Under-contribution is a problem for many online communities. Social psychology theories of social loafing and goal-setting can provide mid-level design principles to address this problem. We tested the design principles in two field experiments. In one, members of an online movie recommender community were reminded of the uniqueness of their contributions and the benefits that follow from them. In the second, they were given a range of individual or group goals for contribution. As predicted by theory, individuals contributed when they were reminded of their uniqueness and when they were given specific and challenging goals, but other predictions were not borne out. The paper ends with suggestions and challenges for mining social science theories as well as implications for design.

Under-contribution is a problem for many online communities. Social psychology theories of social loafing and goal-setting can provide mid-level design principles to address this problem. We tested the design principles in two field experiments. In one, members of an online movie recommender community were reminded of the uniqueness of their contributions and the benefits that follow from them. In the second, they were given a range of individual or group goals for contribution. As predicted by theory, individuals contributed when they were reminded of their uniqueness and when they were given specific and challenging goals, but other predictions were not borne out. The paper ends with suggestions and challenges for mining social science theories as well as implications for design.

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MBA internships are commonly used for training and recruiting management talent. Yet, research overlooks what makes them effective. A longitudinal study investigates the relationships that goal clarity, autonomy, and prior experience have with MBA intern learning and job acceptance intentions. Results show learning partially mediates the relationship of goal clarity to job acceptance intentions, and that less experienced MBA interns learn more under conditions of high goal clarity and low autonomy (i.e., when their roles are more structured). We discuss how role structures and learning can inform effective training and recruiting of interns, and management of short-term workers in general.

Enron is a prototypical example of organizational-level corruption. Our interview with Ms. Watkins focuses on the mechanisms that resulted in corruption becoming pervasive across the organization. It provides several illustrations of how these mechanisms can subtly ensnare even morally-upstanding people in a web of corruption. Ms. Watkins" insights can help us identify and resist corrupt practices, if and when they occur in any organization. Drawing on her insights and the corruption literature, we propose a 4P (perceive, probe, protest, persist) approach to help individuals prevent and resist organizational-level corruption.