Understanding Resistance to Digital Transformation

Éditeurs invités

• Francesco Appio, Paris School of Business
• Luca Gastaldi, Politecnico di Milano
• Federico Iannacci, University of Sussex

Synthèse

This special issue examines why individuals and organizations resist digital transformation initiatives. Rather than assuming digital change is inherently beneficial, the issue seeks to understand the complex reasons for opposition—from cultural and institutional inertia to generational tensions, job displacement concerns, and ethical worries about new technologies like AI.

The issue welcomes conceptual, theoretical, and empirical research exploring resistance from multiple angles, including how legacy systems block change, how generational differences create friction, whether gamification reduces opposition, and how collective rejection reflects trust issues. It invites critical examination of whether digital transformation truly differs from traditional technology adoption resistance and whether it sometimes masks resistance to underlying strategic shifts.

Thèmes proposés

• How established routines, long-standing norms, and legacy systems constrain or challenge digital initiatives
• Approaches to identifying and addressing cultural lock-ins, including shifts in leadership mindsets and governance structures
• Tensions between digital-native and digitally-reluctant cohorts, particularly in hybrid or remote settings
• Evidence-based strategies for upskilling/reskilling that alleviate job security fears and encourage intergenerational collaboration
• Sources of employee or stakeholder resistance driven by advanced technologies (e.g., LLMs, digital twins, AI) and related black box effects
• Critical assessments of how organizations balance workforce augmentation with automation in light of trust and ethical concerns
• The influence of gamification and behavioral interventions on resisting or adopting digital tools
• Contextual factors that affect the success or failure of gamification and behavioral nudges
• Collective rejection of digital platforms or tools due to privacy concerns, perceived ethical violations, or broader mistrust
• How organizations respond to or attempt to preempt digital boycotts and collective pushback
• Critically comparing how learning-oriented organizations handle resistance versus those with more rigid structures
• Evaluating the role of continuous learning cultures and digital literacy programs in mitigating reservations toward new technologies
• Whether resistance to digital transformation differs from resistance to standalone IS/IT or technological tools
• The extent to which digital transformation functions as a managerial fad or buzzword and how that influences acceptance
• How resisting digital transformation may involve resisting broader strategic or cultural imperatives

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