Managing Digital Transformation : The Case of the Finnish Broadcasting Company

Abstract

This chapter analyses and evaluates the practical execution and value of a research project on change management at an incumbent media company. The research project is a longitudinal case study following the digital transformation process at the Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yle). It was carried out in close collaboration with Yle and the School of Business at Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT). It is a comprehensive study of the change process, i.e., how the pursuits of change are challenged by organisational rigidities and how the drivers and obstacles of change co-evolve and interrelate. The study combines and operationalises two relevant theoretical concepts – dynamic capabilities and managerial and organisational cognition – providing a dynamic and, so far, unique approach in strategy research and even more so in the field of media management. Based on these concepts, the study shows how the way we think (cognition) and behave (capabilities) intertwine closely. In addition to the theoretical targets, the study aims to provide practical insights and tools for the case company and media managers in general to understand the challenges of organisational change and develop managerial practices.