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Owing to their complex and knowledge-intensive nature, information systems development (ISD) projects require effective collaboration between business and technology experts. In this regard, social capital theory may provide a valuable framework and insight into explaining knowledge sharing behavior in an ISD context. The purpose of this paper is to expand the theory of knowledge sharing as developed thus far in the ISD project context using the full-blown team social capital theory.

The expertise and communication effectiveness of business and technology professionals were posited as antecedents of team social capital and knowledge sharing. The research model for this study integrates expertise, communication, knowledge sharing, social capital, and team performance into a structural equation modeling. The research model was empirically tested with a data set from business and technology professional pairs collected from 115 ISD project teams.

The results indicated that team social capital and knowledge sharing have significant influences on team performance. Team social capital appears to have a stronger influence on knowledge sharing than business and technology expertise. Communication effectiveness and technology expertise are important antecedents to raise team social capital.

In this study, the social capital theory is applied toward enhancing the theory of knowledge sharing in ISD project teams. General social capital construct and measures are adopted and modified into the team social capital measures and validated empirically.

This study aims to investigate the effect of communication effectiveness (CE) on service quality (SQ) leading to relationship quality (RQ) in IT service relationships.

CE was decomposed into frequency, bi-directionality and quality of communication while SQ was decomposed into functional and technical qualities, and RQ into trust and relationship commitment. An empirical study is conducted testing the nomological research model consists of these dimensions, using survey method collecting data from 144 subjects.

The findings indicate that good SQ can impact relationship commitment only via the clients' trust, but not directly. Influence of functional quality is stronger on trust but technical quality also maintains significant impact. Detailed findings imply that, while communication is important element influencing perceptions of SQ, quality of bi-directional communication is more critical than simple but frequent communication.

This study explores the direct impact of CE on SQ leading to RQ in IT service context. Previous studies rarely tested the impacts of functional and technical SQ, simultaneously. Findings of this study add values to research on service relations as well as IT services research in terms of differentiating functional and technical service qualities.

“Contactless service” refers to the use of technology in providing products or services without a salesperson. This study explores the mechanism underlying Millennial and Generation Z (M/Z generations) consumers' preference for contactless service over salespersons in retail stores. In addition, this study tests differences between the M/Z generations.

The researchers predict characteristics to be antecedents of young consumer's preference for contactless service over salespersons and that the effects are mediated by technology self-efficacy. Next, a moderating variable (perceived consumer conformity) is added in the path between technology self-efficacy and the preference for contactless service. The hypotheses are tested among 142 Gen Z and 137 Millennial respondents.

The results show that M/Z generations’ characteristics significantly influence the preference for contactless service, except for security seeking. Also, interests in new technology and safety seeking are perceived higher by M/Z generations. The influence of technology self-efficacy on the preference for contactless service is moderated by social conformity.

As retail technology rapidly develops, the service industry is expected to change from the past, where salespersons played an important role, to contactless services. This study has academic and practical values, for the authors clarify the underlying psychological mechanisms of why young consumers prefer retail technology rather than communication with salespersons.