Pathways to Digital Transformation: The Adoption of Emerging Technologies

The primary purpose of this thesis is to understand the impact of new digital technologies on individuals, teams, communities, or organizations. This thesis uses interpretive research to contribute to the literature on digital transformation, frames, top management teams, and online communities. In total, 116 interviews were conducted for this thesis over five years; every single interview was recorded, transcribed, and coded in my research process. This yielded over 3’000 pages of transcribed data and three studies. The first study of this thesis, Digital or Durable? The Impact of TMT Frames on Digital Transformation in Manufacturing Firms employs a multiple-case approach to study the impact of cognitive frames held by decision-makers on their company’s digital transformation. To develop insights into frames and digital transformation, the study investigates manufacturers that belong to the high-tech industry sector of the canton of Zurich that are employing new digital technologies. We reveal three standard frames, traditionalist, opportunist, and futurist, and three common values, business, technology, and enablement, and their impact on the organization’s digital transformation. The second study, Taking Advantage of NFTs to Enhance Your Online Community, results from a broad search in the blockchain space for projects that use NFTs to foster engagement in their online communities. The study presents three cases, Avado, ENS, and HOPR, that deploy NFTs to turn their customers into support, create social belonging, and bridge intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The third study, Please Join Our Closed Community!, investigates a potential online community centered around a highly complex medical device with a niche and highly educated userbase. The study presents a framework consisting of three layers required to create and sustain a confidential and closed online community in the MedTech industry: infrastructure, roles, and technical features