Accompagner la « transformation digitale » : du flou des discours à la réalité des mises en œuvre

Beyond speeches, what does implementing “digital transformation” within a company really mean? We propose answers based on the concrete case of a multinational company for which digitalization has become a main strategic axis of communication. We interviewed about fifteen actors in charge of “digitalization”, called “link-actors” (“ambassadors”, “digital providers”, etc.), as well as about fifteen local operational managers. Our analysis led us to identify different discursive registers used by these actors, which reveal different representations of digitalization, but also different modes of action. Digital transformation is thus, sometimes, a matter of state of mind, some other times, familiarization with the tools, or, lastly, an evolution of work practices. For the local operational managers, digitalization is first and foremost a means to achieve managerial goals and is in line with existing productive logics. By analyzing the way in which these registers are articulated, translated into concrete actions and, sometimes, used to legitimize the role of these types of actors, we show, however, that the lack of shared meaning, work recognition and organizational regulation regarding digitalization leads to tensions, and even more, to a risk of wear and-tear of these actors and questions their capacity to build continuity and meaning around this injunction that is finally unclear and not very firmly anchored in the organization. JEL: O31, M54