What's the IT in IT identity? Towards a Conceptualization of Information Technology for IT Identity Research

Brechtelsbauer B, Schwehn TJ, Laumer S (2026)

Publication Language: English

Publication Type: Conference contribution, Conference Contribution

Publication year: 2026

Publisher: Association for Computing Machinery

City/Town: New York, NY, United States

Pages Range: 101 - 105

Conference Proceedings Title: SIGMIS-CPR '26: Proceedings of the 63rd ACM Conference on Computers and People Research

Event location: Flagstaff, AZ US

DOI: doi.org/10.1145/3768310.3807808

Open Access Link: https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3768310.3807808

Abstract

IT identity, the self-identification with the use of IT, is a powerful determinant of user behavior that is of growing importance, given the increasing role of IT in private and professional life. Previous research has pointed out that IT is a complex concept, and IT identities can exist at different levels (e.g., unit of IT, class of IT). However, the conceptual foundation and differentiation between these levels remain limited, and they are often neither adequately considered nor clearly distinguished in empirical research. This limits the explanatory potential of IT identity and the accumulation of knowledge. Therefore, we work towards a level-based conceptualization of IT for IT identity research. Specifically, we build on categorization theory to provide a theoretical foundation for the existence and relation of different levels of IT, extend previous conceptualizations with additional levels that enable more precise identity attributions, and outline a research agenda.


Authors with CRIS profile

Bastian Brechtelsbauer Schöller Endowed Chair for Information Systems (Digitalization in Business and Society) Tim-Julian Schwehn Schöller Endowed Chair for Information Systems (Digitalization in Business and Society) Sven Laumer Schöller Endowed Chair for Information Systems (Digitalization in Business and Society)

How to cite

APA:

Brechtelsbauer, B., Schwehn, T.-J., & Laumer, S. (2026). What's the IT in IT identity? Towards a Conceptualization of Information Technology for IT Identity Research. In Craig Van Slyke, Damien Joseph, May Bantan, Kristina Kusanke, Ronnie Jia, Jason Williams (Eds.), SIGMIS-CPR '26: Proceedings of the 63rd ACM Conference on Computers and People Research (pp. 101 - 105). Flagstaff, AZ, US: New York, NY, United States: Association for Computing Machinery.

MLA:

Brechtelsbauer, Bastian, Tim-Julian Schwehn, and Sven Laumer. "What's the IT in IT identity? Towards a Conceptualization of Information Technology for IT Identity Research." Proceedings of the ACM SIGMIS Computers and People Research 2026 Conference, Flagstaff, AZ Ed. Craig Van Slyke, Damien Joseph, May Bantan, Kristina Kusanke, Ronnie Jia, Jason Williams, New York, NY, United States: Association for Computing Machinery, 2026. 101 - 105.

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