Department of Information Systems and Operations Managementhttp://hdl.handle.net/10106/251922024-03-29T10:38:29Z2024-03-29T10:38:29ZEnhancing Experiential Learning through Virtual Reality: A Case Study in System Design and Hazard Analysishttp://hdl.handle.net/10106/317692023-11-09T22:41:36Z2023-08-07T00:00:00ZEnhancing Experiential Learning through Virtual Reality: A Case Study in System Design and Hazard Analysis
**Please note that the full text is embargoed until 8/1/2024** ABSTRACT: The recent advancement of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies leads to an extensive need for an industrial workforce. Training in AM requires expensive capital investment to install and maintain this technology and proper knowledge about potential safety hazards. Experiential, immersive training platforms like Virtual Reality (VR) can overcome this challenge by providing opportunities for effective learning in a safe and controlled environment. VR can teach students through active participation and immersive, hands-on experiences, which is especially important for manufacturing processes involving high-risk conditions. VR can expose students to manufacturing hazards and allow them to learn through trial and error without causing any damage to real-world resources. Acknowledging the benefits of VR, two studies were developed that explore the development and evaluation of a virtual training platform for AM, explicitly focusing on selective laser sintering (SLS) printing. The platform leverages VR technology to provide undergraduate and graduate engineering students with a safe and immersive learning environment. The study begins with an in-depth literature review, examining the benefits of experiential learning and the potential of VR for enhancing engineering education. It also investigates the challenges and safety considerations associated with AM processes. Building upon this foundation, comprehensive research studies were carried out involving student participants from the Decision Analysis in the Systems Design course and the Safety Engineering course at the University of Texas at Arlington to evaluate the effectiveness of the virtual training platform. The virtual environment of the studies contains a selective laser sintering printer, a workstation with necessary supplies and safety equipment, a control panel, and information panels for process planning and hazard identification. The training platforms provide students with significant learning opportunities to gain hands-on experience with a virtual 3D printer and critical engineering skills based on operating process parameters and safety measures. The study utilizes eye metrics analysis, subjective surveys, and performance metrics to assess students' attention, engagement, learning outcomes, and satisfaction. Time-series data on eye movement and controller-based interactions, demographic information, and experience survey responses are collected. Gaze behavior analysis and subjective responses provided helpful insights into the challenges encountered by students, guiding future researchers in improving the platform's instructional design and providing assistive instructions. The outcomes of this research have practical implications for academia and industry, facilitating the training of a competent workforce capable of leveraging AM technologies. By providing a detailed exploration of the virtual training platform's development and evaluation, this study contributes to the advancement of experiential education through virtual reality.
2023-08-07T00:00:00ZORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS (IS) STRATEGY, IT GOVERNANCE, AND FIRM PERFORMANCE: TWO ESSAYS ON HOW IT FIRMS UTILIZE THE ROLES OF IS STRATEGY AND IT GOVERNANCE TO IMPROVE FIRM PERFORMANCEhttp://hdl.handle.net/10106/317672024-02-05T16:18:58Z2023-08-14T00:00:00ZORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS (IS) STRATEGY, IT GOVERNANCE, AND FIRM PERFORMANCE: TWO ESSAYS ON HOW IT FIRMS UTILIZE THE ROLES OF IS STRATEGY AND IT GOVERNANCE TO IMPROVE FIRM PERFORMANCE
This dissertation includes two essays. For essay one, we investigate the implications of organizational wireless and mobile strategy on firm performance in the context of publicly traded information technology firms in the United States. A research model is developed to examine the roles of information technology investment and chief information officer compensation in moderating the relationship between wireless and mobile strategy and firm performance. Topic modeling techniques and ordinary least squares regression are employed to analyze the data. The results support the positive effects of wireless and mobile strategy on firm performance. Additionally, chief information officer compensation is found to improve the performance implications of wireless and mobile strategy significantly. Furthermore, information technology investment strengthens the positive impact of wireless and mobile strategy on firm performance.
Essay two examines how a firm's IT governance affects IT investment and, consequently, firm performance, emphasizing the moderating role of risk-taking orientation. The practical implementation and alignment of IT governance practices are crucial for realizing the desired performance outcomes. Furthermore, the mechanism through which IT governance practices influence firm performance remains unclear and limited. Unlike the prevalent use of survey and case study methodologies in the strategic orientation literature, we employ Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) techniques to measure risk-taking orientation in the IT industry context. Drawing on text data from 418 public firms in the IT industry, this study identifies the complete and positive mediating role of IT investment between IT governance and firm performance. Moreover, it finds that risk-taking orientation positively moderates the relationship between IT investment and firm performance. This study contributes to the IT governance literature by shedding light on the underlying mechanisms through which IT governance influences firm performance and the moderating role of risk-taking orientation.
2023-08-14T00:00:00ZCyber Risk Exposure through Supply Chain Information Network: An Application of Social Network Analysishttp://hdl.handle.net/10106/317642023-11-09T22:42:35Z2023-07-31T00:00:00ZCyber Risk Exposure through Supply Chain Information Network: An Application of Social Network Analysis
**Please note that the full text is embargoed until 08/01/2024** In this paper, I study the impact of supply chain information networks on cyber risk exposure. I document that firms that are more central in the supply chain information network have higher cyber risk exposure. The rapid advancement of information and communication technology (ICT) has led to increased interconnectedness within global supply chain networks. While this enhances efficiency and profitability, it also exposes these entities to systematic and contagious risks, as cyber criminals exploit the connectedness to infiltrate multiple firms simultaneously. High-profile cyber-attacks like NotPetya, SolarWinds, and Colonial Pipeline have devastating effects on organizations and pose threats to national security. In response to these attacks, the United States government declared vulnerabilities in the supply chain network as a national emergency in 2022, leading to efforts to reinforce cybersecurity systems. However, limited research exists on supply chain factors that determine firms' exposure to cyber-attacks and cyber risk management policies. This paper contributes to the economics of cybercrime literature by exploring the interconnections of digital infrastructure among firms in the supply chain network and demonstrating the use of network theory and empirical analysis techniques to assess firm risk profiles.
2023-07-31T00:00:00ZTHREE ESSAYS ON INFORMATION SECURITY POLICY COMPLIANCE: THE ROLE OF SOCIAL INFLUENCEhttp://hdl.handle.net/10106/316382023-11-09T23:07:28ZTHREE ESSAYS ON INFORMATION SECURITY POLICY COMPLIANCE: THE ROLE OF SOCIAL INFLUENCE
Motivating employees to comply with information security policies (ISP) is a major
challenge for organizations. Employees who do not comply with these policies can impose a
serious threat to the safety of organizational information assets. Information security scholars
drawing upon several theories have investigated various factors that can help motivate employees
to comply with the ISP. Among many factors, social influence proved to be an effective force in
motivating employee compliance behavior. However, its role and various effects on employee
ISP compliance as well as its utilization mechanisms have not been deeply investigated.
This dissertation is a collection of three papers addressing a series of related questions
including (1) through which psychological processes social influence may be internalized and
then affect employee compliance; (2) how social influence, at both organizational micro and
macro level, alter the effectiveness of well-established motivational rule-following models; and
finally (3) how we can utilize social influence to successfully motivate employees to comply.
Accordingly, the first essay focuses on how personal norms regarding ISP affect employee
compliance. In particular, it examines how such norms are shaped and activated to motivate
employee compliance. In addition, the second essay introduces a social contingency model
proposing that the well-established rule-following approaches of command-and-control and self-
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regulatory are contingent upon organizational rules ethical climate as well as employee
susceptibility to interpersonal influence. Finally, the third essay discusses the role of collective
responsibility and peer monitoring in motivating ISP compliance.