IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/hig/fsight/v17y2023i2p49-60.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Middle Management s Resistance to Digital Change

Author

Listed:
  • Konstantin Bagrationi

    (National Research University Higher School of Economics)

  • Thomas Thurner

    (National Research University Higher School of Economics)

Abstract

This paper investigates middle managers resistance to digital transformation initiatives and suggests strategies for overcoming such resistance using the example of a major Russian transportation company. This study employed a mixed-methods approach to assess middle managers values and to identify patterns of resistance behavior. The case studies further illustrate the resistance of middle managers and how the company under study responded to these incidents. The findings reveal a significant relationship between employees attitudes toward routine and their resistance to digital transformation. Managers with high scores in tradition, conformity, security, and power values, as well as a strong positive attitude toward routine, were more resistant to change. Conversely, those with high scores in universalism, self-direction, and stimulation values were more open to change. By addressing the values and concerns driving middle managers attitudes, organizations can better support them in overcoming resistance to digital transformation. The study also offers practical strategies for aligning digital transformation efforts with middle managers values, thereby fostering a more positive attitude toward change and facilitating successful implementation.

Suggested Citation

  • Konstantin Bagrationi & Thomas Thurner, 2023. "Middle Management s Resistance to Digital Change," Foresight and STI Governance (Foresight-Russia till No. 3/2015), National Research University Higher School of Economics, vol. 17(2), pages 49-60.
    • Handle: RePEc:hig:fsight:v:17:y:2023:i:2:p:49-60
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://foresight-journal.hse.ru/en/2023-17-2/839642072.html
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://foresight-journal.hse.ru/data/2023/06/25/2074176031/4-Thurner-49-60.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ritu Agarwal & Guodong (Gordon) Gao & Catherine DesRoches & Ashish K. Jha, 2010. "Research Commentary ---The Digital Transformation of Healthcare: Current Status and the Road Ahead," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 21(4), pages 796-809, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ritu Agarwal & Michelle Dugas & Guodong (Gordon) Gao & P. K. Kannan, 2020. "Emerging technologies and analytics for a new era of value-centered marketing in healthcare," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 9-23, January.
    2. Liuan Wang & Lu (Lucy) Yan & Tongxin Zhou & Xitong Guo & Gregory R. Heim, 2020. "Understanding Physicians’ Online-Offline Behavior Dynamics: An Empirical Study," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 31(2), pages 537-555, June.
    3. Cong Cheng & Hongfang Cui, 2024. "Combining digital and legacy technologies: firm digital transformation strategies—evidence from Chinese manufacturing companies," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-14, December.
    4. Gastaldi, Luca & Pietrosi, Astrid & Lessanibahri, Sina & Paparella, Marco & Scaccianoce, Antonio & Provenzale, Giuseppe & Corso, Mariano & Gridelli, Bruno, 2018. "Measuring the maturity of business intelligence in healthcare: Supporting the development of a roadmap toward precision medicine within ISMETT hospital," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 84-103.
    5. Yu-Kai Lin & Mingfeng Lin & Hsinchun Chen, 2019. "Do Electronic Health Records Affect Quality of Care? Evidence from the HITECH Act," Service Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(1), pages 306-318, March.
    6. Jianying Xiao & Lixin Han & Hui Zhang, 2022. "Exploring Driving Factors of Digital Transformation among Local Governments: Foundations for Smart City Construction in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-16, November.
    7. Kui Du, 2015. "Research Note—Parenting New Acquisitions: Acquirers’ Digital Resource Redeployment and Targets’ Performance Improvement in the U.S. Hospital Industry," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 26(4), pages 829-844, December.
    8. C. Derrick Huang & Jahyun Goo & Ravi S. Behara & Ankur Agarwal, 2020. "Clinical Decision Support System for Managing COPD-Related Readmission Risk," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 735-747, June.
    9. Chen Chen & Dylan Walker, 2023. "A Bitter Pill to Swallow? The Consequences of Patient Evaluation in Online Health Question-and-Answer Platforms," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 34(3), pages 867-889, September.
    10. Leonard Heilig & Eduardo Lalla-Ruiz & Stefan Voß, 2017. "Digital transformation in maritime ports: analysis and a game theoretic framework," Netnomics, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 227-254, December.
    11. Tobias Riasanow & Lea Jäntgen & Sebastian Hermes & Markus Böhm & Helmut Krcmar, 2021. "Core, intertwined, and ecosystem-specific clusters in platform ecosystems: analyzing similarities in the digital transformation of the automotive, blockchain, financial, insurance and IIoT industry," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 31(1), pages 89-104, March.
    12. Di Wang & Xuefeng Shao & Yang Song & Hualu Shao & Longqi Wang, 2023. "The Effect of Digital Transformation on Manufacturing Enterprise Performance," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 25(63), pages 593-593, April.
    13. Lu Yan & Yong Tan, 2014. "Feeling Blue? Go Online: An Empirical Study of Social Support Among Patients," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 25(4), pages 690-709, December.
    14. Cloos, Janis & Mohr, Svenja, 2022. "Acceptance of data sharing in smartphone apps from key industries of the digital transformation: A representative population survey for Germany," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    15. Zhang, Yijun & Meng, Zhenzhen & Song, Yi, 2023. "Digital transformation and metal enterprise value: Evidence from China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 87(PB).
    16. Ruba Aljafari & Franck Soh & Pankaj Setia & Ritu Agarwal, 2024. "The local environment matters: Evidence from digital healthcare services for patient engagement," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 52(5), pages 1343-1365, October.
    17. Chang-Gyu Yang & Hee-Jun Lee, 2016. "A study on the antecedents of healthcare information protection intention," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 253-263, April.
    18. Zhai, Huayun & Yang, Min & Chan, Kam C., 2022. "Does digital transformation enhance a firm's performance? Evidence from China," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    19. Ahmed Abbasi & Jingjing Li & Donald Adjeroh & Marie Abate & Wanhong Zheng, 2019. "Don’t Mention It? Analyzing User-Generated Content Signals for Early Adverse Event Warnings," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 30(3), pages 1007-1028, September.
    20. Daniel Gartner & Yiye Zhang & Rema Padman, 2018. "Cognitive workload reduction in hospital information systems," Health Care Management Science, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 224-243, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    resistance to change; digitalization; digital business model; leadership; transportation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M15 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - IT Management

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:hig:fsight:v:17:y:2023:i:2:p:49-60. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Nataliya Gavrilicheva or Mikhail Salazkin (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/hsecoru.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.