Losing [IT] Control to Gain It: Exploring Organizational Linkages of Social Media Technology

Abstract

Affiliates of parent companies seeking localized control of their social message may adopt easily available social media platforms beyond the control of the parent IT function. A revelatory case identifies several IT control points by which the parent can still exert control over the affiliate. These controls separate the affiliate’s digital identity from the parent resulting in the perception of increased autonomy yet shifting the conception of control to a social form of self-regulation. © 2016 Taylor & Francis.