$.$ Introduction

While organizational change is typically triggered by internal impulses and occurs in small, incremental steps, the COVID$-19$ pandemic disrupted the workspace radically and required organizations to change rapidly. Specifically, work routines needed to be digitalized to uphold organizations$$ functioning during physical distancing $($Amankwah$-$Amoah et al$.,2021).$ However, the impact of such sudden, unforeseen external events on organizations, both in terms of their work routines and organizational culture, is yet to be examined in detail. To deal with such changes as effectively as possible in the future, it is crucial to understand whether and how short$-$term adaptations, which represent direct responses to external events, transform into sustainable long$-$term changes $($Shoss$,2021).$ In this context, examining both the hindering and the driving forces of change at multiple levels $($i$.$e$.,$ organizational, team, individual$)$ represents a promising way of developing a framework of organizational change in light of a sudden crisis. We seek to answer the following research question: How did the COVID$-19$ pandemic affect organizations in terms of digitalization, and what factors influence the sustainability of changes in work routines and organizational culture?

To increase the understanding of long$-$term changes caused by externally triggered, rapid changes $($e$.$g$.,$ the COVID$-19$ pandemic$),$ we chose to apply a longitudinal case study design within the specific context of the administration of a higher education institution $($HEI$).$ HEIs are particularly suitable for this endeavor as they combine characteristics from both the public and private sectors$.$ Their administrative bodies can be considered public sector$-$like entities $($de Boer et al$.,2007),$ inheriting characteristics that, historically, have acted as inhibitors of digitalization measures $($Mascio et al$.,2020,$ Mergel et al$.,2019).$ In contrast, HEIs$$ general sphere of operation is competitive $($Musselin$,2018),$ as they compete with other institutions of higher education for student enrolment and obtaining third$-$party funds $($Navarro & Gallardo, $2003),$ therefore acting similarly to privately owned $($i$.$e$.,$ commercial$)$ organizations $($Boyne$,2002).$

We conducted structured interviews with HEI employees using the critical incident technique $($Flanagan$,1954)$ at two time points. Specifically, we collected changes in work routines that occurred in the course of the COVID$-19$ pandemic at the beginning of the first German lockdown in May and June $2020,$ and we evaluated their sustainability in light of positive$/$negative conditions for change during the second German lockdown in January and February $2021.$ Our qualitative research design was complemented with a quantitative approach for the evaluation of digital collaboration tools that gained relevance during the pandemic.

We enhance current research by proposing a systematic analysis of conditions that hinder and support rapid, externally triggered change. The resulting artifact, an explanatory framework illustrating mechanics of work routine establishment in time of sudden crisis $($i$.$e$.,$ the COVID$-19$ pandemic$),$ advances the understanding of external and internal forces at play. We explore whether barriers and resources can be utilized for understanding organizational change and the establishment or relapse of short$-$term changes caused by the COVID$-19$ pandemic in the long$-$term $($see also Thielsch et al$.,2021).$ For practitioners, this article advises how externally caused changes to digital work routines might be sustained in the long$-$term, especially in a context of rather rigid organizational structures.

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