08/23/2022
By Mary Lou Kelly

The Department of Management at the Robert J. Manning School of Business invites you to attend a Dissertation Proposal Defense by Holly Lalos on “Interpreting Skilled Digital Freelancers as Boundary Spanners.”

Doctoral Candidate: Holly Lalos
Doctoral Concentration: Leadership & Organization Studies (Department of Management)
Defense Date: Sept. 9, 2022
Time: 10:30 a.m. - noon
Location: Graduate and Professional Studies Center (GPS), Room 330 and via Zoom

Dissertation Title: Interpreting Skilled Digital Freelancers as Boundary Spanners

Dissertation Chair: Kimberly Merriman, Ph.D. Department of Management, University of Massachusetts, Lowell

Dissertation Committee Members:

  • Jose Godinez, Ph.D. Department of Management, University of Massachusetts, Lowell
  • Steven Tello, Ed.D. Department of Marketing, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, University of Massachusetts, Lowel

Abstract:

Extant management literature suggests that boundary spanning is important to an organization’s growth and sustainability. A boundary spanner is a gatekeeper with access to external partners, critical resources, and information, and therefore, plays an important role in creating opportunities for an organization. This proposal aims to understand individual boundary spanning by examining an overlooked source – skilled digital freelancers – and will help determine if and how they serve as boundary spanners by examining their boundary spanning behaviors, human capital, and strategic orientation. This will contribute to an individual understanding of organizational boundary spanning in a social network theoretical context. This dissertation will utilize a pilot and main study with a focus on the latter. Data for the main study will be gathered on a sample of skilled digital freelancers using the online Upwork platform and analytical techniques for data analysis will include hierarchical multiple regression, mediation, and moderation.