Impression Formation in Online Collaborative Communities

Abstract

In online collaborative communities such as open source software development, people often encounter unknown others who they must work with in the absence of any previous interaction or formal organizational relationship. These settings are increasingly supported by social networking systems. When connected with the work, these systems can provide detailed information about individuals' activities and behaviors. My research focuses on understanding how individuals form impressions of others in work environments supported by social media, and how these impressions influence collaborative outcomes.