Graduation Year
2019
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
M.A.
Degree Name
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Degree Granting Department
Psychology
Major Professor
Michael T. Braun, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Michael T. Brannick, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Sandra Schneider, Ph.D.
Keywords
collaborator, decision, expertise, homophily, seeking, similarity
Abstract
This study looked at how individuals choose whom to work with when a task necessitates collaboration. Prior research done on collaborative environments as well as outcomes of collaboration suggests that who you collaborate with will depend on two primary factors: the individuals from which you have to choose and the circumstances surrounding the task. In the proposed study, these factors will be explored. This thesis identified the lack of literature on informal collaboration, addressing the gap in the literature regarding processes that individuals use when choosing collaborators. This research focused on the influencing factors of similarity and expertise involved in this decision processes. Furthermore, this study aimed to understand how individuals choose collaborators under differing conditions of difficulty, novelty, and interdependence necessitated by the task.
Scholar Commons Citation
Kaplan, Michelle S., "Collaboration: Who, When, and Why to Work Together" (2019). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/7822
