Abstract
The interpretive grounded theory (GT) study analyses information system (IS) enabled organizational change in two private sector organizations. These two organizations, who are long term partners, were developing a new IS product to divergent markets. The data was gathered through 15 interviews, conducted at the phase of initial rollouts. The findings focus on the results of the theoretical coding phase in which selective codes, referred to as change management activities, are related to each other. As a theoretical contribution, the dynamic structure presents how the change management activities appear differently, depending on a set of choices. Several paradoxical situations stemmed from inconsistencies and/or tensions, because the choices did not support the targeted change management activities. The study thus proposes that there is an increasing demand to analyze the sources of paradoxical situations. Paradoxical situations in these five opposing forces were identified: long term vs. short term, macro vs. micro, past vs. future, centralized vs. distributed, and control vs. trust/self-organization. Some paradoxical situations arose because of the nature of the trust-based IS partnership, while others were socially constructed as a result of unintended consequences of actions in relation to the strategic goals. Managerial efforts are increasingly required for identifying paradoxical situations at an early stage and for considering the right balance for the opposing forces in the dynamic IS change process.
7 Conclusion
In this paper, we have presented the results of the theoretical coding using classic GT analysis based on data collection from 15 in-depth interviews. Our research aim was to study an IS change process and find an answer to the research question: what kinds of tensions emerges in an IS change collaboration when trying to manage an IS-enabled organizational change with conflicting strategic goals? In our case, the long-term strategic aim of the IS change initiative was to develop the business benefits for both main participant organizations – the customer and the vendor. More responsive change management activities were required for balancing between the differentiation (customer) and standardization (vendor) goals within the new IS product development. In addition, continuous interaction and negotiation between the key actors were necessary for clarifying the IS change goal throughout the IS change process.
By means of the open and selective coding phases, we have identified seven selective codes, including the distribution of 22 open codes (Supplementary Appendix). During the theoretical coding phase, the selective codes, referred to as change management activities, were related to each other through the context-specific actions and constituted the dynamic structure of the IS change management (see Fig. 7). As a theoretical contribution, the findings show that change management activities have different appearances in a structure because the actions consist of the different choices made by the participant actors in the IS change. In practice, depending on the specific purposes (strategic, managerial, practical), on the specific means (artefacts, social arrangements, views), on the specific organizational levels (organization, group, individual), and on the timing (e.g., early phase, periodically, continuously) applied to the actions, the IS change management has different appearances.
