Сопротивление цифровой трансформации в логистической компании: роль неформальных связей менеджеров среднего звена

Организационная психология. 2022. Т. 12. № 2. С. 95–111.

Bagrationi K., Волков О. С.

Purpose. This paper aims at studying the role of informal personal ties as a source of resistance
of middle management to digital transformation on the example of logistics company converting into a
platform. Methodology and study design. Individual response of each middle manager is deeply rooted
in the context of a specific situation and therefore the context should be considered. The manager of
the project along with his team conducted the interviews with the 12 organizational members and gave
authors access to their written notes that had been collected throughout the interviews. Based on these
data the authors proceeded, applying purposeful sampling to selecting a total of six cases that provided
valuable insights into different forms of behavior of individual managers, the social dynamics in the
firm at the time of change, and how the resistance was overcome. The authors build their analysis on C.
Geertz‘s concept of thick description. Findings and implications for practice. The analytical view taken
of the presented cases of resistance shows how they are all uniquely interwoven with the events that
accompanied the digital transformation process. The middle management resistance may be associated
with the desire to maintain personal ties with customers, carriers, and colleagues, since the changes
necessary for the transition to a platform business change the roles and responsibilities and, therefore,
can threaten their networks of informal ties with internal and external stakeholders. Decisions taken
to accommodate resistance behavior rather than confront it, can lead to the creation of new networks.
Such investments may convert key personnel with high social standing among colleagues quickly into
change agents.

Keywords: блат, инновации, организационная психология, innovation, organizational change, организационные изменения, blat, цифровые платформы, digital platforms, цифровая трансформация, organizational psychology, digital transformation