Digital transformation and the appropriation of management tools in local authorities: A narrative literature review

Abstract

The digital transformation of local authorities is often presented as a response to the need to modernise local public services. However, in administrative practice, the challenge lies not merely in the implementation of information systems, e-government platforms, management software packages or dashboards. It lies primarily in how these tools are understood, accepted, adapted and genuinely integrated by public servants into their daily work. Existing literature examines public digitalisation, technology adoption and the organisational dynamics of local authorities separately, but it still does not sufficiently link these three dimensions. This article addresses this gap through a narrative literature review covering mainly the period 2010–2024, supplemented by earlier foundational references. The sources used are drawn from Google Scholar, Cairn.info, HAL-SHS and international databases on public management, information systems and management sciences. Their selection is based on a rationale of reasoned sampling, grounded in the contextual relevance, analytical depth and theoretical contribution of the selected works. Our analysis highlights three main findings: Firstly, models centred on technology adoption usefully explain the intention to use, but provide only a limited account of the concrete transformations in professional practices. Secondly, digital management tools can be distinguished according to their steering purpose, the degree to which they structure usage, and their potential for organisational transformation. Finally, adoption appears to be a gradual process, shaped by technical conditions, organisational capacities, stakeholder dynamics and the instrumental genesis of the tools. Our article thus contributes to moving beyond a strictly technical view of digitalisation to propose a framework for analysis centred on actual uses. This framework is likely to help local authorities better guide their policies on training, data governance, change management and the evaluation of uses.

Classification JEL: O32

Paper type: Theoretical Research