MANAGERIAL POWER IN REMOTE WORK: THE ROLE OF ICT-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION
Articles > Article · 2026
Authors: Begüm KANAT TİRYAKİ, Nazlı Ayşe AYYILDIZ ÜNNÜ
Journal of Business Innovation and Governance, National Refreed University Journal, International, Index Copernicus, 2026, vol 9, pp 34-55
Summary
The rapid growth of remote work has increased organizations’ reliance on digitally mediated communication, reshaping how managerial power operates. This qualitative study examines how remote work reconfigures managerial power through communication. Drawing on French and Raven’s bases of social power, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 managers from different sectors and hierarchical levels who managed teams via digital platforms. Findings show that remote work weakens power based on physical presence and direct supervision while strengthening expert, referent, and relational power enacted through information sharing, trust-building, explanatory communication and adaptive interaction. Managerial power emerges as a dynamic, communication-centered process shaped by digital interaction.