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This paper explores the emergence and coordination of synchrony in networked groups like those that develop integrated product platforms in collaborative ecosystems. While synchronized actions are an important objective for many groups, interorganizational network theory has yet to explore synchrony in depth perhaps because it does not fit the typical diffusion models this research relies upon. By adding organizationally realistic features – sparse network structure and intentional coordination – to the firefly model from theoretical biology, I take some first steps in understanding synchrony in organizational groups. Like diffusion, synchrony is more effective in denser networks, but unlike diffusion clustering decelerates synchrony’s emergence. Coordination by a few group members accelerates group-wide synchrony, and benefits the coordinating organizations with a higher likelihood that it converges to the coordinating organization’s preferred rhythm. This likelihood of convergence to an organization’s preferred rhythm – what I term synchrony performance – increases in denser networks, but is not dependent on tie strength and clustering.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between temporal leadership and employees' innovative behavior while considering the competitive mediators of harmonious and obsessive passions in work situations, along with the moderating role of synchrony preference.

Insights from the literature and affective events theory (AET) underpin the hypotheses on whether and how temporal leadership would affect employees' innovative behavior. A total of 365 responses were received, and 336 questionnaires were considered for the analysis. This paper examined the whole model through a path analysis using Mplus 7.4.

The results indicated the significant effect of temporal leadership on innovative behavior through harmonious passion which is moderated by synchrony preference, such that the positive effects are stronger when employee's synchrony preference is higher.

This paper contributes to the emerging literature on temporal management by examining the path of temporal leadership→ job passion→ innovative behavior to deepen knowledge of how temporal leadership may impact employees' innovative behavior. This paper also proposed a collaborative model related to temporal leadership and the synchronization of employees, providing a powerful explanation for the boundary conditions of temporal leadership.

In this study we aim to examine a Durkheimian solution to the problem of social cooperation. Drawing on relevant literature on rituals and social solidarity, we make a case that both synchronous and complementary ritualistic acts can promote social cooperation by strengthening solidarity.

We used a lab experiment in which participants performed either synchronous, complementary, or uncoordinated group drumming. After the drumming, they self-reported their positive affect, feeling of being in the same group and trust. Then they played a five-round public goods game in which their levels of cooperation were observed.

We found both synchrony and complementarity help sustain group cooperation. Participants who drummed synchronously or complementarily contributed more to the public good than those in the baseline condition, especially in later rounds of the game. Individuals in the synchronous and complementary conditions also showed stronger feelings of being in the same group. Mediation analysis confirmed that the effects of ritual performance on cooperation are partially mediated by feelings of same-groupness.

Results of our study imply that ritual performance based on either members’ similarities or complementary differences can promote group solidarity and cooperation.

The study supports the classic Durkheimian solution to the problem of social cooperation. Consistent with recent research, we find the causal effect of synchrony on cooperation. Moreover, our new test of the effect of complementarity shows that being different but mutually supportive can effectively enhance solidarity and cooperation as well.

This chapter investigates the “pulsations” of regional interaction networks (world-systems) in Afroeurasia over the past 3,000 years. The purpose is to determine the causes of a fascinating synchrony that emerged between East Asia and the distant West Asian/Mediterranean region, but did not involve the intermediate South Asian region. The hypothesized causes of this synchrony are climate change, epidemics, trade cycles, and the incursions of Central Asian steppe nomads. This chapter formulates a strategy of data gathering, system modeling, and hypothesis testing that can allow us to discover which of these causes were the most important in producing synchrony as the Afroeurasian world-system came into being.

Improving a startup’s ability to obtain funding is critical to the survival of the organization. Although existing studies have observed various biases in investment decisions, few have studied the neural mechanisms behind such behavioral observations. We propose to apply cutting-edge neuroscientific techniques to uncover the neural processes engaged during pitches by entrepreneurs to investors and to use this new knowledge to identify strategy artifacts promoting pitch success. We hypothesize that pitches are dynamically shaped by covert cognitive, emotional, and social processes, which are in turn influenced by tactical approach (story-telling vs dry facts), physical context (online vs in-person), and demographics (gender, ethnicity). The role of inter-brain synchrony (i.e., correlation of cortical activity between brains) – within the startup team or between the entrepreneurs and investors – in pitch outcomes remains unknown. By uncovering the covert processes that mediate pitch outcomes, we provide an evidence-based, scientific approach to improving pitch success.

This study, leveraging the upper echelon and social network theories, aims to explore the association between chief executive officers (CEO’s) polychronicity and small and medium size enterprises (SMEs’) international performance under the complete mediation effect of social networks. The paper explores this relationship under the moderation effect of CEO perceived time pressure and synchrony preference.

The paper investigates a moderated mediating relationship based on a sample of 186 UK firms.

The findings of this study suggest that social network fully mediates the CEO polychronicity and firm international performance relationship. Furthermore, CEO perceived time pressure moderates the social network and SME international performance relationship such that it reduces the positive indirect association between CEO polychronicity and SME international performance. CEO synchrony preference, on the contrary, enhances the positive indirect association between CEO polychronicity and SME performance.

Extant research suggests SMEs having a more robust set of organizational capabilities helps them network and avail foreign market knowledge. However, research exploring antecedents of this organizational capability is scant.

This paper introduces digital scholarship:a process inwhich indivi uals performall scholarly work electronically, working entirely with digital media. A proposal is made for patron‐augmenteddigital libraries (PADLs): a class of digital libraries designed to support the digital scholarship of its patrons. PADLs not only provide facilities for search an retrieval of library artefacts, but also allow patrons to augment the library’s collection with new artefacts such as annotations,original compositions an organisational structures. Finally, a prototype PADL (calle Synchrony) providing access to digitise video segments and associate textual transcripts is described. Synchrony allows patrons to search its collection for artefacts, create annotations/original compositions, integrate these artefacts to form synchronize mixed text an video presentations and, after suitable review, publish these presentations into the digital library if desired.

To investigate the effects of within‐group task interdependence and the degree of communications synchrony on performance in virtual teams (VT).

A 2 × 2 factorial design of 240 participants in Spain, randomly assigned to 80 three‐person teams, was used. Teams worked virtually (not meeting face‐to‐face), performing a merit‐rating task in a laboratory setting.

The analyses revealed an interaction effect between task interdependence and synchrony of communication. High values of VT performance were found both under conditions of “low task interdependence” and “asynchrony of communication” and under conditions of “high task interdependence” and “synchrony of communication”. The results show that superior VT performance is contingent on the match between the nature of the task and the choice of communications modality.

First, additional research will be needed to confirm and extend the findings in actual working environments. Second, a closer look is necessary at the different mediation processes employed by teams in situations where there is a better or worse fit between task characteristics and type of communication (e.g. team strategy).

This study makes it clear that it is necessary to optimize and nurture one's investments in communication technologies, and calls for further consideration of the requirements for the design of technological solutions in accordance with task interdependence.

This work complements past research that has focused mainly on virtual teams using asynchronous technologies or comparing them with face‐to‐face teams.

The ability to analyze social action as it unfolds on micro time scales – particularly the 24-hour day – is central to understanding group processes. This chapter describes a new approach to this undertaking, which treats individuals’ involvement in specific activities at specific times as bases for: (1) sequential linkages between activities; as well as (2) connections to others who engage in similar action sequences. This makes it possible to examine the emergence and internal functioning of groups using existing network analysis techniques.

We illustrate this approach with a specific application – a quantitative and visual comparison of the daily activity patterns of employed and unemployed people. We use data from 13,310 24-hour time diaries from the 2010–2013 American Time Use Surveys.

Employed and unemployed people engage in significantly different types of activities and at different times. Beyond this, network analyses reveal that unemployed individuals experience much lower levels of synchrony with each other than do employed individuals and have much less organized action sequences. In short, there is a chronic lack of prevailing norms regarding how unemployed people organize the 24-hour day.

Future research that uses time-stamped data can employ network methods to analyze and visualize how group members sequence and synchronize social action. These methods make it possible to study how the structure of social action shapes group and individual-level outcomes.

Purpose – The purpose of this chapter is to demonstrate how biosociologists can further the understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorders by combining neurology's knowledge of the brain with social scientific knowledge about paraverbal communication and interactional synchrony.

Findings – We theoretically analyze Autism Spectrum Disorders through the lens of neurosociology and develop a research agenda centered on relationships among brain function, interactional symmetry, and autism. We also derive an intervention model involving the artificial manipulation of speech communication. In our analysis we draw attention to multidisciplinary research on vocal and behavioral synchrony and demonstrate how this knowledge contributes to a neurosociological understanding of autism.

Research limitations/implications – We synthesize diverse programs of research from multiple fields and innovate a neurosociological approach to understanding biosocial interaction rituals in relation to autism. We discuss the potential use of “dichotic filtration” of speech to enhance communication efficacy for individuals with autism.

Practical implications – Our arguments suggest that the social difficulties faced by individuals with autism may be rooted in problems associated with the cerebral processing of paralanguage. As a potential remedy for these problems, we suggest an intervention method based on recent technological advancements stemming from decades of theoretical and empirical research.

Social implications – To the extent that the proposed intervention model proves successful, it will enhance the lives of individuals with autism and those with whom they interact by improving social communication and associated channels for creating social bonds.

Originality/value – This work is uniquely important as an example of how biosociologists might move “from bench to application” in the context of a cumulative program of interdisciplinary research, development, and technology transfer.