The paradox of digital savviness: an examination of conditions that mitigate its power

Ann Mooney, Yangyang Zhang, Murad Mithani, Michael Mahoney

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Top executives play an important role in how firms keep pace with or fall behind in today’s digital economy. In this study, we considered 246 top business executives and digital transformation projects for which they were responsible but had not yet approved. Based on surveys each executive completed, we found that commitment to digital transformation initiatives–a critical success factor for the initiative–was strongly associated with the executives’ ‘digital savviness’ but that this was weakened when executives had longer tenures with their organisations or faced greater competitive pressures. Our findings illustrate that executive commitment to digital transformation does not just require an increase in technological understanding. It is a qualitative change in the way executives prepare for, respond to, and stay engaged with digital initiatives.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)720-732
Number of pages13
JournalTechnology Analysis and Strategic Management
Volume36
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2024

Keywords

  • Top executive commitment
  • digital savviness
  • strategic decision making
  • strategic leadership

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