Are Narratives a success factor for Digital Transformation? A Qualitative Study on the Importance of Narratives
Journal
20th International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI)
Type
conference paper
Date Issued
2025-09-15
Author(s)
Research Team
IWI6
Abstract
Organizations seek to drive digital transformation. Initiatives fail, often due to human-related factors such as stakeholder resistance. Despite the role of human dynamics in digital transformation, research has yet to fully explore effective strategies for mitigating these challenges. Narratives represent a promising yet underexamined tool for managing human-related risks in digital transformation. Many organizations employ narratives, either implicitly or explicitly, to shape their transformation efforts. However, both scholars and practitioners lack understanding of how narratives influence transformation outcomes. This inductive case study examines how organizations leverage narratives to enhance digital transformation. We conducted interviews to analyze their use of narratives. Our findings reveal key functions and characteristics: (1) narratives serve a transformative, motivational function, (2) narratives help overcome resistance and engage people, (3) boundary conditions are relevant for successful narratives, (4) overarching narratives define digital transformation initiatives. By strategically shaping narratives, organizations can navigate human-related barriers and improve transformation success.
Language
English
Keywords
Keywords: Digital Transformation
Narrative
Automation
Human-centric
Human Friendly Automation
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
A
Publisher place
Münster, Germany
Pages
10
Event Title
20th International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI)
Event Location
Münster, Germany
Event Date
15.09.2025
Subject(s)
Division(s)
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
open.access
Name
JML_1050.pdf
Size
456.05 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
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