Chapter 3

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Theoretical Notions of Control: A Mobile Tug-of-War

Communication, information, and organizational control are tightly entwined; this chapter explores the theoretical literature that elaborates on these concepts. The early years of car phones and cell phones were a time when people used their devices to reach others. But that changed as smartphones—those with Internet access—started diffusing into organizations and throughout society. Now, people with those same devices could access data and share information in addition to communicating. I focus on a process perspective on organizational control and link the data from Chapters 1 and 2 to the concepts of individual, hierarchical, and concertive control. My longitudinal data help me illustrates how control is fluid, and these constant changes resemble a tug-of-war. Yet control is related closely to power, so I also discuss different types of power. Quite often organizations control resources, like mobile ICTs, so I describe how power and control might work together in mobile communication.

Changing communities by capitalizing on research in communication technologies.