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How is a new intranet involved in an ongoing merger integration process? Katja Schönian analyses internal communication and branding strategies in connection with the implementation of a new company intranet. Based on qualitative data, the study contrasts managerial expectations and everyday usage of the intranet in distinct work settings. Relying on social practice theories and research in Science & Technology Studies, Katja Schönian unpacks the different logics the intranet brings together and, furthermore, interrogates the characteristics that make an (un)workable technology. The book sheds light on the informal practices and politics surrounding the technology implementation process. It provides readers with new insights into the dynamics of a merger integration process, the production of worker subjectivity, and the increasing involvement of technologies in contemporary knowledge work.
About the author
Katja Schönian gained her PhD at Europa Universität Viadrina, Frankfurt/Oder. Prior to this, she completed the three-year postgraduate programme »Sociology of Social Practices« at the Institut für Höhere Studien (IHS) in Vienna where she also worked as a junior researcher. She holds a Master's degree in »Critical and Creative Analysis« from the Sociology Department at Goldsmiths College, University of London and finished the BA-programme »Philosophy and Culture« at Universität Witten/Herdecke. Her research interests involve the study of work practices and technologies, consumer research, and methodological innovations within qualitative research.
Summary
How is a new intranet involved in an ongoing merger integration process? Katja Schönian analyses internal communication and branding strategies in connection with the implementation of a new company intranet. Based on qualitative data, the study contrasts managerial expectations and everyday usage of the intranet in distinct work settings. Relying on social practice theories and research in Science & Technology Studies, Katja Schönian unpacks the different logics the intranet brings together and, furthermore, interrogates the characteristics that make an (un)workable technology. The book sheds light on the informal practices and politics surrounding the technology implementation process. It provides readers with new insights into the dynamics of a merger integration process, the production of worker subjectivity, and the increasing involvement of technologies in contemporary knowledge work.
