Navigating the Tensions of Digital Transformation in High Reliability Organizations

Why do some organizations enable digital transformation and adjust to market conditions more successfully than others that face delays and fail to overcome resistance or rejection? The objective of my dissertation is to provide in-depth insights into the digital transformation implementation challenges in high reliability organizations. To explore how those complex and risk-averse business settings were primarily concerned with maintaining high reliability in avoiding catastrophes, navigating the tensions and various obstacles around digital transformation. The central tenet of this dissertation is that, in addition to organizational, technological and business model dimensions, which have been the focus of prior research, employees across various organizational layers play an important role in the success or failure of digital transformation efforts. They need to adapt to changing working environments, contribute to developing new digital resilient working routines and enact appropriate cognitive processes. The findings report the multilevel interactions, tensions and paradoxes across different organization hierarchical levels. In addition, the research illuminates the specific self-protective behaviors through which employees derail the transformation process, particularly when the risk culture of an organization or the interest of individuals and groups within the organization are at odds with the vision of digital transformation

Digital transformation in high-reliability organizations: A longitudinal study of the micro-foundations of failure

High-reliability organizations (HROs) and their complex operating models have been a focus of scholarly work for more than three decades. Recently, HROs have been challenged by new market pressures that require them to digitally transform in ways that affect their identity and value creation models while still maintaining high levels of security and efficiency. This longitudinal, in-depth single-case study of a major European utility company examines the role of HRO identity in digital transformation (DT), specifically in terms of tensions between innovation and transformation on the one hand, and maintaining reliable operations on the other. Our findings show how tensions between HROs’ identity and key features of DT give rise to threat perceptions and self-protective behaviors by the IT workforce, that eventually may derail the transformation process. We develop a process model that highlights the sources and consequences of identity misalignment during major DT initiatives in HROs. In doing so, we extend the research on D T by highlighting the importance of bottom-up processes for DT success and failure, especially concerning the IT function's perception of organizational identity