Exploring the Paradoxical Relationship between Citizen and Professional Developers in Low Code Environments

The rapid acceleration of digitalization has increased the demand for dynamic software development, exposing a significant skills gap in IT. Low Code Development Platforms (LCDP) have emerged as a crucial solution, enabling faster development cycles and democratizing software creation. However, integrating citizen and professional developers within these platforms introduces new challenges, particularly in task division, collaboration, and governance. This study explores the dynamic of the interactions in low code environments, using paradox theory to analyze the resulting tensions – the paradox of empowerment, the paradox of security, and the paradox of harmonization – and their impact on both innovation and efficiency. Our findings provide critical insights into the roles, collaborative processes, and governance frameworks necessary for effective and balanced LCDP implementation. These insights provide a framework for effective and balanced LCDP implementation, offering organizations strategies to enhance innovation while managing the inherent complexities within these environments.