Curriculum Vitae:

Academic Background

Oct 2021 to Oct 2024: M. A. in Sociology at RWTH Aachen University

Oct 2016 to Sep 2021: B. A. in social science at RWTH Aachen University

Work Experience

Apr 2023 to May 2024: Student assistant at the Institute for Technology and Innovation Management (TIM, RWTH Aachen University)

Jan 2023 to May 2024: Student assistant at the Institute of Sociology, Chair of Technology and Diversity (RWTH Aachen University)

Jul 2020 to Jun 2021: Student Equal Opportunity Officer at the Equal Opportunity Office of RWTH Aachen University

Mar 2018 to Mar 2023: Student assistant at the Institute of Sociology, Chair of Sociology of Technology and Organization (STO) (RWTH Aachen University) in different research projects (LivingCoastLab Hallig, GenderNetz, WissproKMU) and as tutor for the lectures on Sociology of Technology and Sociology of Organization

Fields of Research:

Sociotechnical Transformations, Governance of Lightweight IT, Sociology of Organizations, Sociology of Technology, Shared Leadership, Qualitative Research, Social Network Analysis

Publications:

• Plattfaut, Ralf; Vollenberg, Carolin; Ergün, Ali; Rieger, Ronja: Citizen development as boundary spanning in the agile-digital transformation: the case of a German healthcare insurance organization. In: Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. Zeitschrift für Angewandte Organisationspsychologie (GIO), Vol2026 (2026). doi:10.1007/s11612-026-00895-8Abstract Details Citation

  This article in the journal “Gruppe.Interaktion.Organisation” (GIO) discusses the effects of citizen development as a boundary-spanning activity on the success of agile-digital transformations. Organizations pursuing an agile-digital transformation face persistent tensions between business and IT, arising from divergent goals, competencies, and ways of working. While prior research highlights these tensions, less is known about how organizations practically overcome these in everyday digital innovation work. This study investigates how Collaborative Citizen Developer Teams (CCDTs) and low-code/no-code (LC/NC) technologies enable boundary spanning between business and IT in the context of an agile-digital transformation. Drawing on an in-depth case study of a German statutory health insurance organization, we analyze how citizen developers facilitate and engage in joint development of LC/NC artifacts between business and IT. Our findings suggest that CCDT members act as institutionalized boundary spanners by translating business needs into technical functionalities and coordinating across organizational domains, while LC/NC artifacts, such as BPMN models, prototypes, test environments, and the LC/NC automations, function as boundary objects that enable shared understanding, joint problem solving, and iterative refinement. Together, these boundary spanning mechanisms of the CCDT reduce interdepartmental tensions, accelerate solution development, and support decentralized yet compliant digital innovation. The study contributes to research on agile–digital transformation, showcasing the boundary spanning role of citizen development and LC/NC in agile-digital transformation.