Ultimately technology is not just a question of machines and systems but of power and how power is allocated.

Karen Nussbaum, Office Automation: Jekyll or Hyde?

If Internets are likened to a beautiful cosmetic makeover, Intranets can be likened to the overnight emergent cream, which you apply to bring out the spots. They highlight all the warts your organization has and brings them to the attention of the key decision-makers. They are the most politically sensitive of all applications of Internet technology. They both empower employees and expose them. They have the potential to deliver the most business benefits but in doing so necessarily involve power shifts. This is why planning and objective setting is paramount and the process of involvement critical to the success of an Intranet project.

     Power struggles into business plans into action

This chapter highlights the political issues involved within an Intranet. It then goes on to describe the benefits and costs involved in order to provide a structure to an assessment of the business case. Lastly we outline the issues for implementation to enable you to plan a professional, robust Intranet which delivers the business benefits you have planned.

The political minefield

The key political issues confronted by an Intranet are:

• Centralized control, decentralized ownership - the internal battle
• International control - the ego battle
• Departmental competitiveness - the real front-line
• Fear about loss of recognition and influence at all levels of the organization.
• Fear about loss of employment at...