Virtual Micro-Politics: Informal Tactics of Influence and Power in Inter-Organizational Networks

Although virtual organizations and networks have been studied for quite some time, there is still need for research regarding their inner dynamics and the mechanisms of leadership and governance. In this paper we investigate micro-political processes - i.e. informal actions of individual actors to gain power and exert influence, which is a well-researched concept in traditional organizations - with respect to interorganizational networks. By means of a qualitative interview study we investigated structures and strategies of power within virtual networks. Results show that micro-political tactics known from research in traditional organizations are also used in interorganizational settings. Furthermore, we identified additional micro-political tactics specific to virtual networks. The latter are especially related to the use of ICT. Based on our results, we discuss possible implications for the structure and governance of virtual networks as well as the design of the technology that is used to support virtual cooperation.