Obstacles for Change Management in a Fragmented Digitized Postmodern Society. : A Case Study of the Digitalization Authority in Sweden.

Abstract: Change management is an increasingly prominent and complicated topic. In the postmodern digitized society, Sweden is believed to be at the forefront, yet in Swedish radio, information experts claim that the country is far from able to manage a crisis. Experts elaborate that in a disaster where large populations must be evacuated between municipal borders, there will be complications for essential care as medical records will be locked in different systems across these borders. The digitalization authority DIGG was for this reason founded in 2018 to facilitate the development of public service, building blocks, and ensuring public service is accessible to everyone in Sweden. DIGG further assists, develops, and encourages certain merges of processes that would prepare Sweden for such crises experts warn. This paper is a qualitative case study to examine obstacles change managers in digitized postmodern society encounter while leading modern autonomous organizations to the fragmented, heterogeneous postmodern era. To explore this subject, a case study at DIGG was conducted as they act as the change agent for Swedish authorities to implement digitized solutions. The theoretical framework is built on the history and shift from modernity to postmodernity, and additionally, how change management has changed collectively with digitalization. The data was further generated through semi-structured interviews with change managers at DIGG who work closely with this task. Change managers at DIGG in the fragmented postmodern society face challenges due to the demand for customized solutions and limited flexibility from other authorities. Rigid bureaucratic structures persist, but Swedish authorities are adopting a postmodern adaptation to enhance flexibility. There is a growing emphasis on customer orientation and the development of inclusive solutions. unique approaches are needed for each change adaptation, highlighting the need for the public sector to become more individualized, customer-oriented and align with evolving needs.