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How Culture and Technology Go Hand-In-Hand in Digital Transformations into an Ecosystem Business

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Research and Innovation Forum 2023 (RIIFORUM 2023)

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Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to improve current knowledge on culture’s role in a firm’s digital transformation, as well as to identify and add a cultural ‘digital maturity’ lens to an already well-known digital transformation framework. Literature reviews as well as a qualitative study of GE Appliances (GEA) and its transformation into an ecosystem business were conducted between 2021 and January 2023. Findings from interviews were synthesized into a rich thick description of GEA’s transformation between the years 2016 and 2022. GEA was then analyzed by using both an integrated framework on IT-enabled business transformation, as well as using a cultural ‘digital maturity lens’. Early generation of digital transformation frameworks from the field of information systems rarely take into consideration a firm’s culture. More recent research, however, emphasize the role of culture and key cultural attributes, favorable for a digital transformation. By using an actionable established framework, together with a ‘digital maturity’ lens the GEA transformation into an ecosystem business was analyzed and better understood. This paper contributes to a further understanding of the interdependency between a change in culture and digital technologies to succeed in any digital transformation.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Management Insights, Dakin Ave, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA

    Annika Steiber

  2. Digitus Inc., Hayes Hart Rd, Windham, NH, 03087, USA

    Donald Alvarez

Authors
  1. Annika Steiber
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  2. Donald Alvarez
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Correspondence to Annika Steiber .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. SGH Warsaw School of Economics, Warsaw, Poland

    Anna Visvizi

  2. Università degli Studi di Salerno, Fisciano, Italy

    Orlando Troisi

  3. University of Messina, Messina, Italy

    Vincenzo Corvello

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Steiber, A., Alvarez, D. (2024). How Culture and Technology Go Hand-In-Hand in Digital Transformations into an Ecosystem Business. In: Visvizi, A., Troisi, O., Corvello, V. (eds) Research and Innovation Forum 2023. RIIFORUM 2023. Springer Proceedings in Complexity. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-44721-1_1

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