Unpacking Digital Transformation Tensions through Workers’ Perceptions: A Technological Frame and Paradox Theory Approach

Abstract

This study proposes that actors’ perceptions of digital transformation (DT), constructed through technological frames, can explain organizational tensions that firms experience during DT initiatives. We conducted a qualitative case study with a large manufacturer over 12 months, analyzing how different hierarchical employee groups’ technological frames shape their perception of DT. The results illustrate that actors’ perceptions of DT comprise three dimensions (reasons for DT, contributions to DT, and communication during DT initiatives), and how these perceptions explain four different organizational tensions in DT. We contribute to theory on DT by showing how classifying actors’ perceptions of DT through technological frames and paradox theory enables an understanding of how organizational tensions in DT may originate on the individual level.