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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 7 March 2022

Corin Kraft, Johan P. Lindeque and Marc K. Peter

The study explores the alignment of Swiss small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) managers' understanding of digital transformation, with evidence of digital tool adoption in…

8585

Abstract

Purpose

The study explores the alignment of Swiss small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) managers' understanding of digital transformation, with evidence of digital tool adoption in managerial and operative work. This reveals opportunities for more fully realizing the potential of digital transformation for SMEs.

Design/methodology/approach

This multiple-case study, with four theoretically sampled cases, analyzes data from the qualitative answers of 1,593 respondents to a survey of Swiss SMEs about digital transformation. The study draws on a convenience sample of Swiss SME managers.

Findings

The analysis shows little understanding of digital transformation as related to managerial work. However, there are two clear digital tool adoption patterns for managerial work: (1) workflow and workforce management and (2) work-flow and team management. Understandings of digital transformation and operative work focus on the (1) organization of operational work or (2) a combination of organization and changing the way people work. The digital tool adoption in operational work additionally focuses on the digital skills of operational employees.

Research limitations/implications

The study is only able to identify patters of understanding of digital transformation and digital tool adoption in managerial and operative work. More research is needed to understand why these patterns are observed.

Practical implications

SME managers need to think far more carefully about aligning their vision for digital transformation and the digital tools they adopt in both managerial and operational work, but especially in managerial work.

Originality/value

This is the first empirical study of the digital transformation of Swiss SMEs and their digital tool adoption. Significant potential for alignment is revealed, suggesting potential performance gains are possible.

Details

Journal of Strategy and Management, vol. 15 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-425X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 September 2021

Helen Bocking, Rebekah Russell-Bennett and Kate Letheren

The use of supportive digital technology – the provision of supportive services and self-management health tools using digital platforms – by marketers is increasing alongside…

Abstract

Purpose

The use of supportive digital technology – the provision of supportive services and self-management health tools using digital platforms – by marketers is increasing alongside research interest in the topic. However, little is known about the motivations to use these tools and which tool features provide different forms of social support (informational, emotional, instrumental, network or esteem). The purpose of this paper is thus to explore consumer perceptions of supportive healthcare self-management and preferences for different levels of interactive features as social support in a health services context.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative approach involving 30 semi-structured interviews with consumers interested in two common preventative health services that use supportive digital tools (SDTs) (skin-cancer checks and sexually transmitted infection checks) was undertaken. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the verbatim transcripts.

Findings

This research identified there is a lack of motivation to initiate the search for SDTs; consumers are motivated by a desire to control and monitor health concerns and avoid overuse of the health system. The findings showed a preference for social support to go beyond informational support, with a need for interactivity that personalised support in a proactive manner.

Research limitations/implications

SDTs are positively perceived by consumers as part of health services. The motivation to use these tools is complex, and the social support needed is multifaceted and preferably interactive.

Practical implications

This research assists service marketers to better design informational and instrumental support for preventative self-managed healthcare services.

Originality/value

This paper extends knowledge about the motivation and social support required from SDTs in a preventative health service context.

Details

Journal of Service Theory and Practice, vol. 32 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2055-6225

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 November 2020

Dorsaf Zouari, Salomée Ruel and Laurence Viale

Supply chain resilience (SCR) is a key concept for managers who wish to develop the capacity to enhance their supply chain’s (SC’s) ability to cope with unexpected turbulence. SC…

5022

Abstract

Purpose

Supply chain resilience (SCR) is a key concept for managers who wish to develop the capacity to enhance their supply chain’s (SC’s) ability to cope with unexpected turbulence. SC digital tools are often seen as a solution that provides more visibility, anticipation and collaboration (SCR capability factors). The purpose of this paper is to investigate the link between SCR and SC digitalisation

Design/methodology/approach

A sample was considered with 300 managers in the field of SCM, and the results were analysed using factor analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM). SEM was employed to test the impact of the degree of digital maturity and SC digital tools on SCR.

Findings

SC digitalization is characterised by the degree of digital maturity and the adoption of SC digital tools. The degree of digital maturity has a strong influence on digital tool adoption. SCR is positively impacted by both the degree of digital maturity and the adoption of digital tools.

Research limitations/implications

The findings do not indicate which tools contribute the most to SCR.

Practical implications

Managers should reflect on the need to continue digitalizing their SCs if they want greater SCR in the current uncertain environment.

Originality/value

This is the first quantitative study that focuses on assessing the impact of the degree of digital maturity and the SC digital tools adopted on SCR. Validation of the hypotheses model confirms the positive impact of SC digitalisation on SCR for researchers and managers.

Details

International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 51 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0960-0035

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 August 2022

Lala Hu and Mirko Olivieri

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how business-to-business (B2B) companies operating in durable goods use digital communications after the COVID-19 outbreak. In…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how business-to-business (B2B) companies operating in durable goods use digital communications after the COVID-19 outbreak. In particular, this paper focuses on the objectives of these digital communication tools for the marketing strategies of B2B white goods firms.

Design/methodology/approach

As the research objective is explorative, the authors conducted a qualitative analysis by collecting 13 semi-structured interviews with B2B marketing professionals working for white goods firms in Italy. Primary data was triangulated with secondary data about the white goods industry, such as sector reports.

Findings

The findings of this paper show an acceleration in the adoption of digital communication tools among B2B firms after COVID-19. The authors also discuss the effects in the use of such tools both in the short and long term.

Originality/value

This paper attempts to contribute to the B2B marketing literature by providing an original analysis of the consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak focusing on the use of digital communication tools among white goods firms. It also provides managerial implications for firms operating in B2B.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 38 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 3 June 2021

Vincenzo Corvello, Monica De Carolis, Saverino Verteramo and Annika Steiber

This paper explores digital transformation's impact on the work of owners in entrepreneurial firms. The interplay between working practices and technology is analyzed, taking into…

7471

Abstract

Purpose

This paper explores digital transformation's impact on the work of owners in entrepreneurial firms. The interplay between working practices and technology is analyzed, taking into account the organizations' specific contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

A multiple case study design was applied. Eight cases of entrepreneurial firms, defined as companies that bring new products and services to the market by creating and seizing opportunities, were selected, with the goal to maximize the diversity of cases. The sample includes both small- and medium-sized firms, as well as high- tech and low- tech companies in equal number. Interviews have been used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data, which was analyzed in a structured way.

Findings

The digital transformation of entrepreneurial work, that is the daily work of entrepreneurs, is an evolutionary, practice-based phenomenon, rather than the result of rational design. The use of different digital tools is interrelated and depends on the characteristics, and dynamics of the surrounding environment.

Practical implications

The findings of this study are relevant to entrepreneurs interested in understanding the dynamics of their working practice, to software development firms interested in entrepreneurs as customers and to institutions interested in the education of entrepreneurs.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge this is the first study which considers the interplay between digital technology and the daily activities of entrepreneurs, considered as a whole. It provides insights on how these interconnected dimensions evolve, thus contributing to understanding the work of entrepreneurs, and as a consequence the dynamics of entrepreneurial firms in the context of digital transformation of organizations.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 28 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 July 2020

Tiina Leino Lindell

The digitalization of society places new demands on education. It is apparent since most countries have introduced curricula requirements to digitalize teaching. This study…

Abstract

Purpose

The digitalization of society places new demands on education. It is apparent since most countries have introduced curricula requirements to digitalize teaching. This study examines the organizational support teachers need to digitalize teaching. The study is being conducted in Sweden because they have experienced challenges with the introduction of new national digitalization requirements. Thus, this study explores the following research question: What organizational support do Swedish teachers describe they need to meet the curriculum requirements for digitalization?

Design/methodology/approach

Cultural–historical activity theory and qualitative methods have been used to explore the research aim and answer the question.

Findings

The results show that teachers need organizational support to gain equal and easy access to digital tools. Moreover, digital tools in an organization must be relevantly related to the requirements. Teachers also need support to increase their knowledge as well as the knowledge of the students. Also, organizations must support teachers by distributing the work of digitalization clearly and reasonably. These results, thus, show that teachers cannot be solely responsible for meeting these curriculum requirements. They need organizational support in the process.

Originality/value

The study reveals teachers' recurring problems concerning digitalized education and their need for organizational support. Thereby, the knowledge can be used to avoid similar problems, in organizations on different society levels. This contribution is useful for organizations, politicians, school leaders, principals and teachers who are introducing 1:1 and new curriculum requirements for digitalization of education.

Details

The International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, vol. 37 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-4880

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 November 2023

Laura Broccardo, Paola Vola, Safiya Mukhtar Alshibani and Riccardo Tiscini

Digitalization is affecting business management and pushing for new strategies, innovative products, new ways to communicate with stakeholders and new channels. This phenomenon is…

Abstract

Purpose

Digitalization is affecting business management and pushing for new strategies, innovative products, new ways to communicate with stakeholders and new channels. This phenomenon is unavoidable, and companies have to face it in a holistic and integrated way. One holistic and interconnected approach, when studying enterprise challenges, is represented by the business process management method, a fitting mechanism when digitalization needs to be amalgamated in business practices, enhancing the intellectual capital (IC), therefore, this study researches digitalization under business process lens, in a sample of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), that constitute an under-explored set, as regard digitalization, process management and IC. The research aims to explore the digital tools and business processes link and the related impact on performance, benefits and IC.

Design/methodology/approach

In exploring digitalization, a sample of Italian SMEs was scrutinized. The data were elaborated using two types of tests: (1) the binomial tests for the categorical questions and (2) the zeta test was used for quantitative variables. Furthermore, the partial least square (PLS)-SEM model was applied.

Findings

Findings reveal that some digital tools are more adopted in the sample analysed, and also some particular digital tools are more inclined to support certain business processes. Furthermore, not only performance benefits emerge, but also benefits in terms of better communication and faster decisions, supporting the decision making process of managers, also considering that business processes approach is one way to manage IC.

Practical implications

Thanks to the conducted research it is possible to make aware managers and owners of SMEs to consciously choose the right type of digitalization investments, without neglecting training programme, to realize the company digital transformation, providing a map and bearing in mind the value added creation, protecting their IC.

Originality/value

The paper's originality is represented by the contribution in opening the black box about digitalization, business process management and IC in small and medium companies.

Details

Journal of Intellectual Capital, vol. 25 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1469-1930

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 November 2020

Jan Philipp Graesch, Susanne Hensel-Börner and Jörg Henseler

The enabling technologies that emerged from information technology (IT) have had a considerable influence upon the development of marketing tools, and marketing has become…

3918

Abstract

Purpose

The enabling technologies that emerged from information technology (IT) have had a considerable influence upon the development of marketing tools, and marketing has become digitalized by adopting these technologies over time. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the impacts of these enabling technologies on marketing tools in the past and present and to demonstrate their potential future. Furthermore, it provides guidance about the digital transformation occurring in marketing and the need to align of marketing and IT.

Design/methodology/approach

This study demonstrates the impact of enabling technologies on the subsequent marketing tools developed through a content analysis of information systems and marketing conference proceedings. It offers a fresh look at marketing's digital transformation over the last 40 years. Moreover, it initially applies the findings to a general digital transformation model from another field to verify its presence in marketing.

Findings

This paper identifies four eras within the digital marketing evolution and reveals insights into a potential fifth era. This chronological structure verifies the impact of IT on marketing tools and accordingly the digital transformation within marketing. IT has made digital marketing tools possible in all four digital transformation levers: automation, customer interaction, connectivity and data.

Practical implications

The sequencing of enabling technologies and subsequent marketing tools demonstrates the need to align marketing and IT to design new marketing tools that can be applied to customer interactions and be used to foster marketing control.

Originality/value

This study is the first to apply the digital transformation levers, namely, automation, customer interaction, connectivity and data, to the marketing discipline and contribute new insights by demonstrating the chronological development of digital transformation in marketing.

Article
Publication date: 7 September 2020

Laura Teichert

This paper describes the unintended and unanticipated ways an iPhone as a data collection tool created distractions during observations of five-year-old twins' digital literacy…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper describes the unintended and unanticipated ways an iPhone as a data collection tool created distractions during observations of five-year-old twins' digital literacy practices while in their home.

Design/methodology/approach

Situated in sociocultural theories of learning and development and new literacy studies, the 12-month-long case study examined young children's digital literacy practices in their homes before and during their transition into kindergarten. The article focuses on the data collection of five-year-old twins in their home with their parents, a family the author called the Skywalkers. Data sources included semistructured interviews, participant observations and informal conversations.

Findings

The mother was a low-technology user and preferred her children to engage in nondigital activities. The children were permitted 10 min every other day of “digital time.” The iPhone as a data collection tool provided them with digital access they would otherwise not have. The mother knew the focus of the study was digital engagement and that the iPhone was used for data collection (i.e. photographs and videos). Although the iPhone was intended to be used in establishing rapport and taking photographs, the children frequently asked to video record their play and therefore the iPhone became a distraction.

Originality/value

Given the prevalence of smartphones in Western society, the recruitment of a family with such low-technology use was unforeseen. As digital data collection increases in qualitative research, researchers should not assume that a smartphone is always appropriate for gathering photographic data. This is particularly important when investigating digital literacy practices of families in their homes.

Details

Qualitative Research Journal, vol. 21 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1443-9883

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 June 2019

Chih-Ming Chen and Chung Chang

With the rapid development of digital humanities, some digital humanities platforms have been successfully developed to support digital humanities research for humanists. However…

1099

Abstract

Purpose

With the rapid development of digital humanities, some digital humanities platforms have been successfully developed to support digital humanities research for humanists. However, most of them have still not provided a friendly digital reading environment and practicable social network analysis tool to support humanists on interpreting texts and exploring characters’ social network relationships. Moreover, the advancement of digitization technologies for the retrieval and use of Chinese ancient books is arising an unprecedented challenge and opportunity. For these reasons, this paper aims to present a Chinese ancient books digital humanities research platform (CABDHRP) to support historical China studies. In addition to providing digital archives, digital reading, basic search and advanced search functions for Chinese ancient books, this platform still provides two novel functions that can more effectively support digital humanities research, including an automatic text annotation system (ATAS) for interpreting texts and a character social network relationship map tool (CSNRMT) for exploring characters’ social network relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted DSpace, an open-source institutional repository system, to serve as a digital archives system for archiving scanned images, metadata, and full texts to develop the CABDHRP for supporting digital humanities (DH) research. Moreover, the ATAS developed in the CABDHRP used the Node.js framework to implement the system’s front- and back-end services, as well as application programming interfaces (APIs) provided by different databases, such as China Biographical Database (CBDB) and TGAZ, used to retrieve the useful linked data (LD) sources for interpreting ancient texts. Also, Neo4j which is an open-source graph database management system was used to implement the CSNRMT of the CABDHRP. Finally, JavaScript and jQuery were applied to develop a monitoring program embedded in the CABDHRP to record the use processes from humanists based on xAPI (experience API). To understand the research participants’ perception when interpreting the historical texts and characters’ social network relationships with the support of ATAS and CSNRMT, semi-structured interviews with 21 research participants were conducted.

Findings

An ATAS embedded in the reading interface of CABDHRP can collect resources from different databases through LD for automatically annotating ancient texts to support digital humanities research. It allows the humanists to refer to resources from diverse databases when interpreting ancient texts, as well as provides a friendly text annotation reader for humanists to interpret ancient text through reading. Additionally, the CSNRMT provided by the CABDHRP can semi-automatically identify characters’ names based on Chinese word segmentation technology and humanists’ support to confirm and analyze characters’ social network relationships from Chinese ancient books based on visualizing characters’ social networks as a knowledge graph. The CABDHRP not only can stimulate humanists to explore new viewpoints in a humanistic research, but also can promote the public to emerge the learning interest and awareness of Chinese ancient books.

Originality/value

This study proposed a novel CABDHRP that provides the advanced features, including the automatic word segmentation of Chinese text, automatic Chinese text annotation, semi-automatic character social network analysis and user behavior analysis, that are different from other existed digital humanities platforms. Currently, there is no this kind of digital humanities platform developed for humanists to support digital humanities research.

Details

The Electronic Library , vol. 37 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-0473

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 46000