IT Consumerization – A Theory and Practice Review

Consumerization of IT refers to privately-owned ÌT resources such as devices or software that are used for business purposes. The effects of consumerization are considered to be a major driver that redefines the relationship between employees (in terms of consumers of enterprise IT) and the IT organization. While there has been extensive debate on these matters in practice, IS research has not developed a clear theoretical understanding of the phenomenon. We present a theory and practice review, where the existing literature on consumerization is reviewed and a clear definition of the concept is developed. This study contributes to a theoretical understanding of IT consumerization in relation to fundamental aspects of IS. Our analysis shows, first, which distinct aspects of IS are affected by consumerization. Secondly, we provide an overview over major advantages and disadvantages for employees and organizations by conducting a systematic analysis of current literature available on the topic

Towards an IT Consumerization Theory:A Theory and Practice Review

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Are Employees Following the Rules? On the Effectiveness of IT Consumerization Policies

In most organizations, employees commonly use mobile technologies including smartphones and tablets to complete their tasks. Therefore, many organizations have started to implement policies that govern the use of mobile devices such as Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) policies, that allow employees to use private devices for work-related purposes, or Company Owned PrivatelyEnabled (COPE) policies, which allow the use of organizational technologies for private purposes. Despite its relevance, there is only little empirical research that provides evidence on the effectiveness of specific policies, i.e., policies in favor of BYOD/COPE, policies that prohibit it, and no implemented policies. Based on survey data (N = 381), we provide initial insights in terms of the effectiveness of these policies. Our results indicate that policies indeed influence the degree of technology use. Policies in favor of BYOD/COPE are particularly effective. We conclude this paper by discussing our findings and derive several implications for theory and practice

The Effect of Private IT Use on Work Performance - Towards an IT Consumerization Theory

IT consumerization – defined as the use of privately-owned IT resources for business purposes – is steadily growing, thus creating new challenges for enterprises. While numerous practitioner studies suggest a positive effect of this trend on employee work performance, IS research still lacks a systematic understanding of the forces underlying this relationship. In order to close this research gap, we derive three major effects of IT consumerization on employees: 1) an increased workload 2) an elevated autonomy and 3) a higher level of competence. Drawing on cognitive stress model and self-determination theory, we develop an innovative theoretical model of the relationships between IT consumerization and work performance. We then conduct an embedded single-case study, in order to evaluate the constructs and relationships of our structural model by means of qualitative research. Subsequently, the implications for theorizing and practicing IT consumerization are discussed and suggestions on further developing this study are presented

Innovation Through BYOD? - The Influence of IT Consumerization on Individual IT Innovation Behavior

Leveraging the IT innovation capabilities of employees is becoming increasingly feasible in the era of IT consumerization. Consumer IT tools, in form of tablets, smartphones, or social media, are entering organizations and are changing the way employees use technology for work. In this article, the authors decipher the term IT consumerization in more detail by providing a framework that illustrates the various perspectives of the phenomenon. They then apply the various perspectives in order to propose an IT consumerization framework that juxtaposes consumer IT with enterprise IT in its ability to lead to individual IT innovation behaviors. Using data from 486 European employees that work for large-sized companies, they are able to infer that consumer IT and the permission to use privately owned IT exert positive effects on employees’ innovation behaviors. An examination of the various perspectives supports the assumption of science and practice that BYOD strategies and the diffusion of consumer IT within organizations are beneficial for innovation. The results provide a first step in theorizing about the innovative power of IT consumerization

Exploring the Relationship between IT Consumerization and Job Performance: A Theoretical Framework for Future Research

The consumerization of information technology (IT) refers to consumer IT resources, such as laptops, smartphones, social media, or cloud storage, that are used for business purposes. The topic has engendered an ongoing debate among practitioners. However, a scientific approach has yet to be developed to understand the effects of IT consumerization on individual performance in the workplace. In this paper, we conduct an inductive empirical study on pilot projects in an industrial and a public sector organization. From these data, we derive key concepts and develop a theoretical framework that conceptualizes the relationship between IT consumerization and job performance. In particular, ownership and freedom of choice are interesting concepts to provide insights beyond what has already been investigated in previous research on IT-related job performance. Our findings lay the foundation for developing a substantive theory that is independent of our area of enquiry. Moreover, they show numerous connections to the body of information systems literature that sharpen our construct definitions and raise the theoretical level of the results. We outline potential avenues for future research on IT consumerization based on our study’s contributions

How IT Consumerization Affects the Stress Level at Work: A Public Sector Case Study

IT consumerization refers to the adoption of consumer technologies in an enterprise context and is becoming increasingly important in both research and practice. While there are often positive effects attributed with the trend, e.g. with respect to increased performance or motivation, not much attention has yet been given to the effects it has on stress of employees. In order to close this research gap, we conduct a qualitative single case study in the public sector. We derive four major stressors that are related to IT consumerization, i.e. 1) increased reachability, 2) lack of competence, 3) workflow changes, and 4) system redundancies. These stressors are discussed with respect to related theory concepts in IS. Moreover, they are used to derive recommendations for practitioners with respect to policy development and communication. Our paper contributes to the recent discussion on theoretical implications of IT consumerization effects

IT Consumerization: A Model of Private IT Use in Organizations

IT Consumerization, the use of privately-owned IT devices and applications in place of business IT, has become a significant trend in organizations today. We provide a review and interpretation of existing literature on IT Consumerization, incorporating research on boundary blurring, bring-your-own-device (BYOD) programs and Shadow IT. We then synthesize and extend the current body of knowledge by drawing on general deterrence theory, expectation-confirmation theory and neutralization theory to provide a model of private IT use within the enterprise. Our aim is to contribute to an understanding of the paths by which various categories of private IT use occur, and develop a testable research model to allow them to be explored in a coherent manner

CONSUMERIZATION OF IT – WHERE IS THE THEORY?

Consumerization of IT (CoIT) is a key trend affecting society at large, including organizations of all kinds. A consensus about the defining aspects of CoIT has not yet been reached. Some refer to CoIT as employees bringing their own devices and technologies to work, while others highlight different aspects. While the debate about the nature and consequences of CoIT is still ongoing, many definitions have already been proposed. In this paper, we review these definitions and what is known about CoIT thus far. To guide future empirical research in this emerging area, we also review several established theories that have not yet been applied to CoIT but in our opinion have the potential to shed a deeper understanding on CoIT and its consequences. We discuss which elements of the reviewed theories are particularly relevant for understanding CoIT and thereby provide targeted guidance for future empirical research employing these theories. Overall, our paper may provide a useful starting point for addressing the lack of theorization in the emerging CoIT literature stream and stimulate discussion about theorizing CoIT

Does the Ability to Choose Matter? On the Relationship between Bring-your-own Behavior and IT Satisfaction

Employees increasingly complete organizational tasks using privately owned consumer technologies such as private devices (e.g., smartphones) or private Internet accounts (e.g., email accounts). Higher satisfaction constitutes a major reason for this bring-your-own behavior (BYOB). However, little research has theoretically explored and empirically tested this assumption. This study sheds light on this phenomenon by analyzing the effect of BYOB on IT satisfaction. Drawing from social cognitive theory, we propose choice self-efficacy as a new construct that intermediates the relationship between BYOB and IT satisfaction. Building on results from survey data (n = 400), we provide new evidence that BYOB has a positive effect on IT satisfaction whereby choice self-efficacy plays a vital element as it mediates this relationship. Since IT satisfaction shapes how people use technology and how they perform with it, we derive important implications for future research on IT consumerization. Furthermore, we provide several conclusions for practitioners and discuss how to enhance IT satisfaction and choice self-efficacy