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Influencing factors of digital transformation: management or IT is the driving force?

Andrea Ko (Corvinus University of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary)
Péter Fehér (Corvinus University of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary)
Tibor Kovacs (Corvinus University of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary)
Ariel Mitev (Corvinus University of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary)
Zoltán Szabó (Corvinus University of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary)

International Journal of Innovation Science

ISSN: 1757-2223

Article publication date: 19 June 2021

Issue publication date: 7 January 2022

2953

Abstract

Purpose

This research aims to discuss the success of digital transformation focusing on the role of IT and management commitment in digitalization together with sectorial relevance as influencing factors. According to the literature, these dimensions are key elements of digitalization, and there is no consensus on their decisiveness. The authors measure the success of digital transformation with the digital innovation. The research is part of ongoing work, in which the IT-related practice of Hungarian organizations has been explored on an annual basis since 2009.

Design/methodology/approach

The research methodology is a combined one; both qualitative and quantitative methods were applied including surveying digital transformation literature, interviews with key representatives of Hungarian organizations, developing a survey to collect quantitative data, data collection and processing with PLS-SEM.

Findings

The results revealed that the digital innovations are strongly determined by business, management commitment and, to a far lesser extent, by strategy. In the case of digital transformation, the role of IT departments and the services they provide are less relevant.

Research limitations/implications

The most important limitation of the research is the size and composition of the sample. Results do not present the situation of a specific industrial sector.

Originality/value

Digital technologies influence and disrupt practically every industry; the development of information and communication technology has changed economies all over the world. Decisive factors of digital transformations are widely researched, but there is no consensus about them. This research contributes to understanding the role of IT department and their services in this process together with leadership, sectorial relevance as influencing factors.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This publication was written within the Széchenyi 2020 programme framework (EFOP-3.6.1–16-2016–00013) under the European Union project titled: “Institutional developments for intelligent specialization at the Székesfehérvár Campus of Corvinus University of Budapest.”

Citation

Ko, A., Fehér, P., Kovacs, T., Mitev, A. and Szabó, Z. (2022), "Influencing factors of digital transformation: management or IT is the driving force?", International Journal of Innovation Science, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJIS-01-2021-0007

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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