Exploring Strategic Responses to Digital Resistance in Legacy Organizations
Keywords:
digital resistance, legacy organizations, digital transformation, strategic leadership, organizational cultureAbstract
This study aimed to explore the strategic responses adopted by legacy organizations to manage digital resistance during transformation processes. A qualitative research design was employed, utilizing semi-structured interviews with 34 participants from legacy organizations across various sectors in Tehran, including finance, healthcare, education, manufacturing, and public administration. Participants were selected using purposive sampling to ensure relevant experience with digital transformation. Data collection continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically using NVivo software, following Braun and Clarke’s six-step framework. The coding process focused on identifying recurring patterns in leadership behaviors, organizational culture, structural adaptations, and cognitive reframing strategies in response to digital resistance. Thematic analysis revealed four main strategic domains: leadership approaches, organizational culture and climate, structural and strategic adaptations, and emotional and cognitive reframing. Within these themes, 24 subcategories emerged. Leadership strategies such as adaptive decision-making, participative governance, and emotional intelligence were linked to reduced resistance. Cultural variables including psychological safety, peer norms, and trust in leadership were also significant. Structural adaptations such as tailored training, incentivization mechanisms, and boundary-spanning roles enhanced engagement. Reframing strategies—especially storytelling and the acknowledgment of legacy attachment—facilitated emotional alignment with transformation goals. Across themes, resistance was found to be relational, collective, and contextually grounded rather than purely individual or irrational. Strategic responses to digital resistance in legacy organizations must be multifaceted, integrating emotional, cultural, and structural dimensions. Resistance should not be viewed as dysfunction but as a diagnostic signal for organizational learning and adaptation. This study contributes a context-sensitive framework that can inform inclusive and sustainable digital transformation strategies in traditional organizational environments.
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