Making Digital File Management Successful: A Grounded Model of DFM Adoption in the Public Sector

Abstract

File management is crucial for the viability of public sector authorities. The success of digital file management (DFM) is influenced by employees' IT adoption. There is a gap in research on employee perceptions of IT adoption in public sector authorities in the European Union (EU). For this reason, this study examines the adoption of the DFM system ‘E File Bund’ (GER: E-Akte Bund), based on a critical case selection of German federal authorities in the EU, and aims to identify the characteristics that determine the adoption of DFM in the public sector from employees' perspective. Fifteen semi structured interviews with users and experts from German federal authorities are conducted and analyzed using the Grounded Theory Methodology (GTM). The primary contribution is a grounded model of the phenomenon DFM adoption. The results provide valuable insights for authorities, practitioners and researchers to enhance DFM adoption and contribute to the digital transformation of the public sector.