Short answer

Design projects involving digitalization must actively identify and address the varied needs and expectations of all stakeholders to ensure perceived value and successful adoption.

Field: Innovation & Design
Source: Proceedings of the ... Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences/Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (2020)
Method: Qualitative case study with stakeholder analysis.
Evidence: Strong effect

The perceived value and effectiveness of digitalization initiatives are not uniform; they differ significantly based on the stakeholder's perspective and expectations. This innovation & design research insight is drawn from a 2020 study published in Proceedings of the ... Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences/Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. Using Qualitative case study with stakeholder analysis., researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Design projects involving digitalization must actively identify and address the varied needs and expectations of all stakeholders to ensure perceived value and successful adoption.

Study

Innovation & DesignHigh ImpactStrong effect

Digitalization initiatives yield varied stakeholder value, necessitating tailored impact assessments.

The perceived value and effectiveness of digitalization initiatives are not uniform; they differ significantly based on the stakeholder's perspective and expectations.

Proceedings of the ... Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences/Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences · 2020

Key Findings

01Digitalization impacts are multifaceted and vary significantly among different stakeholder groups.
02The success and benefits of digitalization initiatives are contingent on the specific expectations of each stakeholder.
03A clear distinction between experimental and standardized services is important for assessing impact.

Application

Design takeaway

Design projects involving digitalization must actively identify and address the varied needs and expectations of all stakeholders to ensure perceived value and successful adoption.

How to apply

Before launching any digitalization project, map out all potential stakeholders and conduct research to understand their individual goals, concerns, and definitions of success related to the initiative.

Project actions

01Clearly identify all potential user groups for your design project.
02Use methods like interviews or surveys to understand the diverse needs and expectations of these groups.
03Consider how your design might impact different groups in both positive and negative ways.

Method & Evidence

AimTo investigate the diverse impacts of digitalization initiatives across different stakeholders within a mid-size city context.

MethodQualitative case study with stakeholder analysis.

ProcedureThe study examined digitalization initiatives in a mid-size city, analyzing the perceived impacts from the viewpoints of city employees, decision-makers, and citizens.

ContextPublic sector digitalization in a mid-size city.

Variables

IVType and scope of digitalization initiatives.

DVPerceived value and impact by different stakeholders (employees, decision-makers, citizens).

CVMid-size city context, public sector setting.

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Provides a nuanced understanding of digitalization impacts beyond simple productivity gains.
+Emphasizes the importance of perspective in evaluating design outcomes.

Limitations

The findings are based on a single case study and might not apply to all digitalization efforts or all types of organizations.

Reliability & validity

The study's validity relies on the depth of qualitative analysis and the accurate representation of stakeholder perspectives. Reliability could be enhanced by using multiple researchers to analyze the data and triangulating findings with other data sources.

Think critically

How can a design team effectively prioritize competing stakeholder needs when resources are limited and not all expectations can be fully met?

Design Principles

"Value co-creation through stakeholder-centric design."

Understanding these divergent impacts is crucial for successful design and implementation of digital solutions. It guides resource allocation, feature prioritization, and communication strategies to ensure that initiatives deliver meaningful value to all relevant parties.

What This Means for Your Design

When you design something digital for a city, different people (like workers, bosses, and citizens) will see its benefits differently. You need to figure out what each group cares about to know if your design is successful.

How to use in your project

1.Reference this study when discussing the importance of stakeholder analysis in your design process.
2.Use the findings to justify why you need to gather diverse user perspectives for your design project.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

The research by Hellsten and Pekkola (2020) highlights that digitalization initiatives produce varied impacts across different stakeholders, emphasizing that the perceived value and success of such projects are contingent on individual expectations. This underscores the necessity for design projects to adopt a multi-stakeholder perspective, actively identifying and addressing the diverse needs and definitions of success from each group to ensure comprehensive value delivery and adoption.

Source

Proceedings of the ... Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences/Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences

Impacts of Digitalization: Many Agendas on Different Levels

journal · 2020

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about digitalization initiatives yield varied stakeholder value, necessitating tailored impact assessments?: Design projects involving digitalization must actively identify and address the varied needs and expectations of all stakeholders to ensure perceived value and successful adoption. Evidence: Proceedings of the ... Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences/Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (2020).
Why does "Digitalization initiatives yield varied stakeholder value, necessitating tailored impact assessments." matter for design?: Understanding these divergent impacts is crucial for successful design and implementation of digital solutions. It guides resource allocation, feature prioritization, and communication strategies to ensure that initiatives deliver meaningful value to all relevant parties.
How can designers apply this research?: Design projects involving digitalization must actively identify and address the varied needs and expectations of all stakeholders to ensure perceived value and successful adoption.
What were the main findings?: Digitalization impacts are multifaceted and vary significantly among different stakeholder groups.. The success and benefits of digitalization initiatives are contingent on the specific expectations of each stakeholder.. A clear distinction between experimental and standardized services is important for assessing impact.
What research method was used?: Qualitative case study with stakeholder analysis..
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2020 journal from Proceedings of the ... Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences/Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences.
What should I do differently in my next project?: Before launching any digitalization project, map out all potential stakeholders and conduct research to understand their individual goals, concerns, and definitions of success related to the initiative.
What are the limitations?: The study is specific to a single mid-size city and may not be generalizable to all public sector contexts or organizational types.