Digital technology and changing work practices in large law firms

Thesis

Existing research on digital technology and organized professional work examines technology as a tool for tasks or a medium of communication but tends to overlook its broader integration within professional work systems. This thesis addresses that blind spot. It explores how digital technology becomes – or fails to become – integrated into professional work practices within professional service firms (PSFs), using large law firms as exemplars. Informed by a practice-based perspective, this research investigates everyday activities associated with digital technology in organized professional work. Three distinct themes emerge across the thesis. First, digital technology problematises existing settlements of professional expertise and boundaries. Evidence includes professionals’ boundary work around prompt-engineering expertise for generative artificial intelligence (AI), as well as operations managers’ work practices to integrate technology into PSFs’ workflows. Second, digital technology challenges the established balance between professional autonomy and managerial authority. Effective integration of digital technology often coincides with emerging forms of managerial authority (e.g., technologists, operations, or knowledge managers), who redesign or standardise work, altering the scope and nature of professional autonomy. Third, technology adoption and integration vary among professionals. Some engage with digital technology, reconfiguring their work practices for technology-inclusive service production. Others resist it, maintaining existing practices and traditional production methods. Still others adopt a middle ground. As such, this thesis provides novel empirical findings and theoretical contributions by examining technology relationally within a professional work system.

Authors: Rodgers, I

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-44vgb0q55
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: Professional service firms; Learning pathways; Relational expertise; Boundary work; Artificial intelligence; Digitalization; Professional work
• Subjects: Management