The interplay between digital transformation and governance mechanisms in supply chains: evidence from the Italian automotive industry

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilio Paolucci ◽  
Elena Pessot ◽  
Riccardo Ricci
Keyword(s):  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Development Effort ◽  
Governance Mechanisms ◽  
Relational Governance ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Digital Interface ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Automotive Suppliers ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the effect of specific subsets of digital technologies and governance mechanisms (i.e. relational and contractual) on the efficiency of the automotive supply chain (SC).Design/methodology/approachBuilding on the Transaction Costs Economic (TCE) theory, and on the literatures on the governance and Digital Transformation of SCs, the research employs a multi-respondent survey on a sample of 101 Italian automotive suppliers. It analyses the interplay between investments in network and physical–digital interface technologies and buyer–supplier relationship governance models in a joint product development effort. The related effects on costs, from the automotive suppliers' perspective, are considered.FindingsThe results confirm the TCE assumptions on governance mechanisms being appropriate to enhance cost performance, but in particular show that digital technologies shape the governance of buyer–supplier relationships with different patterns. The features of synchronisation and accessibility, as ensured by network technologies, are found to strengthen the impact of contractual governance, while the adoption of physical–digital interface technologies, and their enhanced features of virtualisation and traceability, further enhance the impact of relational governance on the efficiency improvements of suppliers.Practical implicationsSC actors need to recognise the importance of long-term collaboration and superior coordination through investments in specific subsets of digital technologies, to ensure a higher product and production data codifiability, transparency and thus integration at both an intra- and an inter-firm level.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first to have considered Digital Transformation in SCs from the suppliers' perspective and its implications on the efficiency of relationship governance with buyers.

scholarly journals Managing information asymmetry in public–private relationships undergoing a digital transformation: the role of contractual and relational governance

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom A.E. Aben ◽  
Wendy van der Valk ◽  
Jens K. Roehrich ◽  
Kostas Selviaridis
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Information Processing ◽  
Information Asymmetry ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Information Uncertainty ◽  
Governance Mechanisms ◽  
Relational Governance ◽  
Information Requirements ◽  
Content Type

PurposeInter-organisational governance is an important enabler for information processing, particularly in relationships undergoing digital transformation (DT) where partners depend on each other for information in decision-making. Based on information processing theory (IPT), the authors theoretically and empirically investigate how governance mechanisms address information asymmetry (uncertainty and equivocality) arising in capturing, sharing and interpreting information generated by digital technologies.Design/methodology/approachIPT is applied to four cases of public–private relationships in the Dutch infrastructure sector that aim to enhance the quantity and quality of information-based decision-making by implementing digital technologies. The investigated relationships are characterised by differing degrees and types of information uncertainty and equivocality. The authors build on rich data sets including archival data, observations, contract documents and interviews.FindingsAddressing information uncertainty requires invoking contractual control and coordination. Contract clauses should be precise and incentive schemes functional in terms of information requirements. Information equivocality is best addressed by using relational governance. Identifying information requirements and reducing information uncertainty are a prerequisite for the transformation activities that organisations perform to reduce information equivocality.Practical implicationsThe study offers insights into the roles of both governance mechanisms in managing information asymmetry in public–private relationships. The study uncovers key activities for gathering, sharing and transforming information when using digital technologies.Originality/valueThis study draws on IPT to study public–private relationships undergoing DT. The study links contractual control and coordination as well as relational governance mechanisms to information-processing activities that organisations deploy to reduce information uncertainty and equivocality.

Smart supply chain and firm performance: the role of digital technologies

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullah Fahad AlMulhim
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Firm Performance ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Smart Technologies ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis study aims to explore the impact of digital transformation on firm performance with the help of smart technologies.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a valid and well-structured survey to collect data from 460 respondents from 150 Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Saudi Arabia. In order to analyze this data, SmartPLS software was used.FindingsThe empirical results of this study found that the digital transformation has no significant direct impact on firm performance. Therefore, in this situation, smart technologies play an important role in developing the link between digital transformation and firm performance.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the digital supply chain from SMEs' perspective by investigating the mediating role of smart technologies between digital transformation and firm performance.

Does ownership concentration affect cost of debt? Evidence from an emerging market

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 282-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Imad Jabbouri ◽  
Maryem Naili
Keyword(s):  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Ownership Concentration ◽  
Cost Of Debt ◽  
Governance Mechanisms ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Controlling Shareholders ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how ownership concentration affects cost of debt (CoD) in one of the most important emerging markets in the Middle East and North Africa, Morocco. Design/methodology/approach The study employs panel data analysis using non-financial firms listed on Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) between 2004 and 2016. To unveil the hidden facets of the relationship between ownership concentration and CoD, and examine if this relationship changes with market conditions, we conduct a pre–post-crisis analysis. Findings The results demonstrate that controlling shareholders promote decent governance as long as they are able to generate appropriate returns. However, this behavior seems to change during the post-crisis period. In their attempts to increase their returns adversely affected by the financial crisis, controlling shareholders switch from guardians of decent governance and firm’s resources to a menace to creditors’ interests. Practical implications Our results expose the severity of agency problems in CSE. It is the duty of all market participants including regulators, board of directors, financial analysts, shareholders and creditors to scrutiny and reinforce governance mechanisms to alleviate expropriation by controlling shareholders. Improving country and firm-level governance mechanisms would enhance investors’ protection, attract international investors and boost the economic activity. Originality/value Prior research is inconclusive about the impact of ownership concentration on CoD. Hence, it is worthwhile to seek new evidence in a new market on the nature of this relationship.

A profession in transition: actors, tasks and roles in AI-based accounting

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Leitner-Hanetseder ◽  
Othmar M. Lehner ◽  
Christoph Eisl ◽  
Carina Forstenlechner
Keyword(s):  
Delphi Study ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Accounting Profession ◽  
Smart Technology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis article ties in with current debates on the digital transformation of society and the consequent work changes. Using an artificial intelligence (AI)-based accounting context, the focus of this paper is on actors, roles and tasks and related skills on an individual level. The authors look at the effect of AI-based “smart” technology on the workforce in the broader accounting profession taking an intrafirm perspective, yet acknowledging that the digital transformation encompasses a much larger field in the financial sector.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conduct a Delphi study to identify the new roles and tasks in future accounting. In addition, the authors use expert workshops to clarify the related tasks and skills and determine whether either humans or AI-based technologies perform the roles or collaborate in professional accounting occupations.FindingsThe results show that tasks and skills for existing professional occupations in the broader acounting context will be subject to major changes in the next 10 years due to (AI based) digital technologies, while “core” roles and tasks will continue to exist in the future, some will not be performed by humans but by AI-based technology. For other “new” roles, humans will need to make informed use of digital technologies and, to some extent, collaborate with AI-based technology.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors look at the effect of AI-based “smart” technology on the workforce in the broader accounting profession, taking an intrafirm perspective.Practical implicationsThis article ties in with current debates on the digital transformation of society and the consequent work changes. Using an AI-based accounting context, the focus of this paper is on the new and adapted roles and tasks.Originality/valueThe comprehensive analysis based on the Delphi study and expert workshops provide ample innovative ground for future research on the impact of AI on organisations and society.

The impact of digital transformation on formal and informal organizational structures of large architecture and engineering firms

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 872-892 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcella M. Bonanomi ◽  
Daniel M. Hall ◽  
Sheryl Staub-French ◽  
Aubrey Tucker ◽  
Cinzia Maria Luisa Talamo
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Organizational Structure ◽  
Network Theory ◽  
Organizational Design ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Organizational Structures ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Roles ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the impact of digital technologies adoption on the forms of organization of large architecture and engineering (A/E) firms. Network theory has attracted scholarly and managerial attention, particularly from the perspective of the changes of project organization. However, little research focuses on network theory as a lens for understanding and managing the new forms of firms’ organization. Additionally, conventional organizational analyses are hampered by the lack of methods for understanding the changes in roles and relationships due to the adoption of digital technologies and examining their impact on organizational structures. Design/methodology/approach To address this gap, this research adopted a mixed-method case-study approach. This approach combined interviews, regular check-ins, and document analysis with data mining and social network analysis (SNA) to capture the changes of intra-organizational roles and relationships and for understanding their impact on the firm’s organizational structure. Using the data gathered, the authors created a dendrogram that shows the formal organizational structure, a sociogram that displays the informal organizational structure and a network map that visualizes the interplay between the two structures. Findings From this analysis, the authors identified four main findings: informal roles – as go-to people for advice and information about digital technologies – play within A/E firms facing digital transformation; such go-to people operate through informal networked relationships and beyond their formal roles; most of these relationships do not overlap with the formal reporting relationships; the combination of both these roles and relationships create an informal social network. The authors also show how managers can use SNA to understand the changes in roles and relationships due to the adoption of digital technologies and to diagnose their impact on organizational structures. Originality/value This research contributes to the literature of organizational design and change management from a network perspective in the context of the digital transformation of large A/E firms. It provides a systematic data-driven approach to understanding the changes of intra-organizational roles and relationships within A/E firms facing digital transformation and to diagnosing the impact of these changes on firms’ organizational structures.

Risks of the Digitalization of Life of the Population and Ways of Decreasing Them

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4-1) ◽  
pp. 180-203
Author(s):  
Elena Stukalenko ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Digital Economy ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Short Period ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact

Digital technologies, ubiquitous in our daily life, have radically changed the way we work, communicate, and consume in a short period of time. They affect all components of quality of life: well-being, work, health, education, social connections, environmental quality, the ability to participate and govern civil society, and so on. Digital transformation creates both opportunities and serious risks to the well-being of people. Researchers and statistical agencies around the world are facing a major challenge to develop new tools to analyze the impact of digital transformation on the well-being of the population. The risks are very diverse in nature and it is very difficult to identify the key factor. All researchers conclude that secure digital technologies significantly improve the lives of those who have the skills to use them and pose a serious risk of inequality for society, as they introduce a digital divide between those who have the skills to use them and those who do not. In the article, the author examines the risks created by digital technologies for some components of the quality of life (digital component of the quality of life), which are six main components: the digital quality of the population, providing the population with digital benefits, the labor market in the digital economy, the impact of digitalization on the social sphere, state electronic services for the population and the security of information activities. The study was carried out on the basis of the available statistical base and the results of research by scientists from different countries of the world. The risks of the digital economy cannot be ignored when pursuing state social policy. Attention is paid to government regulation aimed at reducing the negative consequences of digitalization through the prism of national, federal projects and other events.

Schools in an evolving digital environment: Digital renewal and its maturity

2021 ◽  
pp. 5-28
Author(s):  
А. Yu. Uvarov ◽  
V. V. Vikhrev ◽  
G. М. Vodopian ◽  
I. V. Dvoretskaya ◽  
E. Coceac ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Educational Environment ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Digital Environment ◽  
Current State ◽  
Control Actions ◽  
Time Observation ◽  
The Impact

Evolving digital technologies are infiltrating schools wave after wave. The changes taking place are viewed as the schools’ digital renewal process (SDRP). The SDRP is complex (multidimensional). It includes changes in the educational environment (physical and virtual), the educational process, and the way the school operates. The SDRP goes uneven, with individual schools at different stages. One-time observation of the SDRP allows you to fix its current state (statics). The longitudinal observations allows you to see changes in the schools’ digital renewal (kinematics). The connection of the observed changes with the impact on the general education system makes it possible to discuss the development of digital renewal under the influence of individual control actions (dynamics). The stages of penetration of digital technologies into the work of the school: computerization, early and mature informatization, digital transformation (transition to the “Smart School”) can be considered as the stages of maturity of the SDRP. The article discusses a framework for describing the processes of digital renewal of schools in an evolving digital environment and an assessment of the SDRP’s maturity.

Digital technologies in micro and small enterprise: evidence from Uganda's informal sector during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saadat Nakyejwe Lubowa Kimuli ◽  
Kasimu Sendawula ◽  
Shakilah Nagujja
Keyword(s):  
Informal Sector ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Sustainable Growth ◽  
Small Enterprise ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Digital Service ◽  
Business Operations ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to explore the intention of micro and small enterprises’ (MSEs) owners to adopt digital technologies as a strategy to catalyze sustainable growth of Uganda's economy.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a qualitative, multi-case design. The unit of inquiry consisted of business owners operating in St. Balikuddembe Market, Kampala, Uganda. They were interrogated to explore their intention to adopt digital technologies during the total lockdown as a strategy to sustainably operate their businesses.FindingsA total of four major themes emerged from the data analysis process and these are the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on business operations, awareness of digital technologies, usage of digital technologies and intention to use more digital technologies.Practical implicationsThe findings of the study shed light on what policymakers, digital service providers and business owners can do to improve uptake of digital technologies among MSEs in Uganda.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the extant literature on digital technologies in MSEs using evidence from Uganda's informal sector. The results of the study may catalyze uptake of digital technologies as policymakers and digital service providers will devise appropriate strategies that will enable business owners to integrate these technologies into their business operations.

Emerging trends in digital transformation: a bibliometric analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raghu Nandan Chawla ◽  
Praveen Goyal
Keyword(s):  
Bibliometric Analysis ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Citation Network ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Intellectual Structure ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Strategic Decisions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Areas

PurposeUbiquitous digital technologies are driving organisations to embrace non-traditional digitally transformed business models incessantly. Heterogeneous literature contributions have resulted in a spur in the research related to business transformation driven by digital technologies in recent years; consequently, the research under the digital transformation (DT), even though becoming a hotspot, remains very fragmented. The authors endeavour to holistically present the literature's intellectual structure under DT as a concept, its evolving journey and the emerging research streams in the business and management domains using the techniques of bibliometric analysis.Design/methodology/approachBy performing bibliometric analysis on 234 research articles published over the last 20 years in the DT domain, retrieved from Thompson Reuters Web of Science TM, this study culls out thorough insights from the citation, co-citation and keyword analysis. Further emerging research streams were evaluated using VOSviewer software.FindingsThe study depicts an overall incremental trend of year-on-year publications, authors' performance, publication journals, associated institutions and research driving countries, along with key insights from co-citation network analysis. Furthermore, the study evaluates four research areas – organisational impacts, applied applications and insights, operational processes and social aspects, comprising eighteen research streams that comprehensively cover-up research under the DT domain.Research limitations/implicationsThe study contributes to the literature of DT by amalgamating the status of the present research, but more importantly, by deriving the research areas and research streams, which can be further expanded by researchers as future research streams.Practical implicationsFor the practitioners, the study aims to act as a ready reckoner repository with practice-oriented literature references to facilitate them building knowledge and taking effective strategic decisions to harness the benefits of DT more proficiently.Originality/valueThis study illustrates the bibliometric structure of the DT literature and presents insights from the growth of the literature year-on-year.

Exchange characteristics, capability upgrading and innovation performance: evidence from Latin America

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (9) ◽  
pp. 1747-1763 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Nuruzzaman ◽  
Deeksha Singh
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Product Design ◽  
Social Capital Theory ◽  
Customer Relationship ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Joint Force ◽  
Capability Upgrading ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Positive Effect

Purpose This paper aims to attempt to examine the effect of firm-customer exchange characteristics, frequency and specificity, on the likelihood of the firm to generate customer-driven innovation. The authors draw from social capital theory and argue that repetitive and customer-specific exchange improves the trusts between firm and customers, which in turn ease the flows of tacit knowledge from customers to the firm. From the perspective of customer knowledge management, the authors contribute by examining the mechanism by which a firm can acquire knowledge from and about customers. The authors further argue that a firm’s ability to absorb knowledge from customers and turn them into innovation also depends on its internal capability. A firm that consistently upgrades its capacity is more likely to generate customer-driven innovation than those that do not. Also, the authors argue that the joint effect of exchange characteristics and internal capability upgrading can further increase the likelihood of customer-driven innovation. Such a joint force implies the positive moderating effect of internal capability upgrading to the relationship between exchange characteristics and customer-driven innovation. Design/methodology/approach The authors test the hypotheses on 3,000 firms from six countries in Latin America. They take advantage of the 2017 World Bank Enterprises Survey. This most recent of the survey asks questions on various types of innovation and firm-customers exchange characteristics and other firm-level variables. Findings The authors find support for our hypotheses that repeated exchange and exchanges tailored to specific customers have a positive effect on customer-driven innovation. Also, they find the support that internal capability upgrading, in the form of investment in product design, marketing and organizational development has a positive effect on customer-driven innovation. The authors also find that investment in product design positively moderates the impact of exchange characteristics on the likelihood of customer-driven innovation. Originality/value While past studies focus on strategies to acquire and manage customers’ knowledge, little has been said about how exchange attributes can encourage or discourage innovation? This question is important because various theoretical perspectives may have a different prediction on the effect of firm-customer relationship and innovation. This study attempts to bridge such theoretical tension.

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