ORGANIZATIONAL SUBCULTURAL DYNAMICS IN DIGITAL TRANSOFORMATION PROJECTS

Abstract

The article aims to investigate the negative impact from organizational subcultural dynamics in digital transformation projects on number of conflicts and quality of communications and to elaborate proposals how to improve cross-subcultural communications within the projects. The methodology of the study includes participatory action research and case study. The network model of project culture helped to identify two cultural coalitions and their values. The model of the subcultural coalitions and their values helped to formulate the scope of communicational trainings and changed in the project communication system. The focus of the measures was on the preservation of the existing subcultures and on the improvement on the cross-subcultural communications. Comparing the number of conflicts within project before implementation of the measures based on the research and after it showed significant positive impact of these measures. The main findings show that in multidisciplinary and complex projects, such as digital transformation projects, subcultural dynamics can lead to formation of different coalition that do not share common values. This can be the source of the conflicts and low quality of communications. However, using the knowledge of coalitions’ structure and values the management of companies can enhance cross-subcultural interfaces without decreasing positive effect from subcultural diversity.

Keywords

• organizational subcultures
• subcultural dynamics
• participatory action research
• network model of culture
• project management
• digital transformation