Abstract

The aim of this paper is to characterize the concept of digital plasticity in the field of information systems and to identify its main characteristic dimensions. While the concept of plasticity is present in other academic disciplines, it remains largely unexplored in the field of information systems management, despite the fact that it appears to be particularly well suited to the analysis of open, evolving systems. Plasticity is generally described as “the ability of systems to adapt, take and retake form” (Chandler et al., 2019, Nenonen et al 2014). In order to characterize this concept of digital plasticity, we explore theoretical literature with the aim to complete it by empirical research. Firstly our literature exploration focuses on characterizing the concept of organizational and managerial plasticity integrating digital tools and digital transformation. Tthe second part focuses on characterizing digital plasticity through information system literature. Theoretically, this research contributes to introducing, defining and finally characterizing the notion of digital plasticity. This research also highlights that digital plasticity includes dynamic contradictory movements: dynamic of creativity, dynamic of “organizational recursion” for adaptive changes and evolving goals, dynamic of antagonist movements between stability and fluidity. Future research agenda will enrich this study by testing and characterizing the concept of digital plasticity in an organizational context

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