@conference {2022, title = {Communicating with the masses from isolation: What happened when local television journalists worked from home}, booktitle = {Hawai{\textquoteright}i International Conference on System Sciences}, year = {2022}, month = {1/2022}, address = {Virtual due to COVID}, abstract = {

In response to the COVID-19 crises, many local TV newsrooms decided to have employees work from home (WFH) or the field rather than from the newsroom. From a review of research on telework, we identified possible impacts of WFH on worker effectiveness, conceptualized as including output, individual satisfaction and growth, and group well-being. From a case study of a local TV newsroom and interviews with news directors, we found that WFH was successful in creating a newscast, albeit with some concerns about story quality. However, WFH did not seem to satisfy workers individually or as a group. The current lifting of restrictions on gatherings might mitigate some of the experienced problems, but we expect to see challenges to news worker learning with continued WFH.

}, doi = {10.24251/HICSS.2022.858}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Journalists\%20work\%20from\%20home_HICSS\%20Version_Final\%20Submission_Unlinked.pdf}, author = {Keren Henderson and Raghav Raheja and Kevin Crowston} } @article {2019, title = {Classifying the unknown: Discovering novel gravitational-wave detector glitches using similarity learning}, journal = {Physical Review D}, volume = {99}, year = {2019}, pages = {082002}, abstract = {

The observation of gravitational waves from compact binary coalescences by LIGO and Virgo has begun a new era in astronomy. A critical challenge in making detections is determining whether loud transient features in the data are caused by gravitational waves or by instrumental or environmental sources. The citizen-science project Gravity Spy has been demonstrated as an efficient infrastructure for classifying known types of noise transients (glitches) through a combination of data analysis performed by both citizen volunteers and machine learning. We present the next iteration of this project, using similarity indices to empower citizen scientists to create large data sets of unknown transients, which can then be used to facilitate supervised machine-learning characterization. This new evolution aims to alleviate a persistent challenge that plagues both citizen-science and instrumental detector work: the ability to build large samples of relatively rare events. Using two families of transient noise that appeared unexpectedly during LIGO{\textquoteright}s second observing run, we demonstrate the impact that the similarity indices could have had on finding these new glitch types in the Gravity Spy program.

}, issn = {2470-0010}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevD.99.082002}, author = {Scott Coughlin and Sara Bahaadini and Neda Rohani and Michael Zevin and Patane, Oli and Mahboobeh Harandi and Corey Brian Jackson and Noroozi, V. and Sarah Allen and Areeda, J. and Coughlin, M. and Ruiz, P. and Berry, C. P. L. and Kevin Crowston and Aggelos Katsaggelos and Andrew Lundgren and Carsten {\O}sterlund and Joshua Smith and Laura Trouille and Vicky Kalogera} } @inbook {2019, title = {Comprehensive collaboration plans: Practical considerations spanning across individual collaborators to institutional supports}, booktitle = {Strategies for Team Science Success}, year = {2019}, pages = {587-611}, publisher = {Springer International Publishing}, organization = {Springer International Publishing}, address = {Cham}, abstract = {This chapter provides a framework for integrating and applying the principles and strategies for effective team science that are described in this volume. The framework, called Collaboration Planning, aims to guide a deliberative approach to assess and plan for ten key influences on both scientific and collaborative success. These influences range from the initial scientific rationale for a team science approach to the collaboration readiness of participating individuals and institutions to team communication and coordination mechanisms to quality improvement for team functioning. The Collaboration Planning framework guides current or future collaborators through dialogue and planning around each influence. It draws their attention to key issues for consideration related to each influence, and facilitates discussion of how to leverage facilitating factors and plan for, or mitigate, challenges. Decisions are captured in a resulting written document called the Collaboration Plan. The Collaboration Plan summarizes the various ways the team plans to build the foundation for, and support, effective collaboration across the lifespan of the team science initiative. Collaboration Plans can be used in multiple ways. The Plans{\textquoteright} core function is as a roadmap to facilitate effective team formation and functioning. The Plan also can be used for benchmarking or guiding quality improvement-oriented evaluation. Collaboration Plans also can be used to communicate a team{\textquoteright}s likelihood of collaborative success, goals, and needs to a wide variety of audiences, including funders, current and future team members, stakeholders in the team{\textquoteright}s success, and organizational leaders. In addition, they can be used as models to guide future teams in laying the foundation for success.}, isbn = {978-3-030-20990-2}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-030-20992-6_45}, author = {Hall, Kara L. and Vogel, Amanda L. and Crowston, Kevin}, editor = {Hall, Kara L. and Vogel, Amanda L. and Croyle, Robert T.} } @article {9999, title = {Coordinating Advanced Crowd Work: Extending Citizen Science}, journal = {Citizen Science: Theory and Practice}, volume = {4}, year = {2019}, pages = {1{\textendash}12}, abstract = {

Crowdsourcing work with high levels of coupling between tasks poses challenges for coordination. This paper presents a study of two online citizen science projects that involved volunteers in such tasks: not just analyzing bulk data but also interpreting data and writing a paper for publication in one project and identifying new classes of data in the other. However, extending the reach of citizen science adds tasks with more dependencies, which calls for more elaborate coordination mechanisms but the relationship between the project and volunteers limits how work can be coordinated. Contrariwise, a mismatch between dependencies and available coordination mechanisms can be expected to lead to performance problems. The results of the study offer recommendations for design of citizen science projects for advanced tasks.

}, doi = {10.5334/cstp.166}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Quench\%20to\%20share.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Mitchell, Erica Michelle and Carsten {\O}sterlund} } @proceedings {9999, title = {Coordination in OSS 2.0: ANT Approach}, year = {2019}, abstract = {

Open source software projects are increasingly driven by a combination of independent and professional developers, the former volunteers and the later hired by a company to contribute to the project to support commercial product development. This mix of developers has been referred to as OSS 2.0. However, we do not fully understand the multi-layered coordination spanning individuals, teams, and organizations. Using Actor-Network Theory (ANT), we describe how coordination and power dynamics unfold among developers and how different tools and artifacts both display activities and mediate coordination efforts. Internal communication within an organization was reported to cause broken links in the community, duplication of work, and political tensions. ANT shows how tools and code can exercise agency and alter a software development process as an equivalently active actor of the scene. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of the changing nature of open source software development.

}, keywords = {actor-network theory, free/libre open source, Stigmergy}, doi = {10.24251/HICSS.2019.120}, url = { http://hdl.handle.net/10125/59538}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/hicss52a-sub2136-cam-i8-2.pdf}, author = {Sangseok You and Kevin Crowston and Jeffery Saltz and Yatish Hegde} } @proceedings {9999, title = {Coordinating advanced crowd work: Extending citizen science}, year = {2018}, edition = {51st}, abstract = {Crowdsourcing work with high levels of coupling between tasks poses challenges for coordination. This paper presents a study of an online citizen science project that involved volunteers in such tasks: not just analyzing bulk data but also interpreting data and writing a paper for publication. However, extending the reach of citizen science adds tasks with more dependencies, which calls for more elaborate coordination mechanisms but the relationship between the project and volunteers limits how work can be coordinated. Contrariwise, a mismatch between dependencies and available coordination mechanisms can be expected to lead to performance problems. The results of the study offer recommendations for design of crowdsourcing of more complex tasks. }, doi = {10.24251/HICSS.2018.212}, url = {http://hdl.handle.net/10125/50099}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Quench\%20to\%20distribute.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Mitchell, Erica Michelle and Carsten {\O}sterlund} } @proceedings {2017, title = {Comparing data science project management methodologies via a controlled experiment}, year = {2017}, doi = {10.24251/HICSS.2017.120}, url = {http://hdl.handle.net/10125/41273}, author = {Jeffery Saltz and Shamshurin, Ivan and Kevin Crowston} } @article {9999, title = {Core-periphery communication and the success of free/libre open source software projects}, journal = {Journal of Internet Services and Applications}, volume = {8}, year = {2017}, abstract = {We examine the relationship between communications by core and peripheral members and Free/Libre Open Source Software project success. The study uses data from 74 projects in the Apache Software Foundation Incubator. We conceptualize project success in terms of success building a community, as assessed by graduation from the Incubator. We compare successful and unsuccessful projects on volume of communication and on use of inclusive pronouns as an indication of efforts to create intimacy among team members. An innovation of the paper is that use of inclusive pronouns is measured using natural language processing techniques. We also compare the volume and content of communication produced by core (committer) and peripheral members and by those peripheral members who are later elected to be core members. We find that volume of communication is related to project success but use of inclusive pronouns does not distinguish successful projects. Core members exhibit more contribution and use of inclusive pronouns than peripheral members. }, keywords = {Apache Software Foundation, communication, core and periphery, free/libre open source software (FLOSS), inclusive pronouns, natural language processing, project success}, doi = {10.1186/s13174-017-0061-4}, url = {http://rdcu.be/uguP}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/170707\%20JISA\%20final.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Shamshurin, Ivan} } @conference {2016, title = {Core-Periphery Communication and the Success of Free/Libre Open Source Software Projects}, booktitle = {IFIP International Conference on Open Source Systems}, year = {2016}, pages = {45{\textendash}56}, publisher = {Springer}, organization = {Springer}, abstract = {We examine the relationship between communications by core and peripheral members and Free/Libre Open Source Software project success. The study uses data from 74 projects in the Apache Software Foundation Incubator. We conceptualize project success in terms of success building a community, as assessed by graduation from the Incubator. We compare successful and unsuccessful projects on volume of communication by core (committer) and peripheral community members and on use of inclusive pronouns as an indication of efforts to create intimacy among team members. An innovation of the paper is that use of inclusive pronouns is measured using natural language processing techniques. We find that core and peripheral members differ in their volume of contribution and in their use of inclusive pronouns, and that volume of communication is related to project success. }, doi = {10.1007/978-3-319-39225-7_4}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/OSS2016.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Shamshurin, Ivan} } @article {2014, title = {A Capability Maturity Model for Research Data Management}, year = {2014}, institution = {Syracuse University School of Information Studies}, address = {Syracuse, NY}, abstract = {

Objective: To support the assessment and improvement of research data management (RDM) practices to increase its reliability, this paper describes the development of a capability maturity model (CMM) for RDM. Improved RDM is now a critical need, but low awareness of {\textendash} or lack of {\textendash} data management is still common among research projects.

Methods: A CMM includes four key elements: key practices, key process areas, maturity levels, and generic processes. These elements were determined for RDM by a review and synthesis of the published literature on and best practices for RDM.

Results: The RDM CMM includes five chapters describing five key process areas for research data management: 1) data management in general; 2) data acquisition, processing, and quality assurance; 3) data description and representation; 4) data dissemination; and 5) repository services and preservation. In each chapter, key data management practices are organized into four groups according to the CMM{\textquoteright}s generic processes: commitment to perform, ability to perform, tasks performed, and process assessment (combining the original measurement and verification). For each area of practice, the document provides a rubric to help projects or organizations assess their level of maturity in RDM.

Conclusions: By helping organizations identify areas of strength and weakness, the RDM CMM provides guidance on where effort is needed to improve the practice of RDM.

}, url = {https://surface.syr.edu/istpub/184/}, author = {Jian Qin and Kevin Crowston and Arden Kirkland} } @article {9999, title = {Collaboration through superposition: How the IT artifact as an object of collaboration affords technical interdependence without organizational interdependence}, journal = {MIS Quarterly}, volume = {38}, year = {2014}, month = {3/2104}, pages = {29-50}, abstract = {This paper develops a theory of collaboration through superposition: the process of depositing separate layers on top of each other over time. The theory is developed in a study of development of community-based Free and Open Source Software (FLOSS), through a research arc of discovery (participant observation), replication (two archival case studies) and formalization (a model of developer choices). The theory explains two key findings: 1) the overwhelming majority of work is accomplished with only a single programmer working on a task and 2) when tasks appear too large for an individual they are more likely to be deferred until they are easier, rather than being undertaken through structured teamwork. It is theorized that this way of organizing is key to successful open collaboration where the IT artifact is the object of collaboration, because it allows the co-production of technically interdependent artifacts through motivationally interdependent work. The affordances of software as an object of collaboration are used as a framework to analyze efforts to learn from FLOSS in other domains of work and in the IS function of for-profit organizations.}, doi = {10.25300/MISQ/2014/38.1.02}, url = {http://misq.org/collaboration-through-open-superposition.html}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/CollaborationThroughSuperposition-WorkingPaper.pdf}, author = {James Howison and Kevin Crowston} } @proceedings {9999, title = {Citizen science system assemblages: Understanding the technologies that support crowdsourced science}, year = {2012}, month = {2/2012}, address = {Toronto, Ontario}, abstract = {We explore the nature of technologies to support citizen science, a method of inquiry that leverages the power of crowds to collect and analyze scientific data. We evaluate these technologies as system assemblages, collections of interrelated functionalities that support specific activities in pursuit of overall project goals. The notion of system assemblages helps us to explain how different citizen science platforms may be comprised of widely varying functionalities, yet still support relatively similar goals. Related concepts of build vs. buy and web satisfiers vs. web motivators are used to explore how different citizen science functionalities may lead to successful project outcomes. Four detailed case studies of current citizen science projects encompassing a cross-section of varying project sizes, resource levels, technologies, and approaches to inquiry help us to answer the following research questions: 1) What do typical system assemblages for citizen science look like? 2) What factors influence the composition of a system assemblage for citizen science? 3) What effect does the assemblage composition have on scientific goals, participant support, motivation, and satisfaction? and 4) What are the design implications for the system assemblage perspective on citizen science technologies?}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/citizensciencesystemassemblage.pdf}, author = {Nathan Prestopnik and Kevin Crowston} } @proceedings {418, title = {A capability maturity model for scientific data management: Evidence from the literature}, year = {2011}, month = {10/2011}, address = {New Orleans, LA}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/110718\%20CMM\%20ASISTpaper.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Jian Qin} } @article {192, title = {Citizen Science System Assemblages: Toward Greater Understanding of Technologies to Support Crowdsourced Science}, year = {2011}, month = {6/2011}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/system_assemblage_0.pdf}, author = {Nathan Prestopnik and Kevin Crowston} } @article {374, title = {Citizen science system assemblages: Toward greater understanding of technologies to support crowdsourced science}, year = {2011}, month = {06/2011}, publisher = {Syracuse University School of Information Studies}, type = {Unpublished working paper}, abstract = {We explore the nature of technologies to support citizen science, a method of inquiry that leverages the power of crowds to collect and analyze scientific data. We evaluate these technologies as system assemblages, collections of interrelated functionalities that support specific activities in pursuit of overall project goals. The notion of system assemblages helps us to explain how different citizen science platforms may be comprised of widely varying functionalities, yet still support relatively similar goals. Related concepts of build vs. buy, support for science vs. support for participants, and web satisfiers vs. web motivators are used to explore how different citizen science functionalities may lead to successful project outcomes. Four detailed case studies of current citizen science projects encompassing a cross-section of varying project sizes, resource levels, technologies, and approaches to inquiry help us to answer the following research questions: 1) What factors influence the composition of a system assemblage for citizen science? 2) What do typical system assemblages for citizen science look like? 3) What effect does the assemblage composition have on scientific goals, participant support, motivation, and satisfaction? and 4) What are the design implications for the system assemblage perspective on citizen science technologies?}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/system_assemblage.pdf}, author = {Nathan Prestopnik and Kevin Crowston} } @article {2010, title = {A Capability Maturity Model for Scientific Data Management}, year = {2010}, month = {10/2010}, type = {Working Paper}, address = {Pittsburgh, PA}, abstract = {In this paper, we propose a capability maturity model (CMM) for scientific data management (SDM) practices, with the goal of supporting assessment and improvement of these practices. The CMM describes key process areas and practices necessary for effective SDM. The CMM further characterizes organizations by the level of maturity of these processes, meaning the organizational capability to reliably perform the processes. We suggest that this framework will be useful to organizations in evaluating and planning improvements to their SDM practices.}, keywords = {Data Management, eScience}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/CMM\%20for\%20DM\%20to\%20share.pdf , https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/100714\%20ASIST\%20Poster\%20final_0.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Jian Qin} } @conference {Bolici:2009, title = {Coordination without discussion? Socio-technical congruence and Stigmergy in Free and Open Source Software projects}, booktitle = {2nd International Workshop on Socio-Technical Congruence, ICSE}, year = {2009}, month = {19 May}, address = {Vancouver, Canada}, keywords = {Coordination, FLOSS}, url = {http://docs.google.com/View?id=dhncd3jd_405fzt842gv}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Coordination\%20without\%20discussion\%3F\%20Socio-technical\%20congruence.pdf}, author = {Bolici, Francesco and James Howison and Kevin Crowston} } @article {Katzy:2008, title = {Competency rallying for technical innovation: The case of the Virtuelle Fabrik}, journal = {Technovation}, volume = {28}, number = {10}, year = {2008}, pages = {679{\textendash}692}, abstract = {Technology improves at an ever-increasing rate, but the speed at which firms can adapt their strategies and competencies to develop technological innovations and exploit market opportunities remains limited. While networks provide an option to increase agility through collaborative access to relevant external competencies, we know little about systematically managing such networks. This paper identifies a collaborative network process that we label competency rallying. We describe the set of inter-organizational routines involved in competency rallying in a case study of the interactions among the partners of the Virtuelle Fabrik, a case of an organized regional network in the manufacturing industry in Switzerland. We describe competency rallying as the (1) identification and development of competencies, (2) identification and facing of market opportunities, (3) marshalling of competencies, and (4) short-term cooperative effort for technological innovation and commercialization. The paper contributes a model that furthers the understanding of the organizational character of networks based on specific, learned network capabilities and which allows prediction of the likelihood of success of practical collaboration projects in networked organizations. }, keywords = {Virtual Organization}, doi = {10.1016/j.technovation.2007.11.003}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/TECH1410.pdf}, author = {Bernhard Katzy and Kevin Crowston} } @proceedings {Katzy:2007, title = {Competency rallying processes in virtual organizations}, year = {2007}, pages = {67{\textendash}83}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Portland, OR}, abstract = {Firms face an environment changing at an increasingly rapid pace. Unfortunately, the speed at which organizations can adapt their strategies and competencies to exploit such opportunities remains limited. In this paper we weave together an external perspective on market-facing with an internal perspective on competency development and marshalling to describe the organizational activities necessary for firms to cooperate within a virtual organization. We argue that firms can address their individual limitations through a systematic process that we call {\textquotedblleft}competence rallying,{\textquotedblright} with which they can access market opportunities and additional needed competencies. Specifically, we present a local process theory of how one network of firms reliably engineers and delivers manufacturing projects using an inter-organizational process that works to meet short-term market opportunities. Our theory is grounded in the experiences of the Virtuelle Fabrik project, an organized network for regional cooperation in the manufacturing industry around the Bodensee in Europe. The success of manufacturing projects in a virtual organization is predicated on specific organizational activities in four phases of the competence rallying process: 1) identification and development of competencies, 2) identification and facing of market opportunities, 3) marshalling of competencies, and 4) a short-term cooperative effort. The Virtuelle Fabrik project was started by the Institute for Technology Management, University of St. Gallen. Financial support was provided by The Swiss Commission for Scientific Research (KwF) and the Virtuelle Fabrik partner companies. The Virtuelle Fabrik project team included G{\"u}nter Schuh, Bernhard Katzy, Kai Millarg, Thomas Zehnder, Stefan Eisen, and {\r A}sa G{\"o}ransson, as well as managers from the partner firms. The authors thank all of the participants in the Virtuelle Fabrik for their contributions and in particular, for the many discussions that led to the concepts discussed in this paper. The authors take sole responsibility for the work presented here. This paper has benefited greatly from discussion with Paul van Fenema, Steven Sawyer, Ping Zhang, Robert Heckman, Barbara Kwasnik, and Gisela von Dran. }, keywords = {Virtual Organization}, doi = {10.1007/978-0-387-73025-7_7}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/070227\%20vf\%20for\%20ifip.pdf}, author = {Bernhard Katzy and Kevin Crowston}, editor = {Kevin Crowston and Seiber, Sandra} } @proceedings {Kwasnik:2006, title = {Challenges in creating a taxonomy for genres of digital documents}, year = {2006}, address = {Vienna, Austria}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/ISKO06abstract.pdf}, author = {Kwa{\'s}nik, Barbara H. and Chun, You-Lee and Kevin Crowston and D{\textquoteright}Ignazio, J. and Rubleske, Joe} } @inbook {Crowston:2006c, title = {Coordination theory: A ten-year retrospective}, booktitle = {Human-Computer Interaction in Management Information Systems}, year = {2006}, pages = {120-138}, publisher = {M. E. Sharpe, Inc.}, organization = {M. E. Sharpe, Inc.}, abstract = {Since the initial publication in 1994, Coordination Theory has been referenced in nearly 300 journal articles, book chapters, conference papers and theses. Coordination Theory provides an approach to a core problem in HCI: analyzing group work to suggest alternative approaches involving computer support. Coordination Theory suggests identifying the dependencies between the tasks the different group members are carrying out and the coordination mechanisms the group use to coordinate their work and then considering alternative mechanisms. This chapter will analyze the contribution of this body of research to determine how Coordination Theory has been used for user task analysis and modelling for HCI. Issues that will be addressed include: 1)how the theory has been applied; 2) factors that led to the success of the theory; and 3)identification of areas needing further research. }, keywords = {Coordination}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/CT\%20Review\%20to\%20distribute.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Rubleske, Joe and James Howison}, editor = {Zhang, P. and Galletta, D.} } @proceedings {Crowston:2006b, title = {Core and periphery in Free/Libre and Open Source software team communications}, year = {2006}, address = {Kaua{\textquoteright}i, Hawai{\textquoteright}i, January}, abstract = {The concept of the core group of developers is important and often discussed in empirical studies of FLOSS projects. This paper examines the question, {\textquotedblleft}how does one empirically distinguish the core?{\textquotedblright} Being able to identify the core members of a FLOSS development project is important because many of the processes necessary for successful projects likely involve core members differently than peripheral members, so analyses that mix the two groups will likely yield invalid results. We compare 3 analysis approaches to identify the core: the named list of developers, a Bradford{\textquoteright}s law analysis that takes as the core the most frequent contributors and a social network analysis of the interaction pattern that identifies the core in a core-and-periphery structure. We apply these measures to the interactions around bug fixing for 116 SourceForge projects. The 3 techniques identify different individuals as core members; examination of which individuals are identified leads to suggestions for refining the measures. All 3 measures though suggest that the core of FLOSS projects is a small fraction of the total number of contributors.}, keywords = {FLOSS}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/CoreAndPeripheryInFreeLibre.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Kangning Wei and Li, Qing and James Howison} } @article {Massad:2006, title = {Customer satisfaction with electronic service encounters}, journal = {International Journal of Electronic Commerce}, volume = {10}, number = {4}, year = {2006}, pages = {73{\textendash}104}, abstract = {Customer relationship management is an integral component of business strategy for on-line service providers. This paper investigates the aspects of on-line transactions in electronic retailing that are most likely to satisfy or dissatisfy customers, thereby increasing or decreasing the likelihood of building and maintaining relationships with them. For this study, 513 respondents reported behaviors, perceptions, beliefs, events, features, characteristics, attributes, and situations that expressed their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with electronic service encounters. Content analysis of these encounters yielded three meta-categories, six categories, and 33 subcategories of customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction with on-line service providers. The findings suggested that three major categories are robust even in the electronic context of the Internet. The antecedents identified were relevant both to product-related services (e.g., books, apparel) and to pure services (e.g., on-line banking, on-line stock trading). The study found that the characteristics and behaviors of customer-contact employees play an important role in on-line service encounters. It also revealed a percentage decrease in satisfactory incidents, a percentage increase in unsatisfactory incidents, and a percentage increase in unsatisfactory incidents involving employee characteristics and behaviors as service encounters move from a bricks-and-mortar environment to an electronic context. This suggests that customer-contact employees may not be well equipped to deal with on-line customers.}, doi = {10.2753/JEC1086-4415100403}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/ijec2006.pdf}, author = {Massad, Nelson and Heckman, Robert and Kevin Crowston} } @conference {Rubleske:2005, title = {Can Genre Metadata Improve Information Retrieval?}, booktitle = {Connections: The 10th Annual Great Lakes Information Science Conference}, year = {2005}, address = {McGill University, Montreal, Quebec}, author = {Rubleske, Joe and Kevin Crowston and Kwa{\'s}nik, Barbara H.} } @conference {Conklin:2005, title = {Collaboration Using OSSmole: A repository of FLOSS data and analyses}, booktitle = {Symposium on Mining Software Repositories}, year = {2005}, month = {05/2005}, address = {St. Louis}, abstract = {This paper introduces a collaborative project OSSmole designed to collect, share, and store comparable data and analyses of free, libre and open source software (FLOSS) development for research purposes. The project is designed to be a clearinghouse for data from the ongoing collection and analysis efforts of many disparate research groups. A collaborative data repository will reduce duplication and promote compatibility both across sources of FLOSS data and across research groups and analyses. The primary objective of OSSmole is to mine FLOSS source code repositories and provide the resulting data and summary analyses as open source products. However, the OSSmole data model additionally supports donated raw and summary data from a variety of open source researchers and other software repositories. The paper first outlines current difficulties with the typical quantitative FLOSS research process and uses these to develop requirements for such a collaborative data repository. Finally, the design of the OSSmole system is presented, as well as examples of current research and analyses using OSSmole.}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/CollaborationUsingOSSmole.pdf}, author = {Conklin, Megan S. and James Howison and Kevin Crowston} } @proceedings {Crowston:2005, title = {Coordination of Free/Libre Open Source Software development}, year = {2005}, address = {Las Vegas, NV, USA, December}, abstract = {The apparent success of free/libre open source software (FLOSS) development projects such as Linux, Apache, and many others has raised the question, what lessons from FLOSS development can be transferred to mainstream software development? In this paper, we use coordination theory to analyze coordination mechanisms in FLOSS development and compare our analysis with existing literature on coordination in proprietary software development. We examined developer interaction data from three active and successful FLOSS projects and used content analysis to identify the coordination mechanisms used by the participants. We found that there were similarities between the FLOSS groups and the reported practices of the proprietary project in the coordination mechanisms used to manage task-task dependencies. However, we found clear differences in the coordination mechanisms used to manage task-actor dependencies. While published descriptions of proprietary software development involved an elaborate system to locate the developer who owned the relevant piece of code, we found that {\textquotedblleft}self-assignment{\textquotedblright} was the most common mechanism across three FLOSS projects. This coordination mechanism is consistent with expectations for distributed and largely volunteer teams. We conclude by discussing whether these emergent practices can be usefully transferred to mainstream practice and indicating directions for future research.}, keywords = {Coordination, FLOSS}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Coordination\%20of\%20Free\%20Libre\%20Open\%20Source\%20Software\%20Development.pdf , https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/CoordinationFreeLibreOSSDevSlides.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Kangning Wei and Li, Qing and Eseryel, U. Yeliz and James Howison} } @conference {Crowston:2004, title = {Coordination practices for bug fixing within FLOSS development teams}, booktitle = {1st International Workshop on Computer Supported Activity Coordination, 6th International Conference on Enterprise Information Systems}, year = {2004}, address = {Porto, Portugal}, abstract = {Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) is primarily developed by distributed teams. Developers contribute from around the world and coordinate their activity almost exclusively by means of email and bulletin boards. FLOSS development teams some how profit from the advantages and evade the challenges of distributed software development. Despite the relevance of the FLOSS both for research and practice, few studies have investigated the work practices adopted by these development teams. In this paper we investigate the structure and the coordination practices adopted by development teams during the bug-fixing process, which is considered one of main areas of FLOSS project success. In particular, based on a codification of the messages recorded in the bug tracking system of four projects, we identify the accomplished tasks, the adopted coordination mechanisms, and the role undertaken by both the FLOSS development team and the FLOSS community. We conclude with suggestions for further research.}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/scozzi04coordination.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Scozzi, Barbara} } @article {Crowston:2003d, title = {Can document-genre metadata improve information access to large digital collections?}, journal = {Library Trends}, volume = {52}, number = {2}, year = {2003}, pages = {345{\textendash}361}, abstract = {We discuss the issues of resolving the information-retrieval problem in large digital collections through the identification and use of document genres. Explicit identification of genre seems particularly important for such collections because any search usually retrieves documents with a diversity of genres that are undifferentiated by obvious clues as to their identity. Also, because most genres are characterized by both form and purpose, identifying the genre of a document provides information as to the document{\textquoteright}s purpose and its fit to the user{\textquoteright}s situation, which can be otherwise difficult to assess. We begin by outlining the possible role of genre identification in the information-retrieval process. Our assumption is that genre identification would enhance searching, first because we know that topic alone is not enough to define an information problem and, second, because search results containing genre information would be more easily understandable. Next, we discuss how information professionals have traditionally tackled the issues of representing genre in settings where topical representation is the norm. Finally, we address the issues of studying the efficacy of identifying genre in large digital collections. Because genre is often an implicit notion, studying it in a systematic way presents many problems. We outline a research protocol that would provide guidance for identifying Web document genres, for observing how genre is used in searching and evaluating search results, and finally for representing and visualizing genres.}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/libtrends03_0.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Kwa{\'s}nik, Barbara H.} } @booklet {2003, title = {Collective Learning in Distributed Groups (Research in progress)}, year = {2003}, publisher = {Syracuse University School of Information Studies}, keywords = {FLOSS}, author = {Annabi, Hala and Kevin Crowston} } @inbook {, title = {A coordination theory approach to process description and redesign}, booktitle = {Organizing Business Knowledge: The MIT Process Handbook}, year = {2003}, publisher = {MIT Press}, organization = {MIT Press}, type = {Technical report}, abstract = {Managers must understand, influence, and redesign organizational processes to improve business performance. In this paper we present a technique for documenting a business process. The technique has six steps: defining process boundaries, collecting data, determining actors and resources, determining activities, determining dependencies and model verification. While similar to other processmapping techniques, our approach is novel in incorporating ideas from coordination theory, thus the attention to dependencies. As a result, the technique is useful both for documenting a process and suggesting ways in which the process could be redesigned. We present an extended illustration with the hope that the technique can be used by readers of this article.}, keywords = {Coordination}, isbn = {9780585480244}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/wp204.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Osborn, Charley} } @article {Crowston:2000d, title = {Cutting out the middleman: The disintermediating potential of the Web in real estate in the US and New Zealand}, year = {2000}, keywords = {Real Estate}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/middleman.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston} } @booklet {, title = {Constructing intelligent agents with Java: A programmer's guide to smarter applications [Book review]}, howpublished = {Internet Research: Electronic Networking Applications and Policy }, volume = {8}, year = {1999}, pages = {474{\textendash}476}, author = {Kevin Crowston} } @inbook {Crowston:1998b, title = {Communicative style and gender differences in computer-mediated communications}, booktitle = {Cyberghetto or Cybertopia: Race, Class and Gender on the Internet}, year = {1998}, pages = {185{\textendash}204}, publisher = {Praeger}, organization = {Praeger}, abstract = {This chapter reports on an experiment that explored how gender interacts with communicative style to affect decisions to participate in computer-mediated communications (e.g., Usenet newsgroups). Although some field studies indicate that style has a differential effect on men and women, the data fails to confirm this hypothesis. However, significant differences were found in interest in topics, as well as effects of style across all subjects, which have implications for the design of future studies on this topic.}, keywords = {Computer-Mediated Communication}, isbn = {9780275959937}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/book\%20chapter.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Kammerer, Ericka}, editor = {Ebo, Bosah} } @article {Crowston:1998a, title = {Coordination and collective mind in software requirements development}, journal = {IBM Systems Journal}, volume = {37}, number = {2}, year = {1998}, pages = {227{\textendash}245}, abstract = {The purpose of this study was to understand how the group processes of teams of software requirements analysts led to problems and to suggest possible solutions. Requirements definition is important to establish the framework for a development project. Researchers have proposed numerous requirements development techniques, but less has been done on managing teams of requirements analysts. To learn more about group processes within such teams, we studied two teams of analysts developing requirements for large, complex real-time systems. These teams had problems ensuring that requirements documents were complete, consistent, and correct; fixing those problems required additional time and effort. To identify sources of problems, we applied two theories of collective action, coordination theory and collective mind theory. Coordination theory suggests that a key problem in requirement analysis is identifying and managing dependencies between requirements and among tasks. Most requirements methods and tools reflect this perspective, focusing on better representation and communication of requirements. The collective mind perspective complements these suggestions by explaining how individuals come to understand how their work contributes to the work of the group. This perspective suggests that deficiencies in actors{\textquoteright} representations of the process and subordination to collective goals limit the value of their contributions. }, keywords = {Software Development}, issn = { 0018-8670}, doi = {10.1147/sj.372.0227}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/ibmsj98.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Kammerer, Ericka} } @proceedings {Chen:1997, title = {Comparative diffusion of the telephone and the world wide web: An analysis of rates of adoption}, year = {1997}, pages = {110{\textendash}115}, publisher = {Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education}, address = {Toronto, Canada}, abstract = {This paper investigates the diffusion process of the World Wide Web technology by means of a comparison with telephone diffusion at the end of the nineteenth century. The Web technology has diffused at exponentially around the world. In contrast, the telephone technology, a similar innovation of interactive communication technology imbued with typical uncertainty and impedance, took several decades to diffuse. This paper diagnoses the fundamental differences between these two innovations by analyzing their innovation perceived attributes, such as relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability and observability, and attempts to explain the determinants of their rates of adoption.}, keywords = {Computer-Mediated Communication}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/webnet97.html}, author = {Chen, H. and Kevin Crowston}, editor = {Lobodzinski, Suave and Tomek, Ivan} } @article {Crowston:1997a, title = {A coordination theory approach to organizational process design}, journal = {Organization Science}, volume = {8}, number = {2}, year = {1997}, pages = {157{\textendash}175}, abstract = {An important practical problem for many managers is finding alternative processes for performing a desired task, for example, one that is more efficient, cheaper, or that is automated or enhanced by the use of information technology. Improving processes also poses theoretical challenges. Coordination theory provides an approach to the study of processes. In this view, the design of a process depends on the coordination mechanisms chosen to manage dependencies among tasks and resources involved in the process. In this paper, I use coordination theory to analyze the software change process of a large mini-computer manufacturer. Mechanisms analyzed include those for task assignment, resource sharing, and managing dependencies between modules of source code. For each, I suggest alternative mechanisms and thus alternative designs for the process. The organization assigned problem reports to engineers based on the module that appeared to be in error, since engineers only worked on particular modules. Alternative task assignment mechanisms include assignment to engineers based on work- load or market-like bids. Modules of source code were not shared, but rather "owned" by one engineer, thus reducing the need for coordination. An alternative resource sharing mechanism would be needed to manage source code if multiple engineers could work on the same modules. Finally, engineers managed dependencies between modules informally, relying on their personal knowledge of which other engineers used their code; alternatives include formally defining the interfaces between modules and tracking their users. Software bug fixing provides a microcosm of coordination problems and solutions. Similar coordination problems arise in most processes and are managed by a similar range of mechanisms. For example, diagnosing bug reports and assigning them to engineers may have interesting parallels to diagnosing patients and assigning them to specialists. While the case presented does not formally test coordination theory, it does illustrate the potential of coordination theory for exploring the space of organizational processes. Future work includes developing more rigorous techniques for such analyses, applying the techniques to a broader range of processes, identifying additional coordination problems and mechanisms and developing tools for collecting and comparing processes and automatically suggesting potential alternatives.}, keywords = {Coordination}, doi = {10.1287/orsc.8.2.157}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/orgsci97.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston} } @article {Crowston:1987, title = {Cognitive science and organizational design: A case study of computer conferencing}, journal = {Human Computer Interaction}, volume = {3}, year = {1987}, note = {Originally appeared in Proceedings of the Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW '86) (pp. 43{\textendash}61). Austin, TX: ACM, 1986. Reprinted in I. Grief (Ed.) Computer-supported cooperative work: A book of readings (pp. 713{\textendash}740). San Mateo, CA: Morgan Kaufmann, 1988.}, pages = {59{\textendash}85}, abstract = {Many researchers have investigated and speculated about the link between information technology and organizational structure with very mixed results. This paper suggests that part of the reason for these mixed results is the coarseness of previous analyses of both technology and structure The paper describes a new and much more detailed perspective for investigating this link. Using concepts of object-oriented programming from artificial intelligence, the information processing that occurs in organizations is characterized in terms of the kinds of messages people exchange and the ways they process those messages The utility of this approach is demonstrated through the analysis of a case in which a reduction in levels of management is coupled with the introduction of a computer conferencing system The detailed model developed for this case helps explain both macro-level data about the changes in the organizational structure, and micro-level data about individuals{\textquoteright} use of the svstem.}, keywords = {Organizational Modelling}, doi = {10.1207/s15327051hci0301_4 }, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/cognitivescience00crow.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Malone, Thomas W. and Lin, Felix} } @article {1987, title = {Cognitive science and organizational design: Assessing the impact of information technology on organizations}, journal = {Data Base}, volume = {18}, year = {1987}, chapter = {46}, keywords = {Information Technology, Organization}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/acm\%20database\%20abstract.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston} } @proceedings {1986, title = {Cognitive science and organizational design}, year = {1986}, pages = {43-61}, publisher = {ACM Press}, address = {Austin, Texas}, abstract = {Many researchers have investigated and speculated about the link between information technology and organizational structure with very mixed results. This paper suggests that part of the reason for these mixed results is the coarseness of previous analyses of both technology and structure. The paper describes a new and much more detailed perspective for investigating this link. Using concepts of object-oriented programming from artificial intelligence, the information processing that occurs in organizations is characterized in terms of the kinds of messages people exchange and the ways they process those messages. The utility of this approach is demonstrated through the analysis of a case in which a reduction in levels of management is coupled with the introduction of a computer conferencing system. The detailed model developed for this case helps explain both macro-level data about thd changes in the organizational structure, and micro-level data about individuals{\textquoteright} use of the system.}, keywords = {Organizational Modelling}, isbn = {1234567890}, doi = {10.1145/637069.637076}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/p43-crowston.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Malone, Thomas W. and Lin, Felix} }