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The Vicious Cycle of Magical Thinking:

How IT Governance Counteracts Digital Transformation

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Electronic Government (EGOV 2023)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 14130))

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Abstract

Digital transformation is associated with a fundamental change in the operating models of organizations and industries alike. At the same time, previous research highlights that existing governance practices may act as a deterrent to digital transformation. In this study, we explore how the IT governance of a large university counteracts necessary digital transformation in higher education over time. We show how the adoption of an industry-standard IT governance framework, through a series of generative mechanisms, leads to a vicious cycle that restricts digital transformation into mere computerization, thereby successfully counteracting digital transformation. In other words, the IT governance framework increasingly protects the organization from the organizational change brought on by new digital opportunities. This is discussed in relation to the literature on IT governance and digital transformation with the intent of contributing with a critical perspective on the widespread adoption and use of standard IT governance framework.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Gothenburg, Forskningsgången 6, 417 56, Göteborg, Sweden

    Susanna Hammelev Jörgensen, Tomas Lindroth, Johan Magnusson, Malin Tinjan, Jacob Torell & Robert Åhlén

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  1. Susanna Hammelev Jörgensen
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  2. Tomas Lindroth
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  3. Johan Magnusson
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  4. Malin Tinjan
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  5. Jacob Torell
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  6. Robert Åhlén
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Robert Åhlén .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden

    Ida Lindgren

  2. Corvinus University of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary

    Csaba Csáki

  3. University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Evangelos Kalampokis

  4. Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands

    Marijn Janssen

  5. University for Continuing Education Krems, Krems an der Donau, Austria

    Gabriela Viale Pereira

  6. Vienna University of Economics and Business, Vienna, Austria

    Shefali Virkar

  7. University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Efthimios Tambouris

  8. Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands

    Anneke Zuiderwijk

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Hammelev Jörgensen, S., Lindroth, T., Magnusson, J., Tinjan, M., Torell, J., Åhlén, R. (2023). The Vicious Cycle of Magical Thinking:. In: Lindgren, I., et al. Electronic Government. EGOV 2023. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 14130. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-41138-0_24

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