Exploring the role of third parties in digital transformation initiatives: a problematized assumptions perspective
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Date
2025
Authors
O’Neill, Jack
Pidoyma , David
Northridge , Ciara
Pai , Shivani
Treacy, Stephen
Brosnan, Andrew
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Association for Information Systems
Published Version
Abstract
The exponential growth of digital transformation within information systems (IS) research is being matched only by the rapid development of third party solutions and services designed to assist organizations in delivering profound change through technology. However, digital transformation remains to be described in the literature as a primarily internally orchestrated initiative with limited insight on the role of third parties explored to date. This contributes to a wider trend of unqualified assumptions emerging within digital transformation research which has stunted theoretical and practitioner development within the initiative such as problematic axioms pertaining to the role of said third parties, the view of digital transformation as a process, or views on the role of value within a transformation. The assumptions and their associated impacts present major risk factors for successful digital transformation. Our study leverages assumption problematization and semi—structured interviews to explore the extent with which a digital transformation can be orchestrated by third parties outside of the organization with the associated findings providing alternative perspectives to expand the collective understanding of digital transformation within both research and practice.
Description
Keywords
Digital transformation , Third parties , Managed services , Problematization
Citation
O’Neill, J., Pidoyma, D., Northridge, C., Pai, S., Treacy, S. and Brosnan, A. (2025) 'Exploring the role of third parties in digital transformation initiatives: a problematized assumptions perspective', Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 57(1), pp. 156-184. https://doi.org/10.17705/1CAIS.05707
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Copyright
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