When Technology Becomes an Ideological Battleground: How Data Ideology Affects Affordance Actualization in People Analytics

This research examines how employees with different roles in organizations perceive people analytics (systems that collect and analyze worker behavioral data to improve efficiency), and discovers that their views are shaped by data ideologies, which are underlying beliefs and assumptions about data and its use. The study found that data ideologies influence whether employees actually use these technologies in practice, operating through three mechanisms: moderation (limiting use), confirmation (supporting existing beliefs), and modulation (adjusting how technologies are applied). Understanding these different ideologies is important for successfully implementing workplace data collection systems.