Action Design Research for Actionable Knowledge Production: A Metareflexive Methodology for Digital Transformation and Innovation Studies

ABSTRACT The sociotechnical complexities and hidden dynamics shaping the evolution of digital transformation (DT) and innovation initiatives frequently elude traditional research approaches reliant on retrospective analysis, static and detached observation. The consequence is knowledge that meets the standards of academic rigor with scant attention to practical relevance. Addressing this methodological limitation, we explore the potential of action design research (ADR) as an engaged model of inquiry that yields richer insights by integrating artifact creation with real‐time organizational interventions and problem‐solving. Through a metareflexive methodological case study of a 21‐month‐long DT project within a multigenerational family agribusiness, we investigate how ADR can be applied to uncover hidden dynamics and produce knowledge that balances rigor and relevance. The study culminates in a conceptual framework illustrating how the iterative build–intervene–evaluate loops, supported by metalevel practices of insider–outsider researcher reflexivity and managing challenges of role duality, can be navigated to illuminate otherwise hidden but influential forces determining the trajectories of DT projects. Consequently, we contribute by demonstrating and advancing a framework for the rigorous application of ADR in unraveling the opaque and elusive sociotechnical mechanisms that underpin DT and innovation research.