Understanding the Role of Bricolage in the Digital Transformation of Small and Medium-Sized Professional Services Firms

Prior literature on digital transformation is dominated by studies of large firms, and little is known about the particularities of digital transformation of small and medium-sized (SME) professional services firms. Addressing this gap is important because the SME sector is the largest contributor to the global economy, employment, and GDP but SMEs are known to be constrained in resources. This paper aims to improve our understanding of SMEs’ digital transformation process by drawing on data from a case study of an SME professional accountancy practice in the UK experiencing challenges related to external vendors and intense regulatory pressure. Our findings show that the actors in the case organization engaged in bricolage with external vendors to work around their limited resources and regulatory compliance pressures which led to a patchwork of solutions. The paper contributes to practical and theoretical knowledge in digital transformation and bricolage in SME professional services firms.