E‐business and organizational change: a structurational approach

Although e‐business is a familiar part of the organizational landscape, its implementation remains a problem for large traditional organizations. This paper argues that the pervasiveness of e‐business calls for the adoption of an organizational change perspective to study its implementation. Using structuration theory, the paper analyzes a detailed case study of the implementation of a major e‐business initiative in a traditional automotive manufacturer. It shows how a combination of structural contradictions and unexpected consequences derailed the initiative.