{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,29]],"date-time":"2026-04-29T17:17:57Z","timestamp":1777483077372,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":51,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,24]],"date-time":"2022-11-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1669248000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"FCT\u2014Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e Tecnologia","award":["UIDB\/00319\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/00319\/2020"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Informatics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Shadow information technology (SIT) revolves around systems that are hidden but are still managed by the same business entities. It consists of the use of devices, software, systems and applications without the information technology (IT) department\u2019s approval. Employees use IT without the knowledge of the IT department, and it creates a gap in communications, as the IT department loses the knowledge of the reality within the company. However, there are benefits involved. In order to take advantage of these benefits, changes have to be implemented in the way that business activities are handled. The benefits should be a direct result of the changes, of the difference between the ongoing and the suggested way that activities should be undertaken, and the levels of efficiency and effectiveness to which people deliver their daily tasks. The objective of this study was to propose a benefit dependency network (BDN) for SIT, and, through its concepts, to synthetize our findings and specify the connections between SIT practices and their benefits. This research was conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) and used a design science research methodology, adopting semi-structured interviews with fourteen interactions to propose a BDN for SIT. We proposed a model with five dimensions related to a BDN for SIT. By understanding the BDN and the benefits of SIT, it is easier to have a better notion of the implications and the factors involved in order to assist the decision-making process. Whether an organization wants to reach innovation, increase revenue or retain clients, the BDN helps with analysis and selection, and is something that organizations should take seriously, as it is essential to have knowledge about what the benefits are and how they can be reached. To the best of the authors\u2019 knowledge, this research included and replaced several processes in the BDN for SIT, in a topic that is still underexplored.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/informatics9040095","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,25]],"date-time":"2022-11-25T03:34:24Z","timestamp":1669347264000},"page":"95","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["A Benefit Dependency Network for Shadow Information Technology Adoption, Based on Practitioners\u2019 Viewpoints"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"9","author":[{"given":"Isaias","family":"Scalabrin Bianchi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Grupo de Investigaci\u00f3n Desarrollo Empresarial, Gesti\u00f3n del Conocimiento e Innovaci\u00f3n, Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n Cient\u00edfica, Universidad de Lima, Lima 15023, Peru"}]},{"given":"Ant\u00f3nio","family":"Vaquina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Information Science and Technology, Instituto Universit\u00e1rio de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), 1649-026 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Ruben","family":"Pereira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Information Science and Technology, Instituto Universit\u00e1rio de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), 1649-026 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7607-555X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rui","family":"Dinis Sousa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ALGORITMI Center, Department of Information Systems, University of Minho, 4804-533 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Guillermo Antonio","family":"D\u00e1vila","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Grupo de Investigaci\u00f3n Desarrollo Empresarial, Gesti\u00f3n del Conocimiento e Innovaci\u00f3n, Carrera de Ingenier\u00eda de Sistemas, Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n Cient\u00edfica, Universidad de Lima, Lima 15023, Peru"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"469","DOI":"10.1007\/s12599-017-0497-x","article-title":"Shadow IT","volume":"59","author":"Haag","year":"2017","journal-title":"Bus. Inf. Syst. Eng."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ferreira, R., Pereira, R., Bianchi, I.S., and da Silva, M.M. (2021). Decision Factors for Remote Work Adoption: Advantages, Disadvantages, Driving Forces and Challenges. J. Open Innov. Technol. Mark. Complex., 7.","DOI":"10.3390\/joitmc7010070"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sengik, A.R., Lunardi, G.L., Scalabrin Bianchi, S., and Wiedenh\u00f6ft, G.C. (2022). Using Design Science Research to Propose an IT Governance Model for Higher Education Institutions. Educ. Inf. Technol.","DOI":"10.1007\/s10639-022-11088-3"},{"key":"ref_4","unstructured":"Gy\u00f6ry, A., Cleven, A., Uebernickel, F., and Brenner, W. (2012, January 11\u201313). Exploring the Shadows: IT Governance Approaches to User-Driven Innovation. Proceedings of the 20th European Conference on Information Systems, Barcelona, Spain."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1023","DOI":"10.1016\/j.im.2017.02.007","article-title":"A New Perspective on Neutralization and Deterrence: Predicting Shadow IT Usage","volume":"54","author":"Silic","year":"2017","journal-title":"Inf. Manag."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"de Vargas Pinto, A., Beerepoot, I., and Ma\u00e7ada, A.C.G. (2022). Encourage Autonomy to Increase Individual Work Performance: The Impact of Job Characteristics on Workaround Behavior and Shadow IT Usage. Inf. Technol. Manag.","DOI":"10.1007\/s10799-022-00368-6"},{"key":"ref_7","first-page":"15","article-title":"Causing Factors, Outcomes, and Governance of Shadow IT and Business-Managed IT: A Systematic Literature Review","volume":"7","author":"Klotz","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int. J. Inf. Syst. Proj. Manag."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"144","DOI":"10.5755\/j01.itc.49.1.23801","article-title":"Shadow IT\u2014Systematic Literature Review","volume":"49","year":"2020","journal-title":"ITC"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cose.2018.09.012","article-title":"Critical Impact of Organizational and Individual Inertia in Explaining Non-Compliant Security Behavior in the Shadow IT Context","volume":"80","author":"Sillic","year":"2019","journal-title":"Comput. Secur."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"209","DOI":"10.1007\/s10257-020-00472-6","article-title":"From Shadow IT to Business-Managed IT: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis to Determine Configurations for Successful Management of IT by Business Entities","volume":"18","author":"Kopper","year":"2020","journal-title":"Inf. Syst. E-Bus. Manag."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Klotz, S. (2019, January 15\u201317). Shadow IT and Business-Managed IT: Where Is the Theory?. Proceedings of the 2019 IEEE 21st Conference on Business Informatics (CBI), Moscow, Russia.","DOI":"10.1109\/CBI.2019.00039"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"427","DOI":"10.1080\/0144929X.2019.1702100","article-title":"The Mediating Role of Social Presence in the Relationship between Shadow IT Usage and Individual Performance: A Social Presence Theory Perspective","volume":"40","author":"Mallmann","year":"2021","journal-title":"Behav. Inf. Technol."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.4018\/IJKM.2019040101","article-title":"Knowledge Management in the Dark: The Role of Shadow IT in Practices in Manufacturing","volume":"15","author":"Richter","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int. J. Knowl. Manag."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Magunduni, J., and Chigona, W. (2018, January 8\u20139). Revisiting Shadow IT Research: What We Already Know, What We Still Need to Know, and How Do We Get There?. Proceedings of the 2018 Conference on Information Communications Technology and Society (ICTAS), Durban, South Africa.","DOI":"10.1109\/ICTAS.2018.8368735"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"43","DOI":"10.17705\/1CAIS.04103","article-title":"Shadow Systems, Risk, and Shifting Power Relations in Organizations","volume":"41","author":"Furstenau","year":"2017","journal-title":"CAIS"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"461","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-319-65930-5_37","article-title":"The Influence of Shadow IT Systems on Enterprise Architecture Management Concerns","volume":"Volume 299","author":"Themistocleous","year":"2017","journal-title":"Information Systems"},{"key":"ref_17","unstructured":"Mallmann, G.L., Ma\u00e7ada, A.C.G., and Oliveira, M. (2016, January 1\u20132). Can Shadow IT Facilitate Knowledge Sharing in Organizations? An Ex-Ploratory Study. Proceedings of the 17th European Conference on Knowledge Management-ECKM 2016, Ulster, Belfast, Ireland."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Silic, M. (2015). Shadow It Steroids for Innovation. SSRN J.","DOI":"10.2139\/ssrn.2633004"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"274","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cose.2014.06.007","article-title":"Shadow IT\u2014A View from behind the Curtain","volume":"45","author":"Silic","year":"2014","journal-title":"Comput. Secur."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"124","DOI":"10.1145\/1461928.1461960","article-title":"Shadow Systems: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly","volume":"52","author":"Behrens","year":"2009","journal-title":"Commun. ACM"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Huber, M., Zimmermann, S., Rentrop, C., and Felden, C. (2018). Conceptualizing Shadow IT Integration Drawbacks from a Systemic Viewpoint. Systems, 6.","DOI":"10.3390\/systems6040042"},{"key":"ref_22","first-page":"17","article-title":"The Influence of Shadow IT Usage on Knowledge Sharing: An Exploratory Study with IT Users","volume":"35","author":"Mallmann","year":"2018","journal-title":"Bus. Inf. Rev."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"644","DOI":"10.1108\/JEIM-07-2015-0066","article-title":"Missing Cloud Security Awareness: Investigating Risk Exposure in Shadow IT","volume":"30","author":"Walterbusch","year":"2017","journal-title":"JEIM"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bianchi, I., Dinis Sousa, R., and Pereira, R. (2021). Information Technology Governance for Higher Education Institutions: A Multi-Country Study. Informatics, 8.","DOI":"10.3390\/informatics8020026"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Miani, R., Camargos, L., Zarpel\u00e3o, B., Rosas, E., and Pasquini, R. (2019). Cloud Computing Adoption in the Government Sector in Brazil: An Exploratory Study with Recommendations from IT Managers. Proceedings of the Green, Pervasive, and Cloud Computing, Springer International Publishing.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-19223-5"},{"key":"ref_26","first-page":"1","article-title":"Managing the Realization of Business Benefits from IT Investments","volume":"6","author":"Peppard","year":"2007","journal-title":"MIS Q. Exec."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"52","DOI":"10.2307\/41166327","article-title":"Unlocking Sustained Business Value from It Investments","volume":"48","author":"Peppard","year":"2005","journal-title":"Calif. Manag. Rev."},{"key":"ref_28","unstructured":"Haag, S., and Eckhardt, A. (2015, January 5\u20139). Justifying Shadow It Usage. Proceedings of the Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems, PACIS 2015, Singapore."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"235","DOI":"10.1108\/09534819710171095","article-title":"Intervening in the Shadow Systems of Organizations: Consulting from a Complexity Perspective","volume":"10","author":"Shaw","year":"1997","journal-title":"J. Organ. Change Manag."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Eckartz, S., Daneva, M., Wieringa, R., and van Hillegersberg, J. (2009, January 9\u201312). Cross-Organizational ERP Management: How to Create a Successful Business Case?. Proceedings of the 2009 ACM symposium on Applied Computing-SAC \u201909, Honolulu, HI, USA.","DOI":"10.1145\/1529282.1529641"},{"key":"ref_31","unstructured":"Rentrop, C., and Zimmermann, S. (2012, January 9\u201312). Shadow IT Evaluation Model. Proceedings of the 2012 Federated Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems, FedCSIS 2012, Szczecin, Poland."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Tambo, T., and Baekgaard, L. (2013, January 9\u201313). Dilemmas in Enterprise Architecture Research and Practice from a Perspective of Feral Information Systems. Proceedings of the 2013 17th IEEE International Enterprise Distributed Object Computing Conference Workshops, Vancouver, BC, Canada.","DOI":"10.1109\/EDOCW.2013.38"},{"key":"ref_33","unstructured":"Kretzer, M., and Maedche, A. (2014, January 26\u201328). Generativity of Business Intelligence Platforms: A Research Agenda Guided by Lessons from Shadow IT. Proceedings of the MKWI 2014\u2014Multikonferenz Wirtschaftsinformatik, Paderborn, Germany."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1056","DOI":"10.1016\/j.procs.2016.09.281","article-title":"Feral Information Systems, Shadow Systems, and Workarounds\u2014A Drift in IS Terminology","volume":"100","author":"Azaria","year":"2016","journal-title":"Procedia Comput. Sci."},{"key":"ref_35","unstructured":"Steinhueser, M., Waizenegger, L., Vodanovich, S., and Richter, A. (2017, January 5\u201310). Knowledge Management without Management\u2014Shadow It in Knowledge-Intensive Manufacturing Practices. Proceedings of the European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS), Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal."},{"key":"ref_36","unstructured":"Mallmann, G.L., Ma\u00e7ada, A.C.G., and Eckhardt, A. (2018, January 23\u201328). We Are Social: A Social Influence Perspective to Investigate Shadow IT Usage. Proceedings of the Twenty-Sixth European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS2018), Portsmouth, UK."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"731","DOI":"10.1016\/j.im.2018.11.006","article-title":"The Acceptance of Justifications among Shadow IT Users and Nonusers\u2014An Empirical Analysis","volume":"56","author":"Haag","year":"2019","journal-title":"Inf. Manag."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"97","DOI":"10.1007\/s12599-020-00635-2","article-title":"Leaving the Shadow: A Configurational Approach to Explain Post-Identification Outcomes of Shadow IT Systems","volume":"63","author":"Rothe","year":"2021","journal-title":"Bus. Inf. Syst. Eng."},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"17","DOI":"10.1108\/ILS-11-2019-0120","article-title":"Personal Knowledge Management and Enactment of Personal Knowledge Infrastructures as Shadow IT","volume":"122","author":"Jarrahi","year":"2021","journal-title":"ILS"},{"key":"ref_40","unstructured":"Pereira, R., Bianchi, I., and Rocha, \u00c1. (2022). Blockchain-Based System to Ensure the Integrity of Used Vehicle Purchase Transactions: Under Researchers\u2019 Perspective. Digital Technologies and Transformation in Business, Industry and Organizations, Springer International Publishing."},{"key":"ref_41","first-page":"481","article-title":"Implementation Considerations for Big Data Analytics (BDA): A Benefit Dependency Network Approach","volume":"Volume 12066","author":"Hattingh","year":"2020","journal-title":"Responsible Design, Implementation and Use of Information and Communication Technology"},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"214","DOI":"10.1057\/ejis.1996.3","article-title":"Evaluation and Realisation of IS\/IT Benefits: An Empirical Study of Current Practice","volume":"4","author":"Ward","year":"1996","journal-title":"Eur. J. Inf. Syst."},{"key":"ref_43","first-page":"233","article-title":"Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) in Higher Education: Opportunities and Challenges","volume":"3","author":"Siddiqui","year":"2014","journal-title":"Int. J. Emerg. Trends Technol. Comput. Sci. (IJETTCS)"},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102212","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102212","article-title":"Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) as Reversed IT Adoption: Insights into Managers\u2019 Coping Strategies","volume":"56","author":"Barlette","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. J. Inf. Manag."},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102478","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijinfomgt.2022.102478","article-title":"On the Benefits of Consumer IT in the Workplace\u2014An IT Empowerment Perspective","volume":"64","author":"Junglas","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int. J. Inf. Manag."},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"(2004). Hevner; March; Park; Ram Design Science in Information Systems Research. MIS Q., 28, 75.","DOI":"10.2307\/25148625"},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"45","DOI":"10.2753\/MIS0742-1222240302","article-title":"A Design Science Research Methodology for Information Systems Research","volume":"24","author":"Peffers","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Manag. Inf. Syst."},{"key":"ref_48","unstructured":"Myers, M.D. (2013). Qualitative Research in Business and Management, SAGE."},{"key":"ref_49","first-page":"113","article-title":"Shadow IT: Steroids for Innovation","volume":"1612","author":"Silic","year":"2016","journal-title":"CEUR Workshop Proc."},{"key":"ref_50","first-page":"11","article-title":"Does Sample Size Matter in Qualitative Research?: A Review of Qualitative Interviews in Is Research","volume":"54","author":"Marshall","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Comput. Inf. Syst."},{"key":"ref_51","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"114523","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socscimed.2021.114523","article-title":"Sample Sizes for Saturation in Qualitative Research: A Systematic Review of Empirical Tests","volume":"292","author":"Hennink","year":"2022","journal-title":"Soc. Sci. Med."}],"container-title":["Informatics"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2227-9709\/9\/4\/95\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T01:26:14Z","timestamp":1760145974000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2227-9709\/9\/4\/95"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,24]]},"references-count":51,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,12]]}},"alternative-id":["informatics9040095"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/informatics9040095","relation":{},"ISSN":["2227-9709"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2227-9709","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,24]]}}}