Speaker: Prof. Ralf Plattfaut

Abstract: Digital transformation is one of the dominant themes in contemporary IS research which spurs many theoretical debates. These debates culminate in different viewpoints on digital transformation. In this talk, I will present current Research-in-Progress analyzing the digital transformation process of a German mid-sized Enterprise looking back on over 500 years of history. Drawing on two different theoretical perspectives on digital transformation, i.e., a synoptic, entity-orientation and a performative, flow-orientation one, we discuss the value of the different perspectives and show the importance of analytical pluralism to understand different sides of this socio-technological phenomenon.

Short Bio: Ralf Plattfaut is Professor for Information Systems and Transformation Management at the University of Duisburg-Essen since 2023. He heads the Process Innovation & Automation Lab and conducts research into digital transformation. After studying and completing his Ph.D. in Information Systems at the Universities of Münster and Liechtenstein, he advised companies at McKinsey & Company on issues relating to the digitalization of work processes. From 2019 to 2023, he was Professor for Information Systems at the South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences. His research findings are regularly published in scientific journals and presented at conferences. He is married and lives in Münster with his wife and two kids.