A framework for nurturing champions of digital innovation

Horstmann, Svea; Drechsler, Katharina; Chandra Kruse, Leona Article — Published Version A framework for nurturing champions of digital innovation Information Systems and e-Business Management Provided in Cooperation with: Springer Nature Suggested Citation: Horstmann, Svea; Drechsler, Katharina; Chandra Kruse, Leona (2025) : A framework for nurturing champions of digital innovation, Information Systems and e-Business Management, ISSN 1617-9854, Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, Vol. 23, Iss. 2, pp. 623-669, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10257-024-00697-9 This Version is available at: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/330711 Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen: Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen. 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If the documents have been made available under an Open Content Licence (especially Creative Commons Licences), you may exercise further usage rights as specified in the indicated licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Vol.:(0123456789) Information Systems and e-Business Management (2025) 23:623–669 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10257-024-00697-9 ORIGINAL ARTICLE A framework fornurturing champions ofdigital innovation SveaHorstmann1· KatharinaDrechsler2 · LeonaChandraKruse3 Received: 27 February 2024 / Revised: 28 June 2024 / Accepted: 20 November 2024 / Published online: 26 January 2025 © The Author(s) 2025 Abstract Information Systems (IS) champions enthusiastically promote a digital innovation project throughout its development by obtaining the necessary resources. These individuals shape the innovativeness of an organization, as they initiate digital innovation projects and lead them toward successful completion. We still know little about how these champions can be identified and nurtured in organizations. We follow the Design Science Research approach in developing a framework for nurturing IS champions that can guide human resource practitioners. Our framework offers a strategic view of the champion journey and prescribes recommendations for action. The design decisions were derived from literature on digital innovation and innovation champions, and the framework was subsequently refined and evaluated meticulously. The design underwent two stages based on expert interviews from the IT industry (formative evaluation) and was subsequently evaluated by experts in digital innovation project management and human resource development in the IT industry (summative evaluation). The results demonstrate the feasibility of the framework and offer further insights into the problem and solution space of nurturing IS champions. Keywords IS champion· Digital innovation· Champion nurturing framework· Design science research * Katharina Drechsler [email protected]oeln.de Svea Horstmann sv[email protected] Leona Chandra Kruse [email protected] 1 Helsing GmbH, Mühldorfstr. 8, 81671Munich, Germany 2 University ofCologne, Albertus-Magnus-Platz, 50923Cologne, Germany 3 Department ofInformation Systems, University ofAgder, Universitetsveien 25, 4630Kristiansand, Norway 624 S.Horstmann et al. 1 Introduction The rise of digital technologies in recent years has significantly increased the importance of promoting digital innovation in organizations (e.g., Fichman et al. 2014; Müller et al. 2019; von Briel et al. 2021). In digital innovation, “digital technologies and associated digitizing processes form an innate part of the new idea and/or its development, diffusion, or assimilation” (Nambisan 2017, p. 224). The most notable characteristic of digital innovation is the democratization of agency (Fichman et al. 2014; Opland et al. 2020), as evident in employee-driven digital innovation projects. When initiated by employees, a digital innovation initiative is more likely to lead to a persistent competitive advantage (Thompson et al. 2020; Yan etal. 2018). The initiators of such employee-driven innovation are known as information systems (IS) champions, individual actors who enthusiastically acquire the required resources to promote a digital innovation project and shape the innovation’s design (Renken and Heeks 2019). Since champions often work behind closed doors, highprofile examples are hard to find. However, one famous example involves several champions who persistently worked on the development and promotion of laptops at Toshiba in an under-the-table project that was opposed by headquarters but ultimately led to a worldwide success for Toshiba (Abetti 1997). More recent documented examples include the development of an information system in the healthcare sector through collective social interactions to recruit team members, develop a participatory structure, and gain and maintain support from decisionmakers (van Laere and Aggestam 2015). IS champions are highly influential not only at the beginning of a project (Howell etal. 2005; Maidique 1980; Renken and Heeks 2019; Drechsler etal. 2021), but also in determining the project’s success (Dong etal. 2007; Howell and Shea 2001; Markham and Griffin 1998). Given these benefits, we expect organizations to be particularly interested in identifying potential IS champions among all employees and promoting their development with suitable measures. IT workforce and organizational vision alignment have indeed a long tradition in IS research (Gélinas etal. 2022; Johnson etal. 2016; Niederman etal. 1991; Roepke etal. 2000). Despite innovation champions’ importance, literature on how to nurture the emergence of IS champions is scarce (Renken and Heeks 2019). Most prior works assume that individuals predisposed with certain individual characteristics spontaneously emerge as champions, if the right conditions prevail in an organization (Howell and Higgins 1990; Markham 2000). On the other hand, some other works follow the nurture view and recommend managers to actively nurture champions (Howell etal. 2005). However, evaluated guidelines on how IS champions can be nurtured are rare. This paper responds to calls to provide practice with guidance on how to nurture IS champions (Renken and Heeks 2019) by extending the current knowledge base on developmental measures (e.g., Bertels etal. 2020; Howell and Higgins 1990). Thus, the paper examines the following research question:How can IS champions be nurtured within an organization? In answering this research question, this paper conceptualizes and evaluates a framework for nurturing IS champions by following a Design Science Research (DSR) 625 A framework fornurturing champions ofdigital innovation approach. The DSR process proposed by Peffers etal. (2007) guides this research. The results of a literature review provide the theoretical foundation. Following the proofof-concept research stage (Nunamaker etal. 2015) and the Framework for Evaluation in Design Science (FEDS) (Venable etal. 2016), experts, predominantly from the IT industry, evaluated the designed artifact through interviews. In doing so, this paper addresses “design and action” as an underrepresented type of theory (Gregor 2006) in this research area (Renken and Heeks 2019). This paper contributes to IS research in four ways. First, we extend the knowledge base on IS champions’ emergence through a framework as the design artifact. Second, we provide insights into the problem and solution space of nurturing IS champions, as designers of digital technology, and the feasibility of such an approach for providing design knowledge. Third, we extend the research stream on IT workforce alignment (Roepke etal. 2000) to consider the possibility of nurturing the potential of the IT workforce for championing digital innovation. Finally, we present potential instantiations of our framework in established human resource management systems (Arthur 1994; DeSanctis 1986; Saks 2022) as well as standalone IS applications. The following section provides the theoretical background. Thereafter, the research method is described in detail. This is followed by an introduction to the designed framework and a description of the framework’s three evaluation episodes. The paper closes with a discussion of the findings and a conclusion. 2 Theoretical background 2.1 Defining ISchampions Innovating involves opportunity recognition (Hayton and Kelley 2006), arising from information asymmetry in society (Shane 2000). However, “[no] ordinary involvement with a new idea provides the energy required to cope with the … resistance … [to] change” (Schon 1963, p. 84) that innovation brings. Schon (1963) identified innovation champions as essential to that opportunity. The importance of innovation has also been acknowledged in IS research, coining the notion of “IS champion” as a nod to the role of these champions in IS innovation or digital innovation. The IS champion is an individual or group of individuals “who [make] a decisive contribution to the sociotechnical innovation by actively and enthusiastically promoting its progress through critical innovation and diffusion stages to obtain resources and active support from all stakeholders” (Renken and Heeks 2019, p. 835). Champions promote an innovation project in several ways. Besides resource acquisition (Jenssen and Jørgensen 2004), their activities include idea selection and promotion (Schon 1963), motivation of the team (Howell and Shea 2006), visioning and inspiration of others (Howell and Higgins 1990), knowledge transfer(Drechsler et al. 2021), as well as networking and the involvement of other people (Howell and Shea 2006). Champions are creative in transforming an idea into a prototype, enthusiastic about new technology, and confident(Howell etal. 2005; Hayton and Kelly 2006). They approach the projects in a risk-taking, persistent, proactive, and optimistic manner(Reibenspiess etal. 2018; Howell and Shea 2001; Roure 2001). 626 S.Horstmann et al. Skills include supportiveness, innovativeness, networking, social skills, and transformational leadership (Reibenspiess etal. 2018; Howell etal. 2005;Jenssen and Jørgensen 2004). In addition, champions need technical, business, industry-specific, and organizational knowledge (Howell and Shea 2001; Hayton and Kelly 2006; Roure 2001) and diverse career experience (Renken and Heeks 2019). Studies indicate that individuals taking up the role of innovation champion fall within a spectrum by fulfilling the characteristics and activities of champions to a degree (Howell and Shea 2001; Walter etal. 2011). Extant literature is characterized by an ongoing discussion on champions’ predisposition, appointment, and development (Renken and Heeks 2019). Several studies found champions emerging from specific roles or positions (Dong etal. 2007; Esteves and Pastor 2002), while others argue that an appointment to the role might undermine champions’ motivation (Howell and Higgins 1990). Additionally, several studies have described innovation champions’ traits (e.g., Hayton and Kelley 2006; Roure 2001). Thus, Howell and Higgins (1990) describe how particular personality traits predispose champions’ emergence, but also suggest that transformational leadership training can nurture champions. Other researchers suggest that innovation champions can be nurtured by offering incubator services combined with freely available resources (Beath 1991), or through engagement on a platform promoting employee-driven innovation (Reibenspiess etal., 2022). Additionally, van Laere and Aggestam (2015) found that champions learn from prior experiences and adapt their behavior. In this way, champions may nurture themselves through future projects. Yet, how organizations can set up training programs for champions remains an unanswered question (Renken and Heeks 2019). 2.2 IS champion asIT workforce fordigital innovation We consider IS champions as members of the larger IT workforce. IS research on the IT workforce has a long history which can be divided into three waves (Wiesche etal. 2020): IT as a new profession, IT as a strategic resource, and new forms of IT organizations. This paper is particularly concerned with the new forms of IT organizations. Aligning the IT workforce and organizational vision has long been a focus of IS research (Roepke etal. 2000). On the one hand, digital technologies have become enablers of new ways of working, and these were recently prompted for pandemic containment (Zamani and Spanaki 2023). On the other hand, these new forms of organizations tend to distribute leadership or even become leaderless (Zhang and Faerman 2007). This has implications for the role of IS champions in driving innovation initiatives. Championing innovation initiatives is no longer a de facto role of leaders. Instead, any employee can become an IS champion. In the last decades, the development of new technologies has been closely intertwined with the transformation of the IT workforce, which has also been referred to as co-evolution (Niederman et al. 2016). Following this development, the latest technological changes, such as the increasing prominence of digital technologies, have brought about significant changes to the IT workforce. The emergence of digital technology has had a profound impact on the nature of digital 627 A framework fornurturing champions ofdigital innovation innovation and the innovation process (e.g., Buck etal. 2022; Fichman etal. 2014; Yoo et al. 2010), which in turn affects innovation agency and champions. In the realm of digital innovation, new ideas, and approaches emerge from the integration of previously disconnected knowledge elements originating from diverse industries (Barrett et al. 2012; Yoo et al. 2012), and are brought to fruition through the collaboration of frequently changing associations of various actors (Nambisan etal. 2017). This is facilitated by the new layered modular architecture of digital innovation, which offers almost unlimited opportunities for recombining existing physical and digital components to produce novel products and services (Yoo etal. 2010). Furthermore, digital technologies are subject to constant and spontaneous change, a phenomenon described as the generativity of digital innovation (Yoo etal. 2012; Zittrain 2006). These developments underscore the critical role of innovation champions in directing and managing the rapidly evolving development processes of digital innovation. Distributed teams of IS champions can play a significant role in orchestrating and promoting these spontaneously changing development processes (van Laere and Aggestam 2015; Negoita etal. 2022), highlighting the importance of champions in promoting digital innovation projects throughout their development stages. As members of the IT workforce, IS champions can benefit from targeted human resource management (HRM) practices. Issues related to career development, governance, and organizational policy (including HRM policy) are parts of the repertoire in IT workforce research (Wiesche, etal. 2020). Organizational culture and structure influence the IT workforce (Jenkin etal. 2019; Kaarst-Brown etal. 2019; Maruping etal. 2019), and we expect them to promote the journey of becoming IS champions. The challenge is how to identify the potential of IS champion behavior in employees and then nurture and actualize this potential (Renken and Heeks 2019). We address this challenge by viewing it as a sociotechnical endeavor. 2.3 Nurturing ISchampions asasociotechnical endeavor IS champions act within the organizational context and interact with other champions, employees, and stakeholders. This demands a consideration of the champion’s environment (e.g., organizational culture, structure, and policy) in studying the IS champion’s journey. The socio-technical systems (STS) theory provides a theoretical lens to view the IS champion as part of a greater whole (Lyytinen and Newman 2008; Seidel et al. 2013). More importantly, the sociotechnical perspective is one of the most important “axis of cohesion” in IS research as the community grows and expands its boundaries (Sarker, etal. 2019). The STS theory describes an organization as the composition of four interacting components: technology, structure, task, and actor (Leavitt 1964). These components are attributed to two independent but interrelated subsystems: the social subsystem – encompassing structure and actor – and the technical one – containing technology and task. The system’s output results from the interactions of both subsystems (Bostrom and Heinen 1977) that must be harmonized to form an ideal system (Bostrom and Heinen 1977; Lyytinen and Newman 2008). 628 S.Horstmann et al. The socio-technical model can refer to different levels of an organization (Lyytinen and Newman 2008). In this paper, it was adapted to the nurturing of IS champions. Figure1 shows the nurturing of IS champions through the lens of STS theory. The structure component encompasses the organizational structure, including rights, control, formality, geographical dispersion, culture, project management frameworks, and communication channels (Lyytinen and Newman 2008). Thereby, it encompasses the organizational environment characteristics that enable nurturing. The actor component includes the individual’s characteristics (Lyytinen and Newman 2008). It contains the IS champion’s skills, knowledge, and traits. The technology component refers to all elements of the organization’s technological core (Lyytinen and Newman 2008). Considering IS champions and their nurturing, this component refers to technological tools supporting the organization in identifying, developing, and reinforcing the IS champion. The task component describes the raison d’être (Leavitt 1964) and the meeting of stakeholders’ requirements (Lyytinen and Newman 2008). In this paper, this is understood to illustrate the interactions of and with the IS champion as well as the measures that trigger these interactions. Social System Structure Organizational environment characteristics relevant regarding the IS champion Actor Skills, knowledge, and traits of the IS champion Technical System Task Interactions of and with the IS champion and triggers of these interactions Technology Tools supporting the identification, development, and reinforcement of the IS champion Fig. 1 The Socio-Technical Model for Nurturing IS Champions (adapted from Lyytinen & Newman (2008) and Bostrom & Heinen (1977)) 629 A framework fornurturing champions ofdigital innovation 3 Research method 3.1 Design science research procedure We follow the DSR paradigm to design the framework for nurturing IS champions. DSR is embedded between the environment and the knowledge base (Hevner etal. 2004; Simon 1996). The environment contributes to the relevance of an existing problem (Hevner etal. 2004; Simon 1996), and the knowledge base supports rigor (Hevner etal. 2004). This research is structured according to the process proposed by Peffers etal. (2007), consisting of four phases and two design stages. The process begins with understanding the problem and solution objective to guide, delineate, and justify the artifact creation. Through the design and development phase, the existing knowledge enriched by creativity is translated into an artifact. The demonstration and evaluation phase show the feasibility and contribution to the solution objective. Figure2 shows the application of the process in this research. We further depict a possible third design stage, where a field study could provide a real-world application and evaluation of the artifact and enable further refinement of the framework in the future. 3.2 Problem definition andsolution objectives The problem definition for this study arose through observations in earlier research projects in large incumbent firms. These organizations aim to promote digital innovation to stay competitive in an increasingly digital world. However, identifying potential champions of innovation within the workforce can be challenging, as these individuals may not hold traditional roles associated with innovation. Our observations revealed that in some settings, IS champions may be easily identifiable, while in others, they are inconspicuous or underestimated employees whose brilliant innovative ideas and efforts may only become evident when the problem they strive to address becomes too urgent to ignore. Additionally, organizations may lack the necessary measures to support and facilitate the skill development of these employees, even when they are identified. While innovation champions are generally valued by organizations, organizations may not possess the knowledge, processes, and tools to support and train them adequately. Thus, we observe the need for a hands-on framework to support human resource professionals in nurturing IS champions, identifying and supporting the achievement of their full potential. Figure 3 portrays our design theorizing with regard to problem definition and solution objectives (see Sect. 1 and Sect. 2.2 for elaboration). The figure differentiates between abstract problem–solution and instance problem–solution. In the abstract domain, organizations can seize opportunities by adopting new ways of working, such as leaderless teams, and novel innovation approaches, such as employee-driven innovation. However, these opportunities present challenges, particularly in harnessing such innovation approaches to promote growth and competitiveness. To address these 630 S.Horstmann et al. challenges, new theories, methods, and tools are needed. In the instance domain, one specific opportunity for organizations is the identification and nurturing of potential IS champions as important members of the IT workforce. However, practical guidance is necessary for organizations to implement the nurturing and harnessing of champions effectively, such as the development of a framework for nurturing IS champions. The anecdotal descriptions presented above, in conjunction with Fig. 3, demonstrate that the problem addressed in this study is one that companies striving to develop digital technologies and promote innovation face in various forms. As Sect. 2.2 highlights, developing champion behavior is not limited to exceptional CommunicationDemonstration & Evaluation Design & DevelopmentProblem Definition & Solution Objective Design Stage I Design Stage II Initial literature viewingLiterature review & creating the artifact Formative evaluation through expert interviews (form1) Developing drafts of a graphically enhanced framework Formative evaluation through expert interviews (form2) Proof-of-concept Summative evaluation through expert interviews (summ) Refining the artifact Refining the artifact Possible Future Design Stage III Instantiation in IS Application Field study Refining the artifact Fig. 2 Our DSR Process (adapted from Peffers etal. (2007)) 637 A framework fornurturing champions ofdigital innovation Fig. 4 The Framework Version for Form1. Note: For better readability, the references were not included in the Figure but are described in Sect.4.2. and in more detail in Appendix A.1 638 S.Horstmann et al. 1991; Chan etal. 2019) and providing training on hard and soft skills (e.g., Howell and Higgins 1990). Reinforcement Phase: The reinforcement is necessary to furthermotivate the IS champion to promote innovations, in addition to self-motivation and self-affirmation. The IS champion can be reinforced both during and after their development. Literature stays relatively silent on what motivates the champion (Renken and Heeks 2019). For this phase, therefore, the existing literature can only be consulted indirectly. Recommendations for action might encompass rewarding both the success and failure of the innovation project and its champion (Reibenspiess etal. 2018), for instance through announcements (Reibenspiess etal. 2022), or expanding the champion’s network by giving them access to organizational or management networks (Reibenspiess etal. 2018), and encouraging champions to learn from their experiences and improve their championing skills (van Laere and Aggestam 2015). 4.3 Design stage II—Framework version forformative evaluation The first formative evaluation (form1) informed the iteration of the framework for Design Stage II. The evaluation phase of the first cycle, described in detail in Appendix A.2., showed that the chosen approach addressed the problem but faced constraints. The experts especially valued the champion journey and the separation of social and technical aspects (Experts 1, 3, 4 and 6, form1). Therefore, the three types of building blocks did not change throughout the iterative development of the framework. The biggest room for improvement arose from feedback on the graphical presentation of information and the amount of text included in the framework (Experts 2, 3 and 6, form1). In this iteration, seven different graphical representations with different levels of information detail were developed to be assessed in form2. These different graphical representations are depicted in Fig.5. The graphical representations were mainly inspired by one expert’s suggestion that development and reinforcement are less sequential and more cyclic (Expert 6, form1). Further inspiration was derived from the feedback that the champion journey phase has drivers, that some experts perceived the champion concept as elusive, that the champion’s sense of purpose is essential, and that the delineation of recommendations for action per champion journey phase is not always clear (see Appendix A.3 for details). 4.4 Design stage II—Framework version for summative evaluation Building on the second formative evaluation, the alternatives were merged into one representation, mainly based on draft 5 (see Fig.5). The amount of text was further reduced (Experts 1 2, form2). The colors were changed to shades of green, limiting the range of false interpretations (Expert 2, form2). Puzzle pieces provide readability and clarification of the contextual connection of the recommendations for action (Expert 1, form2). The prefix “re-” was added to the identification phase (Expert 1, form2); the champion journey, however, was not further detailed per se, as it seemed sufficiently realistic for the model-like nature of the framework. The purpose fit was omitted (Experts 1 and 2, form2). Further, the 639 A framework fornurturing champions ofdigital innovation wording of the recommendations for action was adapted based on the experts’ interpretations. Finally, examples were added to the artifact as a separate cycle with the same arrangement of puzzle pieces. This made it easier to connect the framework to the examples for reference. The revised version of the framework is depicted in Fig.6. 4.5 Design stage II—Final version The feedback from the second evaluation was considered in the development of the final version, shown in Fig.7. The STS component “structure”, initially represented as a driver on the left sideof the circle, was changed to a largercircle thatencompasses recommendations for action around the champion journey to represent the Fig. 5 The Framework’s Evolution during Form2. Note: Draft 2 and draft 3 were adapted from (Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL), 2021), draft 4 and draft 5 were adapted from (pslides nd Integrated talent management model for PowerPoint. Pslides. https:// pslid es. com/ templ ates/ integ ratedtalen tmana gementmodelforpower point/, draft 6 was adapted from (EnableChange 2021), and draft 7 was adapted from (Muther 2002; Osterwalder 2004). The figure is used to show how the visual appearance evolved 640 S.Horstmann et al. prerequisites (Experts 3, 4 and 6, summ). The champion journey phases were changed to equal length to represent the equal importance of each phase (Expert 7, summ). The champion journey circle symbolizes the iterative process of developing an IS champion as the subject of the process. However, Expert6 (summ) assumed one iteration per individual and interpreted the circle as a way to identify new champions through the developed champion and their actions, thereby triggering a subsequent iteration. Therefore, the champion was put in the center of the circles. Additionally, the wording of the framework was changed, based on the experts’ feedback. 5 The final framework fornurturing ISchampions In the following, we present the final framework for nurturing IS champions. We first present the framework’s different elements and give recommendations for actions in Sect.5.1. In Sect.5.2. we then offer two concrete use cases of the framework in order to make the use of the framework more tangible for practitioners. Moreover, in Sect.5.3. we offer actions and paths stakeholders can take to nurture champions. 5.1 The elements The proposed framework conceptualizes the nurturing of IS champions within three development phases: (re-)identify, develop, and reinforce. Those champion journey phases, the components of STS theory, and the IS champion’s characteristics form the framework’s building blocks. The framework offers Fig. 6 The Framework Version for Summ. Note: The visual appearance is inspired by (pslides nd.Integrated talent management model for PowerPoint. Pslides. https:// pslid es. com/ templ ates/ integ ratedtalen tmana gementmodelforpower point/) 641 A framework fornurturing champions ofdigital innovation practice structure and inspiration for thought to elaborate an organizationspecific instantiation of the champion journey on a strategic level. It enables a more encompassing view of the development of the champion role and provides certainty in pursuing its implementation. The phases are portrayed in the second outer layer of the circle (e.g., develop) along with the IS champion’s traits, skills, knowledge, and motivation to be addressed in each phase. Each phase can manifest in three elements(e.g., supply inspiration and knowledge). Concrete actions and techniques are provided for every element (see Tables2–5) so that practitioners can apply the framework seamlessly in their daily practice. In Sect.5.3. we further provide recommendations about who could implement the recommendations for action, respectively. Nurturing the Champion of Digital Innovation 3 Reinforce Supply inspiration and knowledge Provide learning possibilities Expose to networking Assess uniformly without preselection Reveal abilities Seek predisposing characteristics Provide visibility and appreciation Foster intrinsic motivation Lower restrictions enthusiasm creativity confidence extrinsic motivation persistence optimism proactivity professional experience risk-taking intrinsic motivation learning orientation transformational leadership communication knowledge connection integration intercultural competence supportiveness 1(Re-)Identify 2Develop Organizational Environment Nurture a risk embracing culture Minimize obstacles Ensure community integration Fig. 7 The Framework for Nurturing IS Champions. Note: The framework encompasses three development phases: (re-)identify, develop, and reinforce, the IS champion’s characteristics (associated with a champion journey phase) and recommendations for action per phase – respectively one associated with the component “task”, “actor”, and “technology” – as the framework’s inner circles. The STS component “structure”, depicted in the outer circle, represents the cultural and organizational environment in which the champion interacts 642 S.Horstmann et al. While each champion journey phase encompasses three recommendations for action—respectively one associated with the component “task”, “actor”, and “technology”—the STS component “structure”, represents the cultural and organizational environment in which the champion interacts and forms the basis for the champion journey circle. The reason is that implementing the cultural and organizational characteristics proposed in the literature and by the experts demands a different timeline, skillset, and especially a different framework (Experts 3 and 4, summ). The recommendations for action and associated examples for the “structure” component are presented in Table2. The most challenging aspect of our framework is the necessity of changing the organizational environment in which champions act. Organizational culture may be designed to encourage employees to embrace risk, with the understanding that mistakes are an inherent part of the learning process. The establishment of weakly hierarchical structures with high degrees of freedom can further enable champions to encounter few obstacles in their work. Because champions frequently act in teams, particularly in the context of digital innovation endeavors, the establishment of an open and supportive atmosphere with numerous collaboration opportunities may prove conducive to the nurturing of champions. The champion journey circle starts with identifying the champion, which after one completion of the champion journey turns into reidentifying. One major issue in current literature is identifying champions (Renken and Heeks 2019) which is associated with the difficulty of defining the champion (Reibenspiess etal. 2018). However, identifying is vital to be able to assess the impact of the measures. The framework targets the traits found by Reibenspiess etal. (2018) and diverse career experience (Renken and Heeks 2019). The recommendations for action, the corresponding STS theory component, and associated examples are presented in Table3. Consequently, organizations may rely on measures such as questionnaires, targeted interviews, and screening curricula vitae of new applicants to identify potential champions based on their traits. Additionally, creating an internal innovation platform where employees share and promote innovative ideas, or organizing innovation time or events, such as hackathons or participatory open innovation formats, offers valuable mechanisms to identify employees exhibiting championing based on their traits and behavior. By implementing such measures during the hiring process and as part of an organization’s efforts to promote innovation, organizations can Table 2 Recommendations for action for the champion’s cultural and organizational environment Recommendations for action Examples STS component Nurture a risk embracing culture Entrepreneurialand envy-freeculture, encouraging employees to make mistakes and learn from failures Structure Minimize obstacles Few hierarchical levels, high degree of freedom, proactive and change-oriented management Structure Ensure community integration Innovation challenges, collaboration opportunities, team building, open, appreciative and supporting culture Task 643 A framework fornurturing champions ofdigital innovation identify a pool of potential champions. These employees can then be further developed (see below). Moreover, organizations can entrust these individuals with important innovation projects or add them to innovation projects that have experienced difficulties in the past. While some measures are designed to be implemented over an extended period (e.g., establishing platforms), targeted hiring measures or innovation events can also be employed as short-term measures to identify a champion who could assist in overcoming difficulties in an ongoing innovation project. Once identified, the IS champion is subject to formal and informal development. To be considered an IS champion, the person’s characteristics can vary in their strength of expression (Howell and Shea 2001; Walter etal. 2011). Nevertheless, the framework encompasses the complete set of the IS champion’s skills and knowledge (Reibenspiess etal. 2018) and digital competences (derived from Yoo etal. (2012)) to enable the adaption of the development phase to the team’s and individual’s needs and, if necessary, constraints. The recommendations for action, the corresponding STS theory component, and associated examples are presented in Table4. The development of champions can be facilitated through the establishment of knowledge transfer mechanisms in various formats, including wikis, learning platforms, and podcasts. These formats allow potential innovation champions to independently gain knowledge, thereby fostering their capacity to innovate. The content of the learning program may include in-depth knowledge about the characteristics of digital technologies, the innovation process, and the use of methods such as innovation opportunity analysis (see Appendix A.1 for details). Given the advantages of extensive social ties and social skills for champions, companies can also facilitate the nurturing of champions during this stage by providing opportunities for networking through the organization of events and by making conscious design choices for their office, such as the creation of open spaces or room for people to meet. Since numerous skills characterizing champions can be intensified (and sometimes even learned) through training, the provision of learning possibilities offers a third potential avenue for the nurturing of champions. Opportunities for the development of champions here include training in leadership skills or individual coaching and mentoring. Table 3 Recommendations for action for the champion journey phase “re-identify” Recommendations for action Examples STS component Assess uniformly without preselection Psychological tests, algorithms evaluating curricula vitae, structured interviews, platforms for selfpresentation, employee’s development scores evolution, skill platforms Technology Reveal abilities Participatory observation, interviews with steering members, targeted questions to reveal how a person acts Task Seek predisposing characteristics Questionnaire, involving HR and technical department in the process Actor 644 S.Horstmann et al. The reinforcement targets the motivation of the IS champion to promote innovations. This phase aims to stimulate and encourage champions’ ongoing efforts in promoting further innovations. By implementing reinforcement mechanisms, such as rewards, recognition, and opportunities for professional growth, organizations can tap into the champion’s inner drive and amplify their motivation to excel in their role in the long term. The recommendations for action, the corresponding STS theory component, and associated examples are presented in Table5. This phase of the IS champion journey specifically targets the champions’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. By providing visibility and appreciation, for instance, by recognizing the champion through awards or public announcemenst or bysharing thefinancial benefits of a successful innovation project with the champion, champions’ extrinsic motivation may be increased. Additionally, measures, such as innovation time, where champions can use part of their working week to promote digital Table 4 Recommendations for action for the champion journey phase “develop” Recommendations for action Examples STS component Supply inspiration and knowledge Forum, wiki, collaboration tools, vision board, learning platform, workshop animation, videos, podcasts, gamification modules, chat environment, webinars, people development management tools Technology Expose to networking Chats, workshops, flexible and open spaces, virtual team building, events, open talks, idea challenges/hackathons, random chats, topic channels, social days, regular’s table Task Provide learning possibilities Training on transformational leadership, Scrum Master, strategic thinking, solution making, and agility, workshops on technical, methodological, and organizational knowledge and values, leadership circle, coaching, mentoring, learning by doing, specialist literature, exercises, role models, knowledge clubs, retrospectives Actor Table 5 Recommendations for action for the champion journey phase “reinforce” Recommendations for action Examples STS component Provide visibility and appreciation Award announcement, bonus collection program, cards to make gratitude visible, blog posts, gratitude chat channel, regular meetings, appreciation according to individual needs, organigram entry Technology Lower restrictions Time at free disposal, allowing orderto be undermined, access to new networks, talking in front of a large audience, absence of micromanaging Task Foster intrinsic motivation Coaching learning orientation, developing a personal vision, promoting the company’s vision and mission, reinforcing purpose fit and identification, offering triggers (e.g., visibility, knowledge sharing, exchange, prestige, responsibility), communicating role’s impact Actor 645 A framework fornurturing champions ofdigital innovation innovation projects, or access to influential networks on the management level can lower restrictions to continue their role as champions. Finally, champions’ intrinsic motivation may be reinforced through measures that enable champions to reflect on their role’s impact and their contribution to the company’s vision, such as through coaching. 5.2 The use cases Throughout the evaluation episodes, the experts gave insights on how to apply the framework in practice. While they generated a lot of ideas, e.g., team alignment (Expert 6, summ), use by IS champions to plan and assess their nurturing (Expert 3, summ), or examination and improvement of organizational roles (Expert 5, summ), all experts saw possibilities for the following two use cases: the development of a career path for IS champions and the communication of the IS champion nurturing. When developing a career path for IS champions, the strategy should be “that you just have to provide people with the right, nutritious soil” (Expert 6, summ) and let them create the role for themselves (Expert 6, summ). The framework supports the development in three ways. First, the framework can help to elicit the target-actual comparison. The user can identify measures already in operation and those yet to be implemented to nurture the IS champion (Expert 6, summ). Second, the framework guides the champion journey by clarifying and visualizing the process (Experts 3 and 6, summ). A competence model and role profile can be developed based on the IS champion’s characteristics. Then, the measures that enable the IS champion can be developed (Expert 6, summ). Therefore, the phases identified by the framework (Expert 4, summ) must be refined into a concrete implementation plan (Expert 3, summ) with, e.g., sequences of training (Expert 5, summ). The framework offers recommendations for action to guide the refinement (Expert 6, summ). Third, the framework supports the plan’s implementation by providing an audit trail of the IS champion’s current status (Expert 3, summ). In addition, rating scales can be derived from it, which can track the nurturing (Experts 3 and 7, summ) and assess if the champion journey creates an IS champion as the outcome (Expert 5, summ). The second use case is the communication of the IS champion’s nurturing. The communication is directed to the employees’ managers (Experts 5 and 6, summ), the sponsors of the framework’s implementation, and top management (Expert 6, summ). While Expert 3 (summ) gave a contradictory opinion on the usefulness of communication directly to the IS champion, Expert 6 (summ) saw an opportunity to explain the development phases needed for nurturing the IS champion to people who have little knowledge about that, like, e.g., the IS champion. Through the framework, the strategy for development, instead of the detailed implementation, can be communicated (Experts 4 and 6, summ). Communication can define the target outcome and clarify how the career path can be supported. For that, the framework is explained phase by phase. It gives visibility to the project (Expert 6, summ). 646 S.Horstmann et al. 5.3 Paths forward forstakeholders To nurture champions, stakeholders across an organization can take several steps to promote an environment that fosters innovation and encourages the identification and development of talented individuals. Table 6 provides an overview of how different stakeholders can use the framework’s recommendations for action to nurture champions. Detailed examples of how each recommended action can be implemented were already summarized in Sect.4.2. Across all phases, upper management can nurture a risk-embracing culture that rewards experimentation, an entrepreneurial mindset and encourages employees to make and learn from their mistakes. They can also minimize obstacles by reducing hierarchical levels and promoting proactive and change-oriented management. Ensuring community integration forms an additional building block for how upper management can foster a beneficial cultural and organizational environment for champions by offering innovation challenges and supporting collaboration. The identifying phase of the champion journey can especially be supported by HR managers. They can assess potential champions uniformly without preselection, by, for instance, using psychological tests or trained algorithms to evaluate all employees based on their abilities and potential rather than preconceived notions or biases. During the hiring process of new employees, they may further seek candidates who possess predisposing characteristics that suggest an aptitude for driving innovation. Additionally, during this phase line managers can use participatory observation to reveal abilities or provide opportunities for employees to showcase their skills. During the development phase, line managers in particular are asked to take action. They can supply inspiration and knowledge by introducing tools, such as wikis or collaboration tools, in collaboration with the IT department. They can also expose employees to networking opportunities, both within the company and beyond, to help them develop relationships and expand their horizons. Additionally, HR managers can provide learning possibilities to help employees develop their skills and knowledge, for instance through formal training programs or mentoring programs. Finally, during the reinforcement phase, HR managers and line managers can use complimenting actions to support the champions’ nurturing process. They can provide visibility and appreciation to champions by recognizing and rewarding innovative ideas and contributions. Line managers can lower restrictions by assigning innovation champions’ time at their own disposal or avoiding micromanaging them. Additionally, HR managers can foster champions’ intrinsic motivation by empowering them to pursue their ideas and byproviding opportunities for personal growth and development. 653 A framework fornurturing champions ofdigital innovation Third, the artifact is not fully featured and thus does not allow any conclusions about efficiency and applicability in real situations (Nunamaker etal. 2015). This paper sought to best translate the findings from the literature and expert interviews into an artifact. However, the framework must be supplemented with other artifacts in the next two phases of the last research mile to guide the implementation in practice. This should be accompanied by measuring the impact on an organization’s innovativeness. While all experts assumed a positive impact on the overall innovativeness, this needs to be elaborated by applying the framework in practice. Section6.3 discusses possible pathways for instantiating the framework in legacy or novel IS applications. 8 Conclusion This research is inspired by the importance of IS champions on the organizations’ innovativeness. With the ongoing “nature vs. nurture” discussion in literature, this Design Science Research approach contributes to the “nurture” perspective of the identified research gap regarding IS champions. The designed framework represents the proof-of-concept and proposes phases and recommendations for action to nurture IS champions. It encompasses the current knowledge base relevant to nurturing enriched through interviews with leaders in organizations concerned with digital innovation, predominantly in the IT industry. As the evaluation showed, the resulting artifact is close to reality and feasible for potential addressees. Further, the improved understanding of the problem and solution space of nurturing IS champions informs the knowledge base. Besides enriching our extant knowledge of IS champions and extending design knowledge, the paper offers practical implications for the structure, recommendations for action, and examples. The artifact enables the strategic nurturing of IS champions, the communication, and the coordination of the IS champion nurturing project. Appendix A: Detailed information ontheevolution ofour framework In this appendix, we provide detailed information on the evolution of our framework during the two design stages. Consequently, this appendix provides detailed information to complement Sect.4. A.1 Design stage I‑Framework version forformative evaluation:detailed information In the following, we provide detailed information on findings in the literature concerning the three stages of the innovation champion journey: identification, development, and reinforcement. 654 S.Horstmann et al. A.1.1. The identification Technology. The technology component encompasses measures to move from highly subjectively influenced identification to objective decisions. Howell and Higgins (1990) propose psychological tests as a tool for identification. Their test of personality characteristics and leadership behavior resulted in an accuracy of 84%. Thus, objective indicators can assess IS champion potential. Additionally, Reibenspiess et al. (2022) reported the recognition of previously unremarkable people as champions through a digital platform. Technology has made it possible toincrease the range of the identification process. Further examples based on the researchers’ creativity are algorithms evaluating curricula vitae, analyzing as well as conducting video interviews and simulated games. Task. The task component refers to the interpersonal environment. This component can support identifying the IS champion’s ability to interact by triggering or observing interactions. Van Laere and Aggestam (2015) identified champions’ interactions within their research through participatory observations and interviews. For the observations, one of the authors participated in the project for a more extended period. For the interview, one member of the steering group captured events within the project (van Laere and Aggestam 2015). Their approach indicates the following propositions: The data is collected close to the IS champion in a project environment. The collector may only participate to the extent that they can observe. The interpersonal environment can especially reveal the subject’s abilities to network, promote, and work in teams. Structure. The structure encompasses the organizational environment which improves the identification process. Many studies used peer nominations for identification (Renken and Heeks 2019); the identification may also be based on the opinions of individuals. Furthermore, a flexible and tolerant culture towards IS champions (Reibenspiess et al. 2018) ensures that peer nominators perceive the IS champion’s characteristics. Further examples resulting from researchers’ brainstorming sessions are an envy-free and a speak-up culture to ensure that peers uncover the IS champion’s characteristics. Actor. The actor in the identification process is the potential IS champion. Therefore, one should search forspecific characteristics when targeting the subject. Untrainable characteristics can favor (Howell and Higgins 1990), support, or even be a prerequisite for champions’ development (Reibenspiess etal. 2018). Especially in team composition, it is also relevant how these complement other team members’ characteristics (van Laere and Aggestam 2015). Therefore, the identifier must know these essential characteristics. As examples serve the traits proposed by Reibenspiess etal. (2018). A.1.2. The development Technology. Recognizing an opportunity (Maidique 1980) triggers the champion process. Technology enables the IS champion to find and evaluate an idea by exposing them to ideas in the immediate work environment. The ideas should be 655 A framework fornurturing champions ofdigital innovation engaging and not overloaded with information. Therefore, only appropriate ideas for the IS champion’s interests and expertise should be suggested (Reibenspiess etal. 2022). Additionally, a technological system should provide criteria (Reibenspiess etal. 2022) to evaluate ideas. Such a system can be developed based on the insights of Reibenspiess etal. (2022) and Yan etal. (2018), for example in the form of a digital platform. The IS champion should possess in-depth knowledge of digital innovation, the organizational strategy, and the innovation’s context (Renken and Heeks 2019). Technology offers a way to provide knowledge. Potential technological tools are, e.g., forums, wikis, vision boards, and training platforms (e.g., Svahn etal. 2017; Yan etal. 2018). Task. IS champions prefer collaborative work over working alone. They rely on their network while promoting innovation (Renken and Heeks 2019). Digital innovations are created in heterogeneous teams because of their layered architecture (Yoo etal. 2012). The innovation process is increasingly distributed geographically and across organizational boundaries (Yoo etal. 2012). Therefore, the IS champion’s network must be extensive in the digital age. To enable the IS champion to develop such a network, they should have the possibility to meet as many potential stakeholders as possible. The meetings must be designed to build trusting, long-lasting relationships (Reibenspiess etal. 2018). Such interactions are created through informal communication channels (van Laere and Aggestam 2015), workshops on solution options (Svahn et al. 2017), flexible and open workspaces, virtual team building, and networking events inside as well as outside the organization. Structure. The structure component encompasses the structural facilitation of gathering experience, minimizing obstacles, and community integration. A diverse and extensive career experience eases the promotion of innovation (Renken and Heeks 2019). Thus, a policy encouraging changes in the job responsibilities can support the acquisition of experience, e.g., implemented through job rotations or exchange programs within the organizational network (Reibenspiess etal. 2018). Ensuring that the organizational environment enables IS champions to operate best minimizes obstacles to the IS champion’s activities. The lifecycle of digital innovations is dramatically shortened (Fichman etal. 2014), with aconstant search for problem–solution design pairingduring the development cycles (Nambisan etal. 2017). Agility supports this pace of development, openness to failure, flexibility, and solution changes during the development (Beath 1991; Yoo etal. 2010; Chan etal. 2019). A policy enabling a certain amount of work time at free disposal supports the balance of formal and championing tasks and champions can develop and engage with ideas (Reibenspiess etal. 2022). Additionally, a structure with few hierarchical levels and decentralized decision-making enables champions (Reibenspiess et al. 2018), since it ensures that IS champions are informally informed about the latest strategic decisionsat an early stage, and provides direct influence and autonomy in decision-making. A flat hierarchy also supports the IS champion in developing a network reaching all relevant resource providers (Renken and Heeks 2019). Additionally, community integration enables the development of the IS champion’s network and trains their knowledge and communication skills through constant challenges. One measure constitutes formal innovation challenges. 656 S.Horstmann et al. Innovation challenges were successfully used by Reibenspiess et al. (2020) and Svahn (2017) to foster solution searches on defined problems. Actor. While the identification process primarily seeks untrainable characteristics (traits), the development focuses on the trainable ones (skills and knowledge (Reibenspiess etal. 2018)). Renken and Heeks (2019) emphasize in this context a transformational leadership style that can be taught through transformational leadership training (Howell and Higgins 1990). The task of translating between innovation and strategy (Renken and Heeks 2019) demands communication skills (Reibenspiess etal. 2018). Additional more detailed requirements can be extracted from the characteristics of digital innovation and its innovation process. Transforming an idea into innovation requires transferring existing knowledge from inside and outside the organization into the innovation process (Kohli and Melville 2019). The digital innovation process and outcome are more geographically distributed across organizations and knowledge resources. Therefore, teams are highly fluid (Yoo etal. 2012). Thus, the IS champion needs networking skills, supportiveness, and intercultural competence (Reibenspiess etal. 2018). One possible measure to train these characteristics might be Scrum Master training, since it promotes these skills and competencies. Having perceived an idea, the IS champion must evaluate the idea’s opportunities (Fichman etal. 2014). The IS champion needs to calculate the risk they and their innovation team are taking (Howell and Shea 2006). That demands knowledge of business analyses. Furthermore, champions challenge and inspire the team by displaying innovative actions (Howell and Higgins 1990). Supporting digital innovation demands the knowledge of design patterns (Nambisan etal. 2017) and the ability to think in layered modular architectures (Svahn etal. 2017; Yoo etal. 2010). Besides technical and organizational knowledge, the IS champion possesses macroenvironmental knowledge (Renken and Heeks 2019). Thereby, the IS champion’s learning orientation and innovativeness (Reibenspiess etal. 2018) can be fostered through a solid knowledge base (e.g., Glynn 1996; Hargadon 2002; Mumford etal. 2002). This knowledge can be gained through workshops (Svahn etal. 2017). A.1.3. The reinforcement Technology. Technology can extrinsically motivate the IS champion by disseminating information about successful champions. For example, Reibenspiess etal. (2022) developed a system announcing awards for successful champions. These reinforced the champion and aroused interest in the champion role among other employees (Reibenspiess etal. 2022). Another example is a technology-enabled bonus collection program (Benbya and Leidner 2018). Task. The task component encompasses measures to reinforce the IS champion through (possible) interactions. One way is to give the champion greater freedom for their interactions, such as giving them more free time for champion activities or under-the-table projects (Abetti 1997). Another reinforcement possibility is expanding the champion’s network by giving them access to organizational or management networks (Reibenspiess etal. 2018). 657 A framework fornurturing champions ofdigital innovation Structure. The organizational structure acknowledges the champion’s performance by rewarding both the success and failure of the innovation project (Reibenspiess et al. 2018). The use of behavior-based performance appraisals positively influences the champion (Reibenspiess et al. 2018) and, therefore, their reinforcement. Further measures are compensations, “Employee-of-themonth” rewards, conferring formal roles, and behavior-based promotion systems (Reibenspiess etal. 2018; 2022). Actor. The actor component refers to the aspects that enable actors to reinforce their IS champion behavior independently. Champions learn from their experience and improve their championing skills (van Laere and Aggestam 2015). Learning-oriented individuals focus on seeking new challenges (Dweck and Leggett 1988). Coaching learning orientation might motivate the IS champion to improve their skills with a new project. A.2 Formative evaluation ofdesign stage I The artifact that resulted from the first design phase was formatively evaluated. The evaluation provided insights for the second design phase (Vaishnavi and Kuechler 2004). The results allow insights into the problem space, the feasibility of the chosen approach in general, and the feasibility of specific cells of the framework and the solution space, as described in the following. Problem Space. The experts saw employee innovation as an essential aspect of their business (Experts 3, 4 and 6 form1). Some projects break off because employees do not continue to promote them or becauseprojects bypass official channels (Expert 2, form1). Therefore, several experts acknowledged the importance of champions for digital innovations (Experts 1, 2 and 6, form1). For example, Expert 2 (form1) emphasized the IS champion’s motivational effect on other employees inside and outside the innovation projects. Feasibility. Regarding the feasibility, experts mentioned the comprehensibility, usability, proximity to economic reality, and framework structure. Even though the idea was positively received, the experts felt that the framework had too much text (Experts 2 and 6, form1) and missed a graphical representation (Expert 3, form1). Some distinguished between academics and practitioners as the addressees of the framework (Experts 2 and 6, form1), especially regarding the time needed to understand the framework (Expert 4, form1). The framework was close to business reality for several experts except regarding some delineations (Experts 3 and 6, form1). “[It] addresses many of the same points that we implement ourselves with our customers, so from that point of view … that is a confirmation of our work” (Expert 3, form1). The experts positively embraced both the social and technical dimensions and the champion journey (Experts 1, 3, 4 and 6, form1). However, regarding the sequential order, Expert 6 commented, “[regarding] development and reinforcement, … reinforce development again and again” (form1). The division into recommendations for action (“What”) and recommendations for implementation (“How”) within the sections was positively assessed (Expert 1, form1). Table 7. shows the opinions per cell. 658 S.Horstmann et al. Solution Space. For the solution space, the experts informed about functional and operational constraints and alternative or supplementing solutions. The implementation might face economic constraints. Besides financial resources (Expert 1, form1), its implementation demands capacities and capabilities in HR, leadership, and other teams, e.g., those responsible for the technical implementation (Experts 1 and 6, form1). Especially the required HR expertise is not available in every organization (Experts 3 and 4, form1). From Expert 2’s (form1) point of view, it also must be considered whether it is worth taking the IS champions out of the day-to-day business. Expert 3 (form1) saw constraints in the duration it takes to see the successes of the implementation. While “I can teach someone a technology very quickly, it takes 2 or 3weeks for them to understand it … behavior and … habits, you can change this in persons only in 2, 3, 4, 5years” (Expert 3, form1). Additionally, managers’ or other employees’ willingness to change and support is needed (Experts 1 and 2, form1). Expert 3 saw especially an issue with owner-managed organizations, where the owners don’t want to innovate anymore because the business is running, and they receive a good profit annually (form1). To address the issues above, the experts suggested alternative or complementary solutions. Several experts asked for specific recommendations for action (Experts 1, 2, 4 and 6, form1). Two experts suggested a scoring system to evaluate the IS champion’s development (Experts 3 and 6, form1). Expert 1 (form1) imagined a champion journey with a path of skills, traits, and knowledge. Expert 2 (form1) alternatively considered drivers and several possible development paths leading to goals. Expert 6 (form1) demanded information on the framework’s possible application areas and influences, e.g., organization size or industry. A.3 Design stage II‑Framework version forformative evaluation‑detailed information The first design cycle resulted in a draft of a framework for developing IS champions, the documentation of the artifact, and additional insights into the problem and solution space. The evaluation phase of the first cycle showed that the chosen approach addressed the problem but faced constraints in the solution space, especially regarding the feasibility. A significant constraint was the skill set of the person implementing the framework in the organization. From the interviews, it emerged that the potential implementers often work in the technical departments. Some organizations have HR experts who can support them, but the technical department cannot rely on this support in other organizations. The artifact must be usable with a low level of knowledge and quickly understandable for persuasion and use. Therefore, the framework had to be simplified with graphical representations and supplemented by other artifacts. A two-step approach was chosen to improve the artifact. First, the tabular representation was adapted using the evaluation results of the first design cycle. A graphical representation was then derived from the adapted version to summarize the main elements for practitioners. For this purpose, only the essential information was retained and simplified. The artifact overall then consisted of two elements: the 659 A framework fornurturing champions ofdigital innovation Table 7 Feedback on the framework cells Champion journey phase Comments Further mentioned examples Technology Identification Impeded reading flowa, alternative:giving the IS champion a stage to show that they have IS champion potential, tests are not that practicalb Platforms for self-presentation b, structured interviews e Development Matching different interests and expertise areas, vertical and horizontal knowledge a, personalize the flow of information to avoid overload e People development management tool a, learning platform a,d, coworking tools, chatting tool a, webinars d, workshop animation, videos, podcasts, gamification modules e Reinforcement Announcement and appreciation are essential, gamification might be effective b, gamification in the definition excludes more serious organizationsd Cards to make gratitude visiblea, success stories b, blog postsb,d, gratitude chat channel e Task Identification Interactions in larger groups only applicable with a larger number of applicants c, relying on people skills when HR skills are lacking c, d Targeted questions to reveal how a person acts c Development Networking across departmentsaRegulars’ table a, organization wide events, open talks, idea challenges/ hackathons, random chats, topic channels, social days e Reinforcement Implementation more realistic during over-time, closeness to the management and more freedom develop automatically, too much time devoted to innovation can be counterproductive b Talking in front of a large audience b,d Structure Identification None Open and appreciative culture d Development More details needed for application c, the wording “free space” is not self-explanatory, “agile” leaves room for interpretation d Feedback culture a, encouraging culture b, a culture where you are forced to make mistakes c, change-oriented, adaptable culture, target-oriented culture d, entrepreneurial culture, supporting culture, responsibility, trust, autonomy e, mutual supporta, e Reinforcement Compensation alone is not enough for long-term motivation b, c, employee-of-the-month not implementable when there are many IS champions e Career pathsa, celebrating success e 660 S.Horstmann et al. Table 7 (continued) Champion journey phase Comments Further mentioned examples Actor Identification Provide the interviewer with a questionnaire, involve HR and technical department in the processa Professional experiencec,d Development Planning the target role and the path to it, adapt development measures to the level of the individual, make the IS champion feel that they are not alone, not everything as formal training, “social skills” insufficiently defined a, no predefinition of development, but let them find their own style b, depending on the age of the IS champion, not all skills can be trained anymore c, some skills need to be more detailed to train them (e.g. risk-taking into grit and boldness) e Coaching, mentoring, leadership circle, workshop, learning by doing, communicate values (targeting transformational leadership)a, methodologies like “Five Why” c, specialist literature d, training on strategic thinking, solution making, agility, design methods e Reinforcement Intrinsic motivation is the only way to keep up motivation over a long period of timec, enable individual intrinsic motivation (e.g., visibilitye, knowledge sharing, exchange)a Identificationa, purposea,d, personal visionsc, promote the organization vision and missione a Expert 1, form1. bExpert 2, form1. cExpert 3, form1. dExpert 4, form1. eExpert 6, form1 661 A framework fornurturing champions ofdigital innovation detailed tabular representation and the graphical representation. Figure8 shows the evolution and the final version of the framework. Revision of the Detailed Tabular Representation. There were no objections in the interviews regarding the dimensions of STS theory components and the champion journey. Therefore, the revision focused on the cells. The experts’ statements that could be directly applied to the cells, such as additional examples, were inserted in this development phase and are not explained further. Table 8 summarizes all changes made based on experts’ suggestions. Graphical Representation of the Framework: Insights from the first design cycle indicated the need for an easy-to-grasp presentation as a framework for developing IS champions. Therefore, a short text (Experts 6 and 2, form1) and a graphical presentation were required (Expert 3, form1). For the evaluation – and thereby of relevance for the development – March and Smith (1995) propose the following criteria: fidelity of real-world phenomena, completeness, level of detail, robustness, and internal consistency. The framework should be designed to cover the various circumstances in organizations. The level of detail must be consistent throughout the framework without losing completeness. The detailed tabular representation from the first design cycle has five building blocks: the champion journey, the STS theory components, the recommendations of action (“What”), the recommendations for implementation (“How”), and the examples. The experts especially valued the champion journey and the split between Fig. 8 Evolution of the Framework for the Development of IS Champions. Note Draft 1 is an own presentation, draft 2 and draft 3 were adapted from (Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL), 2021), draft 4 and draft 5 were adapted from (pslides ndIntegrated talent management model for PowerPoint. Pslides. https:// pslid es. com/ templ ates/ integ ratedtalen tmana gementmodelforpower point/), draft 6 was adapted from (EnableChange 2021), and draft 7 was adapted from (Muther 2002, p. 12; Osterwalder 2004, p. 66). The figure is used to show the graphical evolution 662 S.Horstmann et al. Table 8 Revision of the detailed tabular representation Champion journey phase Comments Technology Identification “Algorithms for analyzing (and conducting) video interviews” and “simulated games” resulted from the brainstorming of the authors and were not empirically proven. As the experts did not mention those, these were omitted. Especially the simulated games may be a subcategory of psychological tests. Expert 2 (form1) did not consider psychological tests practical and thereby contradicted Expert 6 (form1), who mentioned them as an example. Accordingly, they stayed in the examples. The recommendation for action were reworded for better readability (Expert 1, form1). Development “Ensure that the champion is constantly exposed to various ideas matching his interest and expertise areas” was confirmed by Expert 6 (form1), who otherwise saw an information overload. Expert 1 (form1), however, valued horizontal and vertical knowledge transfer and demanded ideas “matching different interests and expertise areas” (Expert 1, form1). Therefore, the two formulations were merged into one. Reinforcement Gamification was eliminated from the recommendation for action to emphasize more precisely what extrinsically motivates the IS champion. With the inclusion of “visibility and appreciation,” the other examples are also encompassed. Task Identification Three experts stated that they do would not include group interaction in the identification process. Expert 2 (form1) did not consider it purposeful. Expert 3 and Expert 4 (form1) lack the number of applicants and the ability to conduct such group interactions. Therefore, the recommendation for action and the recommendations for implementation were formulated somewhat less specifically in terms of group interactions. Development The wording “working from each layer involved in digital innovation” was simplified to “from different teams and departments”. Reinforcement None Structure Identification The wording “Flexible and tolerant culture towards the champion” was changed to the wording used by Expert 4 (form1). Development Expert 3 (form1) stated that he would detail some examples. It can be deduced from this that head categories are meaningful enough to be interpreted by the user if necessary. Therefore, entrepreneurial culture summarizes the examples of policy supporting work time at free disposal, agile culture, responsibility, trust, and autonomy in the spirit of this very holistic framework. Supporting culture summarizes feedback culture, encouraging culture, supporting culture, and mutual support. Change-oriented culture summarizes adaptable and policy encouraging changes in activities. This summary additionally addressed criticism regarding working time regulations by Expert 2 (form1). Furthermore, the phrases “agile” and “free space” (Expert 4, form1) were replaced with “autonomy”. 669 A framework fornurturing champions ofdigital innovation Strich F, Mayer AS, Fiedler M (2021) What do I do in a world of artificial intelligence? Investigating the impact of substitutive decision-making AI systems on employees’ professional role identity. 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