A recent academic study suggests that global IT strategies are frequently reshaped at the local level, and that understanding this process requires close attention to culture rather than a narrow focus on systems and organisational structures. The research challenges the assumption that digital strategies travel intact from headquarters to subsidiaries, showing instead that they are interpreted and adapted as they encounter local norms, behaviours and expectations.

Published in the Qualitative Research Journal, the study by Dr Godfried B Adaba of the Royal Docks School of Business and Law at the University of East London introduces a more structured way of studying complex digital change. The paper sets out a framework designed to capture how technology, organisational arrangements, and culture interact in practice, rather than treating strategy implementation as a simple, linear process.

To demonstrate the approach, the research applies the framework to a study of multinational telecommunications subsidiaries operating in Ghana. Using interviews, document analysis and direct observation, the study examines how business strategy and IT strategy are aligned across borders, offering a detailed view of how global intentions are translated into everyday organisational activity.

One of the most significant findings is the influence of routine cultural habits on strategic alignment. Attitudes to hierarchy, preferred communication styles and levels of comfort with challenging authority all played a role in shaping how global IT directives were enacted. In several cases, instructions from headquarters were modified at the subsidiary level to make them workable locally. The study describes this outcome as “hybrid alignment”, a negotiated blend of global direction and local practice rather than straightforward implementation.

According to Dr Adaba, the primary aim of the research is to strengthen how complex digital change is studied and understood. By applying a structured grounded theory approach, the paper shows that strategic alignment is not simply imposed or accepted, but interpreted and negotiated within specific cultural contexts. This helps explain why identical strategies can produce very different results across locations.

While methodologically in emphasis, the study also highlights practical lessons for leaders managing digital transformation across borders. It suggests that strategies designed at corporate headquarters will almost always be adjusted on the ground, and that rigid, one-size-fits-all approaches are unlikely to succeed everywhere. Allowing room for local adaptation, while keeping the overall direction clear, can lead to more effective outcomes. The research also underlines the importance of decision-making and feedback structures that reflect cultural realities, particularly in hierarchical settings where problems may remain unspoken unless leaders actively create space for dialogue.

More information: Godfried B Adaba, Theorising sociotechnical complexity: a grounded theory framework for qualitative information systems research, Qualitative Research Journal. DOI: 10.1108/QRJ-06-2025-0209

Journal information: Qualitative Research Journal Provided by University of East London