WHAT DO I RESEARCH?
Organizational Culture and Organizational Change
Technology & Organizations
Research Methods
Current Projects
My main research agenda focuses on organizational change in the context of humanitarian crisis or armed conflict. I explore how the diffusion of organizational culture and international norms and standards shape organizations’ behavior. I study how organizations try to get legitimacy and recognition, and I look at the role of regulations and transparency in organizational behavior. The organizations I focus on are those dictating the state of contemporary security, crime, and development in the setting of humanitarian crisis and armed conflict. I examine how military relations and dependencies, along with the diffusion of cultural norms associated, shape military organizational culture and behavior. I explore the creation of a new profession of private security and military contractors and its implications on the security landscape. I study the role of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in spreading international norms and standards and their effect on human security. I also look at terrorist organizations and other violent non-state actors’ pursuit of legitimacy by providing social services. My work touches upon urgent global issues that shape the lives of millions in war-turn areas as it tries to help us better understand the organizations operating within those settings and their roles.​
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A second research agenda focuses on technology & organizations, with a focus on conflict and post-conflict settings. This stream of research moves from the micro to the macro and examines the different intersections between technology, organizations, and social change. Here, I study the role of technology in veterans’ reintegration and well-being, looking at American and Israeli veterans. I look at violent non-state actors' adoption of drone technology. Lastly, I examine the organizational aspect of information operation's influence networks and the organizational characteristics of cyber warfare and security.
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In my work, I prefer a mixed-method approach that can incorporate rigorous empirical results using different tools. This sheds light on my research from many angles and achieves a more complete understanding of their characteristics and implications.
The methods I use in my research include classic qualitative and quantitative methods as well as other methods, popular in other disciplines but less familiar in sociology.
The methods I am using are:
Regression analysis
Spatial analysis
Network analysis
Interviews
Quantitative textual analysis
Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA)
Historical comparative
Machine Learning
Archival research
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“Mapping the World of Private Military and Security Companies”- a review of private military contractors’ market across the globe. This project involves undergraduate students and the creation of a broad comparative dataset.
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"Terrorist Organizations and Governance" - examination of terrorist organizations' social and health service and usage of technology. This project involves undergraduate students' participation in the creation of a database on terrorist organizations and governance across the globe.
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"The Disinformation Machine" - a project focusing on information operations and cyber influence operations. The project includes several interdisciplinary teams.
Computational Social Science projects that include interdsceiplanary teams that work in the Peace, War, & Social Conflict Laboratory. (For more information on those projects see www.pwscl.com).
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Our team successfully developed a model that predicts election outcomes in the US on the national and regional levels., using big data and artificial intelligence.
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Our team designed a way to identify cyber information operations online. We are at the process of automating the method using artificial intelligence.
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Our team submitted a grant for a project that uses big data and artificial intelligence to predict hate crime.
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Our team uses artificial intelligence to assess cycles of violence around elections in Africa and to predict determinants for conflict escalation or de-escalation.