Exploring the role of boundary objects in digitalized contexts

Digitalization is one of the most important phenomena of our era, impacting not only on consumer companies but increasingly on business to business companies too. The effects of digitalization are manifolds: growing number of touch points among interacting actors, greater information fluidity, contents dematerialization, among others. All these elements are generating higher complexity, which, in turn, requires coordination. Starting consideration of this study assumes that the importance of boundary objects – the ones that allow to communicate and coordinate the perspectives of various constituency – increases in a digitalized environment. By analyzing three case studies - Salesforce.com, Buzzdetector, and Nearit - the paper identifies the functions of boundary objects in digitalized business relationships: promoting socialization and meanings coordination; simplify complexity; humanizing objects; storytelling; boost creativity; engage in a broader experience; promote flexibility and contextualization.