Brünker, FelixFelixBrünkerMarx, JulianJulianMarxMirbabaie, MiladMiladMirbabaie0000-0002-9455-5773Stieglitz, StefanStefanStieglitz2024-05-142024-05-1420240268-39621466-4437https://fis.uni-bamberg.de/handle/uniba/95245Digital transformation fundamentally changes the way individuals conduct work in organisations. In accordance with this statement, prevalent literature understands digital workplace transformation as a second-order effect of implementing new information technology to increase organisational effectiveness or reach other strategic goals. This paper, in contrast, provides empirical evidence from two remote-first organisations that undergo a proactive rather than reactive digital workplace transformation. The analysis of these cases suggests that new ways of working can be the consequence of an identity change that is a precondition for introducing new information technology rather than its outcome. The resulting process model contributes a competing argument to the existing debate in digital transformation literature. Instead of issuing digital workplace transformation as a deliverable of technological progress and strategic goals, this paper supports a notion of digital workplace transformation that serves a desired identity based on work preferences.engDigital transformationdigital workplace transformationremote-firstidentity theory330article10.1177/02683962231219516http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02683962231219516