About this Research Topic
Digital transformation presents an opportunity for built environment organisations to adapt and remain competitive in the marketplace. Today's organisations, including those in the built environment, face increasing pressure to adapt due to digital technology advances. The pace, complexity, and unpredictability of change have become much more diverse and come in all shapes and sizes. The management of digital-induced or digital-led organisational change, therefore, becomes critical for organisations to survive and succeed. While there is a high failure rate of change initiatives, organisations have no choice but to change. Therefore, digital transformation as a change process should be effectively managed.
Considering that digital transformation is an important part of an organisation’s survival strategy, its management/leadership has become particularly important if the change has to be successful. This demands appropriate leadership and managerial skills (Zulu and Khosrowshahic, 2021). In addition, there is a need for an effective digital transformation strategy if organisations are to be successful in their efforts, as successful implementation should not only require an understanding of the technology but also the mechanisms to manage the organisational elements.
The management of organisational elements for successful digital transformation should therefore be a key research agenda. There have been studies that have considered drivers and barriers to digital innovation in the construction industry, including technical and non-technical factors. While the emphasis sometimes has been on the need to understand the technology being adopted, evidence suggests that digital transformation is less about technology and more about the transformation process. Studies show barriers to digital transformation are non-technical factors. Kane et al. (2019), for example, suggest that digital transformation is not only about managing the technological aspect but also about managing the transition, including effective leadership, acquisition of appropriate skills, leaders-managers-employees to buy-in and integrating the organisation's systems with the new digital technologies.
Similarly, Anghel (2019), contends that digital transformation is less about technological expertise, than it is about perceptions of leaders, managers, and employees to buy in the change process and integrate the organisation’s systems with the new digital technologies. Successful digital transformation in the built environment should therefore focus on both technological innovations and the management of change within the organisation. Considering that digital transformation is more than just technology, it is critical, therefore, that we explore the relationship between digital transformation and organisational change, by examining the different perspectives of change including the process of change, the content of change, and the context of change.
This Research Topic aims to reflect the recent progress and latest research findings related to the theme of this Research Topic. The Research Topic Editors welcome high-quality original research papers and state-of-the-art reviews dealing with, but not limited to, the following topics:
• Critical success factors for digital transformation
• Digital capabilities, competencies, and skills
• Digital leadership
• Digital maturity assessment
• Digital transformation and organisational change
• Digital transformation and productivity
• Digital transformation and supply chains
• Digital transitions
• Emerging context of work and the workplace
• New business strategies and/or models
• Strategies for digital transformation
Considering that digital transformation is an important part of an organisation’s survival strategy, its management/leadership has become particularly important if the change has to be successful. This demands appropriate leadership and managerial skills (Zulu and Khosrowshahic, 2021). In addition, there is a need for an effective digital transformation strategy if organisations are to be successful in their efforts, as successful implementation should not only require an understanding of the technology but also the mechanisms to manage the organisational elements.
The management of organisational elements for successful digital transformation should therefore be a key research agenda. There have been studies that have considered drivers and barriers to digital innovation in the construction industry, including technical and non-technical factors. While the emphasis sometimes has been on the need to understand the technology being adopted, evidence suggests that digital transformation is less about technology and more about the transformation process. Studies show barriers to digital transformation are non-technical factors. Kane et al. (2019), for example, suggest that digital transformation is not only about managing the technological aspect but also about managing the transition, including effective leadership, acquisition of appropriate skills, leaders-managers-employees to buy-in and integrating the organisation's systems with the new digital technologies.
Similarly, Anghel (2019), contends that digital transformation is less about technological expertise, than it is about perceptions of leaders, managers, and employees to buy in the change process and integrate the organisation’s systems with the new digital technologies. Successful digital transformation in the built environment should therefore focus on both technological innovations and the management of change within the organisation. Considering that digital transformation is more than just technology, it is critical, therefore, that we explore the relationship between digital transformation and organisational change, by examining the different perspectives of change including the process of change, the content of change, and the context of change.
This Research Topic aims to reflect the recent progress and latest research findings related to the theme of this Research Topic. The Research Topic Editors welcome high-quality original research papers and state-of-the-art reviews dealing with, but not limited to, the following topics:
• Critical success factors for digital transformation
• Digital capabilities, competencies, and skills
• Digital leadership
• Digital maturity assessment
• Digital transformation and organisational change
• Digital transformation and productivity
• Digital transformation and supply chains
• Digital transitions
• Emerging context of work and the workplace
• New business strategies and/or models
• Strategies for digital transformation
Keywords: digital, transformation, environment
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