ECIS 2026 (2026) AI Processed
NONPROFITS' DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION: UNDERSTANDING ORGANISATIONAL IDENTITY DYNAMICS
This study investigates how digital transformation (DT) alters organizational identity within the nonprofit sector through an interpretive, longitudinal case study of Greenpeace International. The researchers analyze over 400 pages of observation notes, 10 semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and 200 pages of strategic documents to map out the digital transformation process. The study develops a five-period recursive framework that outlines the cyclical relationship between technological shifts and values-driven identity.
Problem
Prior Information Systems literature theorizes digital transformation as a force that redefines organizational identity, but this research has been conducted almost exclusively on for-profit firms. Nonprofits operate under different, non-commercial logics with highly stable, values-based identities, leaving a research gap regarding how they navigate the tension between digital adoption and core mission preservation. This study addresses how digital transformation changes a nonprofit's organizational identity and how identity conflicts are resolved in this unique context.
Outcome
- Digital transformation in nonprofits is a cyclical, five-period recursive process (comprising internal alignment, strategy production, democratization, implementation, and resistance/re-anchoring) rather than a linear transition (Supported by qualitative case analysis).
- Unlike for-profit firms where digital transformation fundamentally redefines identity, a nonprofit's core values-based identity remains stable, whereas only the methods of how they work are challenged and reconfigured (Supported by qualitative case analysis).
- Transitioning from foundation-setting to a proactive digital role triggers organizational resistance and identity dissonance, as new digital structures and departments challenge existing activist culture and localized power dynamics (Supported by qualitative case analysis).
- Momentum in a nonprofit's digital transformation is re-established not by resolving technical deficits, but by re-anchoring the digital strategy within a moral narrative against a common value-based antagonist (Supported by qualitative case analysis).
- The study's generalizability may be limited due to its focus on a single, large-scale, globally federated nonprofit, and the patterns of resistance might vary in smaller or less decentralized organizations (Acknowledged study limitation).
- Unlike for-profit firms where digital transformation fundamentally redefines identity, a nonprofit's core values-based identity remains stable, whereas only the methods of how they work are challenged and reconfigured (Supported by qualitative case analysis).
- Transitioning from foundation-setting to a proactive digital role triggers organizational resistance and identity dissonance, as new digital structures and departments challenge existing activist culture and localized power dynamics (Supported by qualitative case analysis).
- Momentum in a nonprofit's digital transformation is re-established not by resolving technical deficits, but by re-anchoring the digital strategy within a moral narrative against a common value-based antagonist (Supported by qualitative case analysis).
- The study's generalizability may be limited due to its focus on a single, large-scale, globally federated nonprofit, and the patterns of resistance might vary in smaller or less decentralized organizations (Acknowledged study limitation).
What it means for you
- CIO / IT Executive: Meet with your internal communications lead on Monday morning to rewrite the launch narrative of your current digital initiative; frame the IT upgrades not as a 'system migration for efficiency,' but as a vital strategic weapon designed to help your activists defeat the organization's primary external adversary.
- IT Manager: Identify the regional office or department most resistant to the new software rollout and schedule a 30-minute call with their team leader on Monday morning to ask how the system can be configured to protect their local autonomy, rather than forcing a standardized corporate workflow.
- Business Strategist: Review your draft digital strategy document first thing Monday morning and audit its vocabulary; strip out commercial, for-profit terminology like 'customer acquisition,' 'user monetization,' and 'ROI,' replacing them with values-driven terms like 'supporter mobilization' and 'mission impact.'
- Researcher: On Monday morning, draft a outreach email to directors of three small, community-based local charities to pitch a comparative study, testing if the five-period recursive digital transformation model identified at Greenpeace holds true in non-federated, resource-constrained nonprofit settings.
- Policymaker: On Monday morning, update your organization's digital funding policy and grant application templates to remove mandatory 'commercial viability' metrics, instead requiring applicants to demonstrate how the requested digital grant will reinforce and scale their core mission-based values.
Transcript
Host: Welcome to A.I.S. Insights, the podcast where we translate Information Systems research into actionable strategies for business and technology leaders. I'm your host, Aaron Ivan Sterling.
Expert: And I'm Ava Irene Solis. Great to be here, Aaron.
Host: Today, we are discussing a study presented at the European Conference on Information Systems, ECIS 2026, titled "NONPROFITS' DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION: UNDERSTANDING ORGANISATIONAL IDENTITY DYNAMICS." This study explores how digital transformation alters organizational identity within the nonprofit sector, specifically analyzing a longitudinal case of Greenpeace International.
Expert: This is a highly relevant area because digital transformation is often studied in the context of for-profit businesses, leaving a significant gap in our understanding of how nonprofits handle these shifts.
Host: Ava, why is the nonprofit sector so different when it comes to adopting digital technologies? Why can't they just use the same playbooks as for-profit firms?
Expert: The core difference lies in organizational identity. For-profit organizations typically undergo digital transformations that can fundamentally redefine their value propositions and who they are as a company. Nonprofits, however, operate under non-commercial, mission-driven logics. Their identities are deeply tied to stable, long-term values, like environmental protection or social justice.
Host: So there is a natural tension. If a nonprofit adopts data-driven decision-making or centralized digital structures, it might conflict with their grassroots, activist culture.
Expert: Exactly. This study addresses how digital transformation changes a nonprofit's organizational identity and how these identity conflicts are resolved when they inevitably surface.
Host: To understand this, the researchers conducted an in-depth case study. What was their methodology?
Expert: The researchers conducted an interpretive, longitudinal case study of Greenpeace International. They analyzed over 400 pages of observation notes from internal meetings and conferences, conducted 10 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders including the Chief Technology Officer and various department managers, ran focus groups, and reviewed over 200 pages of strategic documents, such as internal technology visions.
Host: That is a substantial dataset. What did the study reveal about how digital transformation actually unfolds in these settings?
Expert: The first major finding is that digital transformation in nonprofits is not a linear, one-way journey. Instead, the qualitative analysis supports a cyclical, five-period recursive framework. This cycle comprises internal alignment, strategy production, democratization, implementation, and finally, resistance and re-anchoring.
Host: That is interesting. So the process loops back. And how does this affect who they are as an organization?
Expert: The qualitative case analysis shows that a nonprofit’s core values-based identity actually remains stable. What gets challenged and reconfigured is how they work, not who they are. However, transitioning from the early stage of setting foundations to taking on a proactive digital role triggers organizational resistance and identity dissonance.
Host: Why does that resistance happen?
Expert: In the Greenpeace case, establishing new digital structures and departments like the Digital Transformation Support Centre introduced new work dynamics that challenged the existing activist culture and localized power dynamics.
Host: And how did they resolve that resistance to get the transformation back on track?
Expert: The study found that momentum is re-established not by solving technical deficits, but by re-anchoring the digital strategy within a moral narrative. For Greenpeace, identifying a common value-based antagonist, specifically the societal impact of Big Tech, served as a catalyst to restart the cycle, aligning their digital strategy back with their core mission of independence and social justice.
Host: I should note, though, that because this study focused on a single, large, globally federated nonprofit, the authors acknowledge that these exact patterns of resistance might vary in smaller or less decentralized organizations.
Expert: That is an important qualification. The scale and complexity of a global federation definitely influence how these dynamics play out.
Host: Let's pivot to what our listeners can actually do with this knowledge. If you are a practitioner leading a digital transformation in a mission-driven or highly values-based organization, what are the key takeaways?
Expert: First, do not try to redefine the organization’s core identity to fit the technology. Instead, frame technological tools as allies that enable the existing mission. Second, expect resistance when you move from setting foundational technology to proactive implementation. To manage this, leaders should design dedicated coordinating roles—like the support center in the study—to act as diplomatic bridges between technical departments and core operations.
Host: And when resistance does surface, how should leaders address it?
Expert: Instead of focusing purely on technical or efficiency arguments, re-anchor the digital initiative within the organization’s moral narrative. Explain how the digital shift directly supports their values or helps them address external challenges that conflict with those values.
Host: That is a highly practical way to look at change management in values-driven sectors. Thank you, Ava, for sharing these insights from the ECIS 2026 study.
Expert: My pleasure, Aaron.
Host: And thank you to our listeners for tuning in to A.I.S. Insights. Join us next time as we continue to turn information systems research into business action.
Expert: And I'm Ava Irene Solis. Great to be here, Aaron.
Host: Today, we are discussing a study presented at the European Conference on Information Systems, ECIS 2026, titled "NONPROFITS' DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION: UNDERSTANDING ORGANISATIONAL IDENTITY DYNAMICS." This study explores how digital transformation alters organizational identity within the nonprofit sector, specifically analyzing a longitudinal case of Greenpeace International.
Expert: This is a highly relevant area because digital transformation is often studied in the context of for-profit businesses, leaving a significant gap in our understanding of how nonprofits handle these shifts.
Host: Ava, why is the nonprofit sector so different when it comes to adopting digital technologies? Why can't they just use the same playbooks as for-profit firms?
Expert: The core difference lies in organizational identity. For-profit organizations typically undergo digital transformations that can fundamentally redefine their value propositions and who they are as a company. Nonprofits, however, operate under non-commercial, mission-driven logics. Their identities are deeply tied to stable, long-term values, like environmental protection or social justice.
Host: So there is a natural tension. If a nonprofit adopts data-driven decision-making or centralized digital structures, it might conflict with their grassroots, activist culture.
Expert: Exactly. This study addresses how digital transformation changes a nonprofit's organizational identity and how these identity conflicts are resolved when they inevitably surface.
Host: To understand this, the researchers conducted an in-depth case study. What was their methodology?
Expert: The researchers conducted an interpretive, longitudinal case study of Greenpeace International. They analyzed over 400 pages of observation notes from internal meetings and conferences, conducted 10 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders including the Chief Technology Officer and various department managers, ran focus groups, and reviewed over 200 pages of strategic documents, such as internal technology visions.
Host: That is a substantial dataset. What did the study reveal about how digital transformation actually unfolds in these settings?
Expert: The first major finding is that digital transformation in nonprofits is not a linear, one-way journey. Instead, the qualitative analysis supports a cyclical, five-period recursive framework. This cycle comprises internal alignment, strategy production, democratization, implementation, and finally, resistance and re-anchoring.
Host: That is interesting. So the process loops back. And how does this affect who they are as an organization?
Expert: The qualitative case analysis shows that a nonprofit’s core values-based identity actually remains stable. What gets challenged and reconfigured is how they work, not who they are. However, transitioning from the early stage of setting foundations to taking on a proactive digital role triggers organizational resistance and identity dissonance.
Host: Why does that resistance happen?
Expert: In the Greenpeace case, establishing new digital structures and departments like the Digital Transformation Support Centre introduced new work dynamics that challenged the existing activist culture and localized power dynamics.
Host: And how did they resolve that resistance to get the transformation back on track?
Expert: The study found that momentum is re-established not by solving technical deficits, but by re-anchoring the digital strategy within a moral narrative. For Greenpeace, identifying a common value-based antagonist, specifically the societal impact of Big Tech, served as a catalyst to restart the cycle, aligning their digital strategy back with their core mission of independence and social justice.
Host: I should note, though, that because this study focused on a single, large, globally federated nonprofit, the authors acknowledge that these exact patterns of resistance might vary in smaller or less decentralized organizations.
Expert: That is an important qualification. The scale and complexity of a global federation definitely influence how these dynamics play out.
Host: Let's pivot to what our listeners can actually do with this knowledge. If you are a practitioner leading a digital transformation in a mission-driven or highly values-based organization, what are the key takeaways?
Expert: First, do not try to redefine the organization’s core identity to fit the technology. Instead, frame technological tools as allies that enable the existing mission. Second, expect resistance when you move from setting foundational technology to proactive implementation. To manage this, leaders should design dedicated coordinating roles—like the support center in the study—to act as diplomatic bridges between technical departments and core operations.
Host: And when resistance does surface, how should leaders address it?
Expert: Instead of focusing purely on technical or efficiency arguments, re-anchor the digital initiative within the organization’s moral narrative. Explain how the digital shift directly supports their values or helps them address external challenges that conflict with those values.
Host: That is a highly practical way to look at change management in values-driven sectors. Thank you, Ava, for sharing these insights from the ECIS 2026 study.
Expert: My pleasure, Aaron.
Host: And thank you to our listeners for tuning in to A.I.S. Insights. Join us next time as we continue to turn information systems research into business action.