Difficulties to digitalize: ambidexterity challenges in law firms
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2023

Purpose: This paper aims to understand what prevents established law firms from embracing digitalization and discusses barriers to solving the emerging ambidexterity problem. Law firms have been organized in the same way for decades. However, digital opportunities are emerging and new competitors are challenging established firms. This presents established law firms with an ambidexterity problem: How can law firms simultaneously uphold their successful way of working while entering a new world of digitalization, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning? Design/methodology/approach: Previous research suggests that law firms are slow in digital transformation, compared to other Professional Service Firms (PSFs). In this paper, the authors explore why this happens. Interview data from representatives in law firms are complemented with data from architects as well as legal industry data and field notes. The data have been analyzed to spot patterns and emerging themes. Findings: The authors find that established law firms face structural and cultural barriers to applying ambidextrous solutions. When comparing law firms with architecture firms, the authors see that while established architecture firms have combined digital exploration with ongoing exploitation, established law firms have focused on exploitation, leaving digital exploration to new legal tech firms. This difference can be attributed to industry context and professional culture. Originality/value: This paper shows that both structural and contextual ambidexterity is a challenge for established law firms. This paper contributes to the understanding of barriers to embrace digital technology, and supports practitioners in efforts to remove these barriers.

Ambidexterity

Legal tech firms

Digital exploration

Professional service firms

Law firms

Digitalization

Författare

Charlotta Kronblad

Handelshögskolan i Stockholm

Johanna Pregmark

Chalmers, Teknikens ekonomi och organisation, Entrepreneurship and Strategy

IMIT

RWTH Aachen University

Rita Berggren

Chalmers, Teknikens ekonomi och organisation, Entrepreneurship and Strategy

Journal of Service Theory and Practice

2055-6225 (ISSN)

Vol. 33 2 217-236

Ämneskategorier

Ekonomisk geografi

Företagsekonomi

Juridik och samhälle

DOI

10.1108/JSTP-05-2022-0120

Mer information

Senast uppdaterat

2023-04-12