Same same but different: How policies frame societal-level digital transformation

Abstract

The digital transformation (DT) is not only forcing companies to rethink their business models but is also challenging governments to address the question of how information technology will change society today and in the future. By setting the legal boundaries and acting as an investor and promoter of the domestic digital economy, governments actively influence in which ways this transformational process takes place. The vision and objectives how DT should be realized on state level is portrayed in well-crafted DT policies. Yet, little is known how governments, as strategic actors, see their role in the DT and how they frame these documents. In this paper, we argue that policymaking about DT is isomorphic in the global context, rather than a differentiator for countries to gain a competitive edge. Using machine learning to analyze a vast text corpus of policy documents, we identify the common repertoire of narratives used by governments from all around the globe to picture their vision of the DT and show that DT policies appear to be almost context-free due to their high similarity.