Table 4 Paradoxical tensions and... | Emerald Publishing

Table 4

Paradoxical tensions and representative narratives for Stage 3

Level/interface	Paradoxical tensions	Competing demands	Exemplary narratives
Project team – business unit interface	Learning:: belonging conflicts between the need for change and the desire to retain a sense of self and purpose	Learning to exploit advanced services capabilities/identifying with firm’s product mindset	“Look, we are just coming from the definition of the next steps, and we’ll have a meeting next week to define which are the relevant points in terms of scalability… at the moment we are focusing on new functionality and new possibilities that are digitally scalable… how we can use the digitalization in the most effective way… because with the evolution we have had in the last 5 years there are some parts that have been changed, removed, etc., and we have to think that the software has to be cleaned up and architecturally be sound… we are working on all this to be ready for when there will be a big response from the market” (BU Servitization Manager, SM2)
Business unit	Performing:: organizing tensions between organizational processes and stakeholders’ goals, employee and customer needs	Dedicate specific competences for pricing and selling/leverage the product business pricing and selling	“…we are exploring further market possibilities now… and everything starts from […] the fact that most of the companies in this historic situation are straddling the successful conclusion of the pilot project, and the ability to make a serious deployment of the product, and then put it into operation. […] to try to overcome this critical point in the development of the project, with our limited selling forces we are trying to move towards new markets and fields of application… and I have to say that when we show [our services and solutions] to them, they say the product is interesting…” (BU General Manager, HD5)
Business unit – corporate interface	Performing (latent) tension between ensuring success in the present and in the future	Prioritize intermediate services/expand advanced services with digitalization	“I’d like to apply a pay per pack business model to the machines… at least in part I think it is viable. But it is not easy because customers aren’t used to it and also… here we have a bit of a discussion with the BU General Manager, because carrying on certain discussions is difficult… we have Two slightly different ideas on how to leverage on this experience we made in the last years for the best of the whole organization” (President and CEO, PC1)
Business unit –ecosystem interface	Learning:: performing tension between building capabilities for the future and ensuring success in the present (customers)	Customize advanced services/incorporate advanced services experience in replicable digital solutions	“In my opinion, One of the relevant dimensions in terms of the market is the maturity of the customers and my perception is that we have many early adopters, many… We are therefore targeting early adopters… there is no maturity on these technologies, indeed we are far ahead of the market, so we are currently looking for customers who understand the value, who are ready to pay… this is the point…” (BU Sales Director, SD1)

Level/interface	Paradoxical tensions	Competing demands	Exemplary narratives
Project team – business unit interface	Learning:: belonging conflicts between the need for change and the desire to retain a sense of self and purpose	Learning to exploit advanced services capabilities/identifying with firm’s product mindset	“Look, we are just coming from the definition of the next steps, and we’ll have a meeting next week to define which are the relevant points in terms of scalability… at the moment we are focusing on new functionality and new possibilities that are digitally scalable… how we can use the digitalization in the most effective way… because with the evolution we have had in the last 5 years there are some parts that have been changed, removed, etc., and we have to think that the software has to be cleaned up and architecturally be sound… we are working on all this to be ready for when there will be a big response from the market” (BU Servitization Manager, SM2)
Business unit	Performing:: organizing tensions between organizational processes and stakeholders’ goals, employee and customer needs	Dedicate specific competences for pricing and selling/leverage the product business pricing and selling	“…we are exploring further market possibilities now… and everything starts from […] the fact that most of the companies in this historic situation are straddling the successful conclusion of the pilot project, and the ability to make a serious deployment of the product, and then put it into operation. […] to try to overcome this critical point in the development of the project, with our limited selling forces we are trying to move towards new markets and fields of application… and I have to say that when we show [our services and solutions] to them, they say the product is interesting…” (BU General Manager, HD5)
Business unit – corporate interface	Performing (latent) tension between ensuring success in the present and in the future	Prioritize intermediate services/expand advanced services with digitalization	“I’d like to apply a pay per pack business model to the machines… at least in part I think it is viable. But it is not easy because customers aren’t used to it and also… here we have a bit of a discussion with the BU General Manager, because carrying on certain discussions is difficult… we have Two slightly different ideas on how to leverage on this experience we made in the last years for the best of the whole organization” (President and CEO, PC1)
Business unit –ecosystem interface	Learning:: performing tension between building capabilities for the future and ensuring success in the present (customers)	Customize advanced services/incorporate advanced services experience in replicable digital solutions	“In my opinion, One of the relevant dimensions in terms of the market is the maturity of the customers and my perception is that we have many early adopters, many… We are therefore targeting early adopters… there is no maturity on these technologies, indeed we are far ahead of the market, so we are currently looking for customers who understand the value, who are ready to pay… this is the point…” (BU Sales Director, SD1)

Source(s): Authors’ own work