M.; Werner, Steve; Atwater, Leanne E.; Patrick-Ralhan, Vanessa M.While humility as a characteristic of top managers has attracted increasing attention in recent years, there are still many misconceptions about what humility actually is, and about how a humble CEO could benefit or harm a firm’s performance. In contrast to the case of humility, the leadership traits of narcissism and competence are often emphasized as desirable. This study challenged the view of humility as associated with shyness or lack of self-esteem, and, in contrast, positioned it as a critical strength for strategic leaders possessing it, and a dangerous weakness for those lacking it. Humility was conceptualized as having five dimensions: accurate self-awareness, appreciation of others, teachability, low self-focus, and self-transcendent pursuits. The primary purpose of the study was to examine the impact of CEO humility on firm outcomes. Furthermore, I argued that humility can not only coexist with CEO competence, and with some degree of CEO grandiose and vulnerable narcissism, and, but that the most benefit for companies occurs when the CEO embodies combinations of these characteristics. To test my model, I developed and validated a new unobtrusive measure of CEO humility, through two pilot studies, and used a sample of 102 male CEOs to test my hypotheses. The findings showed partial support for the positive effects of CEO humility on firm performance, and partial support for the positive moderating effect of CEO humility on the relationship between CEO grandiose narcissism and performance performances. Post-hoc analyses explored the dimensionality of the humility and competence variables, and examined the relationships included in my model by using individual items and dimensions of these two constructs.Item The Strategic Fit Between Board of Directors Characteristics and the External Environment, and its Effect on Firm Reputation(2012-05) Velez-Castrillon, Susana 1977-; Vera, Dusya M.; Werner, Steve; Pathak, Seemantini M.; Ramchand, LathaThis study integrates upper echelons and contingency perspectives in examining the effects of boards of directors on firm reputation. First, using upper echelons theory, I derive hypotheses about how the human and social capital, and the demographic characteristics of the board affect corporate reputation. Second, I examine how fit with an ideal profile of board characteristics -- including board expertise, board social capital, and board demographic diversity -- impacts firm reputation. Finally, using a contingency perspective, I look at how the importance of fit with the ideal profile varies across different environmental characteristics. My results indicate that board-level expertise, social capital, and gender diversity have positive effects on firm reputation. Moreover, misalignment from the ideal board profile based on these three characteristics has a negative effect on firm reputation, and this effect is stronger for firms operating in industries with high need for legitimacy. This study seeks to contribute to strategy research and practice by proposing that corporate governance research and managerial practice can benefit from a perspective that considers a more nuanced picture of the board of directors.Item Two Essays on Lay Theories of the Valence of Busyness(2017-08) Ebrahimi, Mahdi; Patrick-Ralhan, Vanessa M.; Blair, Edward A.; Rudd, Melanie; Vera, Dusya M.Consumers hold different lay theories about the valence of busyness. Two essays investigate antecedents and consequences of these lay theories. Essay 1 examines the frequency with which consumers hold these lay theories and demonstrates that holding a lay theory that feeling busy is good (vs. bad) leads to greater feelings of empowerment, which in turn increases volunteering behavior. Essay 2 focuses on antecedents of these lay theories and demonstrates that engaging in activities high (vs. low) on meaningfulness and low (vs. high) on stress increases consumers’ tendency to hold the belief that feeling busy is good (vs. bad). Emotional attention moderates this effect in the sense that consumers high (vs. low) in emotional attention have less malleable lay theories. Consequently, making meaningfulness and stress salient does not influence consumers’ beliefs about the valence of busyness for consumers high, but not low, in emotional attention. In addition, essay 2 shows that daily experiences that are high on meaningfulness and low on stress are associated with greater volunteering behavior, thus linking this essay to the findings of essay 1.Item User-Generated Content and Revolutions: Towards a Theorization of Web 2.0(2010-12) Panahi, Hesam; Silva, Leiser; Scamell, Richard W.; Parks, Michael S.; Vera, Dusya M.The purpose of this dissertation is to examine how characteristics of Web 2.0, users’ beliefs on freedom of information in the Web, and external forces combine to create social stability and how changes in these factors can lead to revolts. While still an emerging phenomenon, the web has evolved from a set of hyperlinked pages to an increasingly social experience with user-generated content. Sites that harness Web 2.0 technologies typically increase in usefulness as more users interact with and contribute to the site. Web 2.0 sites are different from previous iterations of web sites because users are essentially co-developers and the “wisdom of crowds” prevails (O’Reilly, 2007). However, providing users with the powers to control the content of a site can have dangerous consequences if stability breaks down and unrest develops. Specifically, this multi-paper dissertation is composed of three papers that demonstrate how user revolts, a harsh reality for sites that rely on user-generated content, can occur. These revolts arise when a site's administrators take actions that conflict with the desires of users. For example, the act of removing posts because of cease-and-desist letters and copyright violations is viewed as a threat to freedom of speech. Subsequently, users take advantage of the technology, mobilize quickly with little organization or planning, and protest against administrative actions. User revolts have significant implications for society, web-based companies that employ Web 2.0 technologies, and traditional organizations seeking to use these technologies in the workplace. Capitalizing on user-generated content requires a careful consideration of the risks and challenges involved. Therefore, this dissertation takes a critical view towards the overwhelmingly optimistic perspective of Web 2.0 presented by technology enthusiasts and the mainstream media. A critical stance is necessary because a rosy democratic picture founded on partial assumptions is likely to generate unrealistic actions and expectations regarding Web 2.0 technology. By applying well-established theories from the philosophy of technology, political science, and philosophy of science, this dissertation attempts to provide a more holistic and realistic picture of Web 2.0 - reflecting and theorizing on how efforts to democratize media and provide an avenue for users to contribute can backfire and produce unintended consequences.