Exploring the relationship between IT consumerization and job performance: A theoretical framework for future research

Abstract

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.