Saturday morning, and the computer makes a gentle sound as an incoming email arrives. The email is from Prof. Jörg Sydow, editor for Project Management Journal, and I read: “It is a pleasure to accept your manuscript entitled: ‘Navigating ambidextrous tensions in digital transformation: A case study of an interorganizational construction project’ for publication in Project Management Journal®.” 

That is a good way to start the weekend. It’s my fourth paper to be accepted this year, and my 35th in total.

I really look forward to seeing the paper in print. It’s an interesting case of a large construction project in Jönköping, known as ‘Gradienten’ (now the Quality Hotel Match). Perhaps I deserve to stay there the next time I visit Jönköping. A big thanks to Henrik Linderoth for yet another successful collaboration, our fifth joint journal publication.

Abstract

This article investigates how actors in an interorganizational construction project engage in ambidextrous tensions related to digital transformation. The purpose is to understand how the overarching tension of exploration–exploitation manifests in practice and how actors navigate it. Based on a longitudinal qualitative case study with retrospective elements, six nested tensions shaped by institutional and temporal factors are identified. It shows how actors navigate these through distinct mindsets, resulting in heterogeneous practices and a fragmented digital landscape. The study concludes that digital ambidexterity is a situated practice, highlighting the importance of aligning mindsets.