The progressive transformation of work with robotic process automation technology

Drawing from research on work automation and the digital transformation of work, this study examines the process involved in transforming work through Robotic Process Automation (RPA). Employing a multi-case qualitative research design, we investigate three organisations implementing RPA. We find that work transformation occurs progressively, involving sequences of actors’ frames, technology-work configurations, and their effects on work. These sequences evolve through three stages: convergent, diffusing, and divergent, driven by three mechanisms: goal alignment, technology legitimation and effect accumulation. The findings shed light on the stages involved in the transformation of work with RPA, revealing different interpretations of RPA technology and its various effects on work that emerge during this process. Our analysis also identifies mechanisms that sustain this transformation over time, highlighting the roles of automation teams and managers in facilitating this process. We offer a framework that links the immediate effects of task automation with RPA to the technology’s long-term effects on transforming work. The framework clarifies the enablers and barriers involved in RPA implementation as well as the solutions to leverage them, and demonstrates how RPA use evolves over time, producing different but complementary effects on work.