A Systematic Review of the Literature on Digital Transformation: Insights and Implications for Strategy and Organizational Change
2020/09/27 by André Hanelt, René Bohnsack, David Marz +2 · 2,280 citations
Business, Management and Accounting · Engineering · Psychology · #Adaptation (eye) #Business #Computer science #Digital Transformation in Industry #Digital transformation #Economics #Epistemology #Innovation and Knowledge Management #Knowledge management #Management science #Organization development #Organizational change #Organizational studies #Perspective (graphical) #Phenomenon #Political science #Process management #Psychology #Public relations #Service and Product Innovation #Systematic review #Transformation (genetics)
paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/joms.12639
published in Journal of Management Studies 58(5), 1159-1197 (Wiley)
openalex publication_date 2020/09/27 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
Abstract
Abstract In this article we provide a systematic review of the extensive yet diverse and fragmented literature on digital transformation (DT), with the goal of clarifying boundary conditions to investigate the phenomenon from the perspective of organizational change. On the basis of 279 articles, we provide a multi‐dimensional framework synthesizing what is known about DT and discern two important thematical patterns: DT is moving firms to malleable organizational designs that enable continuous adaptation, and this move is embedded in and driven by digital business ecosystems. From these two patterns, we derive four perspectives on the phenomenon of DT: technology impact, compartmentalized adaptation, systemic shift and holistic co‐evolution. Linking our findings and interpretations to existing work, we find that the nature of DT is only partially covered by conventional frameworks on organizational change. On the basis of this analysis, we derive a research agenda and provide managerial implications for strategy and organizational change.
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