Illusions of control and social domination strategies in knowledge mapping system use

Aurelie Dudezert () and Leidner Dorothy
Additional contact information
Aurelie Dudezert: LGI - Laboratoire Génie Industriel - EA 2606 - CentraleSupélec
Leidner Dorothy: Baylor University, Hankamer School of Business, U.S.A - Chercheur indépendant

Post-Print from HAL

Abstract: In recent years, the overload of information has driven companies to develop visualization technologies as a way to graphically represent knowledge for decision making. On the basis of visualization technologies and on knowledge modeling techniques, knowledge maps (Kmaps) help represent the knowledge assets of a company as graphical discrete objects. Yet such systems, because of their visual representation of knowledge, are prone to creating illusions. Using a case study of three firms' use of Kmaps in their Human Resource departments and drawing upon Bourdieu's social theory, illusion of control theory, and IS as signal and symbol theory, our study provides a critical perspective on the use of Kmaps by groups of actors to reinforce their social domination in business organizations. We find that Kmap use can lead to illusions of knowledge control and illusions of executive control and that in response to the potential for knowledge illusions, three social domination strategies - a signal and symbol strategy, an avoidance strategy and an evidence strategy - are employed. Implications of these results on Knowledge Management and Information Systems Management future research are discussed.

Keywords: Knowledge management; Knowledge management systems; Illusion of control; Social domination; Case study (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Published in European Journal of Information Systems, 2011, 20 (5), pp.574-588

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-00832837

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Post-Print from HAL
Bibliographic data for series maintained by CCSD ().