Information technology impacts on power and influence
SoonChul Lee · DSpace@MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) · 2011
In this paper, we explored a model of Information Technology (IT) impacts on personal power and influence in an organization.Our focus was on how IT can be used to increase the potential power and influence of an individual.Drawing from the perspective of power base theory, we identified five bases of power: 1) resource provision, 2) irreplaceability, 3) authority, 4) network central ity, and 5) expertise.To explore this conceptual model, data were collected from 136 users who used well-established information systems.The data provided general support for our model that IT's impact on personal influence can be explained through its effects on the five power bases.In particular, the data indicated that network centrality was the most significant contributor to the effect of IT usage on personal influence for administrative personnel, while resource provision was the most significant factor for technical personnel.