Building and development of an organizational competence for digital transformation in SMEs

TL;DR

This paper develops a refined model of organizational competence tailored for SMEs to effectively identify and develop digital capabilities, emphasizing organizational learning and knowledge to facilitate digital transformation.

Contribution

It introduces a new, expert-informed model of organizational competence specifically designed for SMEs to enhance their digital transformation efforts.

Findings

Developed a refined model of organizational competence for SMEs.

Identified the importance of organizational learning and knowledge.

Validated the model through expert opinions.

Abstract

Purpose: The new competitive environment characterized by innovation and constant change is forcing a new organizational behavior. This requires a digital transformation of SMEs based on collective performance determinants. SMEs have particular characteristics that differentiate them from large companies and a model that allows them to identify, leverage and develop their digital capabilities can help them to advance in digital maturity. Design/methodology/approach: An in-depth review of the existing literature on digital transformation and organizational competence was carried out on Scopus and Web of Science to identify the digital challenges faced by SMEs, and what digital capabilities they have to develop to face these challenges. In order to obtain the necessary information for the refinement of organizational competence for digital transformation model, six experts were interviewed; three of them are academics and the other three are professionals with management responsibilities in SMEs. We used semi-structured interviews, to keep the interviews focused and facilitate cross-data analysis between experts. In addition, it allowed us the possibility of analyzing new relevant aspects that could arise during the interview. Findings: As a result of this study we have developed a refined model of organizational competence for digital transformation that allows SMEs to identify and develop the digital capabilities necessary to advance in the digital transformation, refined with the opinions of six experts consulted. We were able to observe the importance of organizational learning and organizational knowledge to advance the digital transformation of SMEs.