Rebound Effects in Cloud Computing: Towards a Conceptual Framework

Rebound effects have been discussed in various disciplines. In the information and communication technology sector, this topic is still insufficiently studied. Basically, a rebound effect is a feedback mechanism, as a result of which savings from efficiency improvements are not or only partially realized. Due to the potential of cloud computing for efficiency improvements, not only in terms of energy efficiency, but also in terms of organizational resources in general, we describe rebound effects in this context by means of a systematic literature review and a case study. Our results provide a framework to categorize and identify potential rebound effects in cloud computing. The understanding of rebound effects and their influence on the various organizational resources (e.g., server hardware, human resources or IT knowhow), is important for managers to sustainably decide for or against the adoption, integration and roll out of cloud computing services.

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