To Örebro University

Overcoming inertia is a top priority for managers in digital transformation; however, this study investigates how public sector managers create inertia in digital transformation through alibi narratives. Through a case study of managers in the Swedish public sector, the study analyzes how managers legitimize and reinforce stagnation rather than promoting change. Four meta-alibi narratives are identified, that facilitate managers´ understanding of the digital transformation process while simultaneously resulting in unintentional inertia. By exploring these alibi narratives, the study challenges the traditional view of managers solely as agents of change, revealing their complex role as both facilitators and impediments to digital transformation. This research provides valuable insights into the micro-level dynamics of digital transformation while highlighting the need for nuanced strategies that address the resistance within public sector organizations.

I den här "kokboken" får du ta del av tolv recept och insikter för en lyckad digitalisering, signerade doktorander och forskare från Forskarskolan Digital Förvaltning vid Göteborgs Universitet. I kokboken delar doktoranderna Antonio Molin, Carl Heath, Christina Nilsson, Jessica Nordlander, Kristian Norling, Leman Isik, Mäjt Wik, Malin Tinjan, Per Persson, Petra Sintorn, och Robert Åhlén från Forskarskolan Digital Förvaltning vid Göteborgs Universitet, med sig av sina insikter för en lyckad digitalisering. Med förord av redaktörerna och epilog av professor Johan Magnusson.

Genom humoristiska och praktiska kåserier bjuder författarna på sina erfarenheter från framgångsrika projekt och lärdomar från projekt som gått snett. Tillsammans blir bidragen en inspirerande guide som använder matlagningsmetaforer för att förklara och underlätta digital transformation inom offentlig sektor. Till varje avsnitt har avsnittsförfattaren även delat med sig av ett riktigt recept på allt från hawaiipizza till marängswiss. Boken riktar sig till chefer, medarbetare och politiker inom offentlig sektor, men är även relevant för alla som vill förstå och driva digital förändring.

Purpose: The study aims to understand digital transformation as a socially constructed process with multiple stakeholders, influenced by internal and external forces. This perspective stresses the importance of context, human interaction and narratives in the digital transformation within public sector. 

Design/methodology/approach: The author uses a case study at a Swedish university undergoing digital transformation. Through first and secondary data, the author thematically analyzes the interaction between change agents, organizational realities and the digital transformation process. 

Findings: The study finds that conflicts in pace and scope in the digital transformation drive self-defense mechanisms and the formation of a feedback loop of pending action. Contrary to previous studies, technological and external forces do not make digital transformation inevitable. 

Research limitations/implications: Limitations stem from the empirical selection of a Swedish university, affecting the international and intersectoral transferability of the study. The impact of digital transformation differs from previous IT changes, which has implications for the design of the digital transformation process. 

Practical implications: Stakeholders should, instead of considering structural and cultural barriers as facts, pay attention to the narratives within the organization as potential excuses to avoid action. 

Originality/value: This research contributes to original insights into digital transformation. It uncovers how change agents, despite longing for change, can inadvertently foster inaction in digital transformation. This finding enriches the literature by highlighting the complex dynamics between the desire for change and the social constructs that contribute to stagnation, offering an understanding of barriers to digital transformation.

Public sector organizations need to adapt to the ongoing societal changes and new technologies emerging, and as public sector organizations engage in digital transformation, they are confronted with the need to re-arrange and change themselves to be successful. Previous research has identified factors for digital transformation in both public and private sector settings, yet there is still an absence of research into how public sector organizations deal with this transformation. In this study, we explore how government agencies enact structural changes related to digital transformation. We do so through a multi-case study of three government agencies in Sweden, interviewing key actors to explore the organizations’ enactments. Our findings show that public sector organizations display a high level of variance in how they enact structural changes to succeed with digital transformation. This is discussed in relation to previous research on management commitment to digital transformation, as well as dialogue and tensions when changing, with the intent to contribute to research and practice in relation to digital transformation

Digital transformation is associated with a fundamental change in the operating models of organizations and industries alike. At the same time, previous research highlights that existing governance practices may act as a deterrent to digital transformation. In this study, we explore how the IT governance of a large university counteracts necessary digital transformation in higher education over time. We show how the adoption of an industry-standard IT governance framework, through a series of generative mechanisms, leads to a vicious cycle that restricts digital transformation into mere computerization, thereby successfully counteracting digital transformation. In other words, the IT governance framework increasingly protects the organization from the organizational change brought on by new digital opportunities. This is discussed in relation to the literature on IT governance and digital transformation with the intent of contributing with a critical perspective on the widespread adoption and use of standard IT governance framework.