I study how the culture of a group affects how its members collaborate and contribute to social systems. At IBM, I am developing a research program on improving intercultural collaboration through social software. In my dissertation, I examined the expression of territoriality within different online environments and observe how these behaviors naturally emerge within systems despite community norms that caution against excessive ownership. Territorial behaviors can also surface when experts and novices co-exist in a shared social space, particularly if the culture of the collaborative group assigns status to one's expertise.

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