Governing Communication Structure Across Distributed Teams at Projects Implementing Process Automation Software

This study examines how communication structures can be governed to improve outcomes in distributed project teams implementing Robotic Process Automation (RPA). Using a qualitative single-case study at SSAB, we analyse semi-structured interviews, project artefacts, and internal communications, iterating abductively between data and theory. Guided by Stewardship Theory and project governance research, we map decision rights, accountability, and information flows across locations and functions. Findings show that adaptive communication networks anchored in explicit governance mechanisms, i.e. clear role charters, cadence calendars, escalation paths, and gated decision points, reduce ambiguity and coordination loss. Informal practices, including cross-site champions and community-of-practice touchpoints, complement formal protocols by brokering knowledge and sustaining shared purpose. The interplay between formal and informal structures improved timeliness of information, alignment on deliverables, and proactive risk handling in geographically dispersed settings. We propose a practical design for communication governance that specifies who convenes whom, on what cadence, with what artefacts, and how exceptions escalate. The study extends Stewardship Theory to automation-oriented, distributed projects by showing how trust-based, collective-interest framing can coexist with lightweight controls. Implications include a diagnostic for assessing communication gaps and actionable guidance for configuring roles, routines, and artefacts when scaling RPA initiatives across sites.