Investigating the Needs, Capabilities and Decision Making Mechanisms in Digital Preservation: Insights from a Multiple Case Study

Firms are required to consciously retain information in an effort to ensure compliance with legal and business needs. However, sustained accessibility to digital information cannot be taken for granted as it is threatened by expeditiously changing technologies associated with the risk of obsolete soft- and hardware. As part of an effort to ensure long-term access to digital information, digital preservation (DP) provides effective means. But still little is known about DP in firms. In this study the authors aim to provide insights into a firm’s DP needs, capabilities and decision making mechanisms by conducting a multiple case study through the lens of organizational information processing theory. The results indicate that a lack of decision making procedures and responsibilities impedes the alignment between DP needs and capabilities, which seems to foster a culture of information hoarding. Based on the authors’ empirical insights about DP in firms they derive an explanatory model and provide five managerial recommendations.