The influence of digital transformation on career development: perceived opportunities and structural inertia within local authorities[L’influence de la transformation digitale sur l’évolution des carrières : opportunités perçues et inertie structurelle au sein de collectivités territoriales]

The consequences of the digital transformation in the public sector have attracted attention from researchers and practitioners for several years. However, the impact of this change on the career opportunities of individuals have been little studied. In order to understand how the digital transformation influences the evolution of careers in the public sector, we conducted a study in seven local authorities of the same region in France. Our results suggest that digitalization creates transversality and promotes collaborative work between service departments and between local authorities. This evolution creates opportunities for the development of career competencies (knowledge and know-how, internal and external networks, motivation and occupational identity), leading to a context favorable to boundaryless careers. Nevertheless, boundaryless careers are only partially realized. The internal labor market's operating rules and structural inertia hinder the offer of concrete opportunities for mobility. This study illustrates a traditional model of career management for local governments' employees, which opposes in a structural way to the development of a boundaryless model.