Browsing by Person "Graf-Drasch, Valerie"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2

Digital facilitation of group work to gain predictable performance
(2024) Gimpel, Henner; Lahmer, Stefanie; Wöhl, Moritz; Graf-Drasch, Valerie; Gimpel, Henner; University of Hohenheim, Schloß Hohenheim 1, Stuttgart, Germany; Lahmer, Stefanie; Branch Business and Information Systems Engineering, Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT, Augsburg, Germany; Wöhl, Moritz; Branch Business and Information Systems Engineering, Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT, Augsburg, Germany; Graf-Drasch, Valerie; University of Hohenheim, Schloß Hohenheim 1, Stuttgart, Germany
Group work is a commonly used method of working, and the performance of a group can vary depending on the type and structure of the task at hand. Research suggests that groups can exhibit "collective intelligence"—the ability to perform well across tasks—under certain conditions, making group performance somewhat predictable. However, predictability of task performance becomes difficult when a task relies heavily on coordination among group members or is ill-defined. To address this issue, we propose a technical solution in the form of a chatbot providing advice to facilitate group work for more predictable performance. Specifically, we target well-defined, high-coordination tasks. Through experiments with 64 virtual groups performing various tasks and communicating via text-based chat, we found a relationship between the average intelligence of group members and their group performance in such tasks, making performance more predictable. The practical implications of this research are significant, as the assembly of consistently performing groups is an important organizational activity.
The influence of social norms on expressing sympathy in social media
(2024) Graf-Drasch, Valerie; Gimpel, Henner; Bonenberger, Lukas; Blaß, Marlene; Graf-Drasch, Valerie; University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany; Gimpel, Henner; University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany; Bonenberger, Lukas; Branch Business & Information Systems Engineering of Fraunhofer FIT, Augsburg, Germany; Blaß, Marlene; Branch Business & Information Systems Engineering of Fraunhofer FIT, Augsburg, Germany
Increasingly, people are turning to social media to express grief. By and large, however, the social media community can do little more than improvise reactions, not quite sure how to use the old familiar social scripts as guides to lending effective support. To examine the role of social media in the grieving process, we used a mixed-methods approach: 12 interviews with “social media grievers” reveal the expectations of the bereaved regarding other users’ behavior. By way of two online experiments with 1058 participants, we tested how these expectations are met by the messaging of social media providers in accordance with social norm theory. We found that injunctive social norm messages are particularly effective, whereas descriptive social norm messages vary in their effectiveness, depending on which information is presented and how prominently so. What our study shows, then, is that both are potent socio-technical tools that can guide users towards more empathetic behavior when dealing with the bereaved, so while social media may not be a substitute for therapy, they can offer profound comfort for those of us dealing with bereavement and grief.