The intricacies of power relations and digital technologies in organizational processes

Titolo Rivista: STUDI ORGANIZZATIVI
Autori/Curatori: Attila Bruni, Francesco Miele, Daniel Pittino, Lia Tirabeni
Anno di pubblicazione: 2021 Fascicolo: 1 Lingua: Italiano
Numero pagine: 18 P. 7-24 Dimensione file: 238 KB
DOI: 10.3280/SO2021-001001
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The relationship between power, technology and organizing is a longstanding theme in organization studies, typically articulated along two polarized positions: a pessimistic and an optimistic one. Both positions assume a deterministic view in which technology "impacts" society and organizations, thus missing the intricate and often ambiguous dynamics that surround power and technology. Accordingly, this Special Issue focuses on the intricacies of power, digital technologies and organizational processes. Presenting the rationale of the papers that compose the Special Issue, we suggest five themes arising when empirically and theoretically approaching these intricacies: 1) digital technologies and power relationships in organizational structure and processes; 2) relationships between technology, power and workers’ participation; 3) digital technologies, algorithmic control and power renegotiation; 4) digital technologies, practices of human resources management and the joint design of technology, work, and organization; 5) hyper-industrialization as a critical lens to approach technology, work, and organizing. Taken all together, the papers help overcoming simplifications as well as polarized representations of the relationship between power, digital technologies and organizing.

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Attila Bruni, Francesco Miele, Daniel Pittino, Lia Tirabeni, The intricacies of power relations and digital technologies in organizational processes in "STUDI ORGANIZZATIVI " 1/2021, pp 7-24, DOI: 10.3280/SO2021-001001