ICT Standards in Smart Grid Projects – Between a Standard’s Intended and Factual Role in Complex Technological Developments

Digital technologies such as smart grids are associated with new challenges for organizations as both technological and social heterogeneity increase. ICT standards play a crucial role in coping with this growing heterogeneity. However, we have little insight into precisely how ICT standards unfold...

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Main Authors: Paustian Sabrina, Mattes Jannika
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: De Gruyter 2024-02-01
Series:Journal of Organizational Sociology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1515/joso-2023-0008
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author Paustian Sabrina
Mattes Jannika
author_facet Paustian Sabrina
Mattes Jannika
author_sort Paustian Sabrina
collection DOAJ
description Digital technologies such as smart grids are associated with new challenges for organizations as both technological and social heterogeneity increase. ICT standards play a crucial role in coping with this growing heterogeneity. However, we have little insight into precisely how ICT standards unfold in innovation projects. Compared to ‘ordinary’ standards, it would be expected that they are more pervasive and binding. However, ICT standards also need to be adopted into formal, corporate rules and be further interpreted and drawn upon in informal routines. This actual implementation, the dealing with inconsistencies and contradictions and if the ICT standard is being conceived as binding, is revealed in day-to-day practices. Conceptually, we differentiate between the formal and informal adoption of the standard and for both cases consider the dimensions decision programs, communication channels and personnel. We empirically investigate the adoption of one ICT standard, the Use Case Methodology (UCM), in a qualitative case study of a smart grid project. Our findings illustrate how the formal implementation of the UCM succeeds while the informal reliance upon this standard is far less pronounced. In this way, ICT standards differ less from ‘ordinary’ standards than might have been expected.
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spelling doaj-art-0ed1a7bcd3f44fcb8ac1ecf04eb148562025-08-20T02:40:18ZengDe GruyterJournal of Organizational Sociology2752-29972024-02-012112810.1515/joso-2023-0008ICT Standards in Smart Grid Projects – Between a Standard’s Intended and Factual Role in Complex Technological DevelopmentsPaustian Sabrina0Mattes Jannika1Institute of Social Sciences, 11233Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, GermanyInstitute of Social Sciences, 11233Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, GermanyDigital technologies such as smart grids are associated with new challenges for organizations as both technological and social heterogeneity increase. ICT standards play a crucial role in coping with this growing heterogeneity. However, we have little insight into precisely how ICT standards unfold in innovation projects. Compared to ‘ordinary’ standards, it would be expected that they are more pervasive and binding. However, ICT standards also need to be adopted into formal, corporate rules and be further interpreted and drawn upon in informal routines. This actual implementation, the dealing with inconsistencies and contradictions and if the ICT standard is being conceived as binding, is revealed in day-to-day practices. Conceptually, we differentiate between the formal and informal adoption of the standard and for both cases consider the dimensions decision programs, communication channels and personnel. We empirically investigate the adoption of one ICT standard, the Use Case Methodology (UCM), in a qualitative case study of a smart grid project. Our findings illustrate how the formal implementation of the UCM succeeds while the informal reliance upon this standard is far less pronounced. In this way, ICT standards differ less from ‘ordinary’ standards than might have been expected.https://doi.org/10.1515/joso-2023-0008organizationstandardizationdigitalizationsmart griddigital technologiesict standards
spellingShingle Paustian Sabrina
Mattes Jannika
ICT Standards in Smart Grid Projects – Between a Standard’s Intended and Factual Role in Complex Technological Developments
Journal of Organizational Sociology
organization
standardization
digitalization
smart grid
digital technologies
ict standards
title ICT Standards in Smart Grid Projects – Between a Standard’s Intended and Factual Role in Complex Technological Developments
title_full ICT Standards in Smart Grid Projects – Between a Standard’s Intended and Factual Role in Complex Technological Developments
title_fullStr ICT Standards in Smart Grid Projects – Between a Standard’s Intended and Factual Role in Complex Technological Developments
title_full_unstemmed ICT Standards in Smart Grid Projects – Between a Standard’s Intended and Factual Role in Complex Technological Developments
title_short ICT Standards in Smart Grid Projects – Between a Standard’s Intended and Factual Role in Complex Technological Developments
title_sort ict standards in smart grid projects between a standard s intended and factual role in complex technological developments
topic organization
standardization
digitalization
smart grid
digital technologies
ict standards
url https://doi.org/10.1515/joso-2023-0008
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