A systems-based and process-oriented framework explaining how organizational factors translate into digital readiness in small firms is developed and Project Management Capability is positioned as the critical link between organizational factors and digitally enabled competitive advantage in small firms.
Abstract
Although digital readiness is widely recognized as a prerequisite for digital transformation, existing research predominantly adopts a determinant-based perspective, offering limited insight into how readiness actually emerges within organizations. To address this gap, this study develops a systems-based and process-oriented framework explaining how organizational factors translate into digital readiness in small firms. Drawing on Resource-Advantage Theory and a socio-technical systems perspective, a qualitative cross-cultural multiple-case study was conducted in six small service firms located in Brazil and the United Kingdom. The cross-cultural design enabled the identification of recurring organizational mechanisms across different institutional contexts. The findings reveal that organizational factors such as corporate culture, knowledge management, organizational learning, and leadership do not directly generate digital readiness. Instead, their influence depends on Project Management Capability (PMC), which emerged as the central mechanism coordinating and integrating these resources into coherent digital initiatives. Firms with stronger PMC exhibited more structured and strategically aligned digital transformation trajectories, regardless of resource availability. This study contributes to the literature by conceptualizing digital readiness as an emergent organizational outcome rather than a static condition and by positioning PMC as the critical link between organizational factors and digitally enabled competitive advantage in small firms.
This study examines how digital transformation initiatives shape operational efficiency and organizational change in the logistics sector from a managerial perspective by specifying the pathways through which efficiency-oriented pressures restructure routines, redistribute authority and reconfigure workforce arrangements in logistics and customs brokerage firms.
Z. Demirel· Journal of Organizational Ch...· 0 citations
The findings indicate that leadership commitment and strategic alignment are the most consistently cited critical success factors for successful digital transformation and the Comprehensive digital transformation Success Model (CDTSM) is proposed, which integrates these CSFs into a structured framework encompassing the initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and sustainability phases of digital transformation.
Behzad Salavati Tehrani, Carmen De-Pablos-Heredero· 0 citations
Digital innovation has become a key enabler of the circular economy, yet existing research on SMEs remains fragmented across technological, organizational, and institutional perspectives. This study addresses this gap through a bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review of 87 peer-reviewed articles published between 2017 and 2025. The review synthesizes the evolution of digital research, identifies its theoretical foundations, key barriers, enabling factors, and performance outcomes, and develops a multi-level conceptual framework linking micro-, meso-, macro-, and ecosystem-level perspectives. The findings suggest that successful digital innovation-enabled circular transformation depends on the interaction of digital capabilities, organizational resources, institutional support, and stakeholder collaboration. The study further reveals that financial constraints, limited digital capabilities, and weak institutional support remain major barriers, whereas Industry 4.0 technologies, leadership commitment, and ecosystem collaboration serve as critical enablers. By integrating fragmented theoretical perspectives into a coherent framework, this review advances the understanding of digital adoption in SMEs and provides a structured research agenda together with practical implications for managers and policymakers seeking to accelerate sustainable digital transformation.
Yi-Jun Cheng, Umar H. A. Kohar· Sustainability· 0 citations
Digital transformation has become a strategic priority in education, yet existing research predominantly emphasizes technology adoption, digital readiness, and maturity, providing limited explanation of how schools institutionalize digital practices and develop sustainable digital cultures. This study addresses this gap by developing an empirically grounded three-phase framework that conceptualizes digital transformation as an evolving institutional process rather than a linear technology adoption trajectory. Employing a qualitative case study design, the study investigated digital transformation at SMPN 7 Mataram, Indonesia, using in-depth interviews with 24 participants, including school leaders, teachers, and IT coordinators, complemented by document analysis of policy frameworks and implementation reports from 2019 to 2024. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, constant comparison, and chronological mapping to identify patterns across organizational practices. Findings reveal three interconnected phases: momentum creation, structural integration, and cultural actualization. Momentum creation was triggered by external pressures, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic, accelerating ICT adoption. Structural integration involved institutionalizing digital practices through integrated school portals, curriculum integration, and digitally supported administrative processes. Cultural actualization emerged when digital technology became embedded in organizational routines and students shifted from passive consumers to active digital creators. Transformation was facilitated by leadership commitment, peer-mentoring networks, professional development, and community partnerships, but constrained by digital literacy disparities, infrastructure limitations, resource constraints, and resistance to change. The study contributes theoretically by extending digital transformation scholarship toward an organization and culture-centered perspective. Practically, the framework provides policymakers and school leaders with a strategic reference for strengthening institutional capacity, infrastructure, governance, and sustainable digital culture.
M. C. Anam, Ali Imron, Maisyaroh Maisyaroh et al.· AMPLITUDO : Journal of Scien...· 0 citations
Digital transformation has become a strategic priority for governments seeking to improve public service delivery, operational efficiency, and organizational agility; however, the realization of its benefits depends not merely on technological investment but on the organizational capabilities and human factors that enable meaningful digital transformation. Drawing on the core technological, organizational, and people dimensions of the DeLone and McLean Information Systems Success Model, this study examines the determinants of digital transformation success by investigating AI readiness and change management as organizational antecedents, digital transformation capability as a mediating mechanism, and user experience as a moderating factor. The study contextualizes the model’s Net Benefits dimension as Digital Transformation Success. Data was collected through a structured cross-sectional survey from 370 employees of major public sector organization in Pakistan. Using PLS-SEM in SmartPLS 4.0, the study assessed the measurement and structural models, including direct, mediation, and moderation effects through 5,000 bootstrap resamples. The findings indicate that all hypothesized relationships were statistically supported, demonstrating the significance of AI readiness, change management, digital transformation capability, and user experience in shaping digital transformation success. The study contributes to the digital transformation literature by empirically contextualizing the DeLone and McLean framework within Pakistan’s public sector and highlighting the importance of integrating technological readiness, organizational change, transformation capabilities, and user experience for achieving successful digital transformation outcomes.
Rabiya Zia, Sania Shaff, Muhammad Jamshaid Bajwa· ManageNex-Journal of Managem...· 0 citations
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