IT Governance in the digital era: Insights from meta-organizations

Digital technologies have fundamentally changed the interactions of actors within and around organizational settings, offering opportunities to radically improve how organizations operate while concurrently presenting various risks and challenges. To deal with this, organizations need to reassess their information technology (IT) governance mechanisms, referring to decision-making processes, including roles and responsibilities, aimed at fostering desirable behavior in the use of digital technologies. This doctoral dissertation consists of three essays that advance the existing body of knowledge on IT governance in the digital era by drawing insights from meta-organizations. Such organizations consist of autonomous entities that work towards a common goal yet are not bound by employment relationships. Meta-organizations are becoming increasingly common in practice due to the widespread adoption of digital technologies.

Essay one explores IT governance challenges surrounding the widespread consumerization of digital technologies and, in particular, the role that workers play in the unfolding of digital transformation. Essay two revolves around governance challenges associated with the increasing volume, variety, and velocity of data available to organizations in the digital era, stressing the importance of information quality. Essay three directs its focus to governance complexities surrounding the distribution of value among actors engaged in meta-organizations. In sum, this doctoral dissertation contributes to the reconceptualization of IT governance in the digital era and extends the literature on meta-organizations.