Date of Award

Summer 2015

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Department

Computer Information Systems

First Advisor

Selwyn Ellis

Abstract

Advancements in information communication technology have led to a growth in the telecommuting work force and increased interest in telecommuting research. Antecedents of work success are re-examined. This study attempts to disclose the relationships among communication technology usage, need for affiliation, organizational justice, employee's virtual status and organizational identification and how these factors affect work success.

Four main questions drove this research: "Do organizational justice and employee's virtual status moderate the relationship between communication technology usage and organizational identification?" ; Do organizational justice and employee's virtual status moderate the relationship between need for affiliation and organizational identification?"; Do organizational identification, organizational justice, and employee's virtual status help explain employee's work success?"; and "How does the communication technology usage portfolio of telecommuters differ from that of their non-telecommuting counterparts?"

Cross-sectional data were collected using an online survey. A total of 263 full-time employees affiliated with a variety of industries in the US provided responses to the questions included in the survey. Upon developing testable hypotheses, the results of employing hierarchical regression analysis reveal that (1) both communication technology usage and need for affiliation positively influence organizational identification; (2) employee's virtual status moderates the two relationships between communication technology usage as well as need for affiliation and organizational identification; (3) organizational justice positively moderates the relationship between communication technology usage and organizational identification; and (4) both organizational identification and organizational justice positively influence work success.

Applying multivariate statistical methods to the usage data of 22 communication technology devices led to the classification of the devices into four groups: office technology; mobile technology; new technology; and older technology. A comparison of usage between telecommuters and non-telecommuters reveal, among others, that (1) telecommuters use office technologies significantly less frequently than non-telecommuters; (2) telecommuters use mobile technologies significantly more frequently than non-telecommuters; and (3) telecommuters do not use new or older technologies any different from their non-telecommuting counterparts. Interpretation of research findings, contributions of the study to information systems theory and practice, its limitations, and directions for future research are highlighted.

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