Paper Number
ECIS2026-2589
Paper Type
CRP
Abstract
Information systems (IS) are considered instruments of empowerment but may reinforce control in hierarchical settings. Prior studies have focused on participatory settings, offering limited insights on how IS function in highly-centralized ones. We examine how managerial purposive prioritization shapes IS as mechanism of control in hierarchical settings. In doing so, we identify four interlinked themes: information value as symbolic domination, where managerial logics of control define legitimate information and marginalize employees’ operational perspectives; preservation of power relations through managerial control, as managerial priorities are embedded in IS design and governance; design-use disjuncture, capturing the misalignment between control-oriented design and employees’ situated practices; and disengagement from the status quo through symbolic resistance, and superficial compliance. Our work advances power asymmetry as a boundary condition for theorizing IS enactment, introduces intentionality as a generative force that links individual-level purposiveness to the organizational-level structures of control, and establishes the concept of symbolic misfit.
Recommended Citation
Ding, Chuying; Angelopoulos, Spyros; and Pouloudi, Nancy, "Information Systems As Cycles Of Control: Exploring Managerial Intentionality and Employee Disengagement In Authoritarian Organizations" (2026). ECIS 2026 Proceedings. 12.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/ecis2026/conf_theme/conf_theme/12
Information Systems As Cycles Of Control: Exploring Managerial Intentionality and Employee Disengagement In Authoritarian Organizations
Information systems (IS) are considered instruments of empowerment but may reinforce control in hierarchical settings. Prior studies have focused on participatory settings, offering limited insights on how IS function in highly-centralized ones. We examine how managerial purposive prioritization shapes IS as mechanism of control in hierarchical settings. In doing so, we identify four interlinked themes: information value as symbolic domination, where managerial logics of control define legitimate information and marginalize employees’ operational perspectives; preservation of power relations through managerial control, as managerial priorities are embedded in IS design and governance; design-use disjuncture, capturing the misalignment between control-oriented design and employees’ situated practices; and disengagement from the status quo through symbolic resistance, and superficial compliance. Our work advances power asymmetry as a boundary condition for theorizing IS enactment, introduces intentionality as a generative force that links individual-level purposiveness to the organizational-level structures of control, and establishes the concept of symbolic misfit.
When commenting on articles, please be friendly, welcoming, respectful and abide by the AIS eLibrary Discussion Thread Code of Conduct posted here.