At the Crossroads between Digital Innovation and Digital Transformation

Consumerization, democratization, and platform business logics are not only creating opportunities for new product development, new business models, and new ways of organizing, but in addition are also driving the transformation of established organizational resources and routines. This PDW is designed to address questions at the intersection of digital innovation and digital transformation. These topics are interrelated as successive waves of digital innovation within an industry or at the level of an individual firm and its ecosystem may lead to fundamental transformation of structures, roles and management, culture, competencies and skills, and so forth, depending on the influence of barriers such as inertia and resistance to change. By exploring how and why the new organizing logic of digital innovation impacts and transforms incumbent firms, the workshop addresses questions from four different areas: (1) Why the new logic of digital innovation triggers a digital transformation in incumbent firms; (2) the drivers of this digital transformation in incumbent firms’ immediate environment; (3) how these drivers may under certain conditions alter the structure, strategy, culture, competencies, skills and technology platforms of incumbent firms; (4) the trajectories of digital transformation journeys inside incumbent firms

Critical competencies of leaders in the digital transformation of banking in South Africa

Leaders in the banking sector are facing an array of bewildering new digital challenges and opportunities, yet despite the many frameworks that exist on leadership competencies, they are still in search of the critical competencies required for leading digital transformation. The purpose of this research is to report data showing competencies that are effective for leading digital transformation in the banking sector. The research approach took the form of a qualitative, exploratory research design, which involved 15 face-to-face, semi-structured, in-depth interviews with banking leaders such as CEOs, CIOs, Managing Executives, Heads of Departments and Digital Consultants. The literature on traditional leadership competency models indicated three critical skills that enable effective leadership, namely business, cognitive and influencing skills. The study confirmed that all three skills are key and equally important in leading digital transformation. However, an effective leader must integrate and adapt these competencies in each context. Furthermore, four additional competencies that are critical for leading digital transformation emerged through the study, i.e. an entrepreneurial mindset, experiential learning, futuristic thinking and integrator competencies. These are represented in the Digital Leadership Competencies Model. The findings from this study contribute to the extant literature in the field of leadership.Mini Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2017.pa2018Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)MBAUnrestricte

Competencies Required for Entrepreneurs to Manoeuvre Successfully Through Digital Transformation

Digital transformation typically means both game-changing opportunities and risks (Nadkarni and Prügl 2021), forcing entrepreneurs to develop essential competencies to remain competitive in a changing environment (Murawski and Bick 2017). Very few existing academic studies have evaluated and developed competency-based frameworks designed for entrepreneurs (Hayton and Kelley 2006; Mitchelmore and Rowley 2010), or examined entrepreneurial opportunities and implications caused by digital transformation (Berman 2012; Sebastian et al. 2017). Aside from these examples, the domain of entrepreneurship is still relatively under-explored in this context, and so it can be concluded that the topics “competencies required for the digital age” and “entrepreneurs” are yet to be integrated to any great extent by the academic community, even though gaining an in-depth understanding would be benefcial for diferent stakeholders (e.g., entrepreneurs and business schools). To address this gap, we formulate the following research question (RQ): RQ: What are the required competencies an entrepreneur needs to master, in order to face the new challenges of digital transformation successfully? Based on insights taken from a literature review, which we used to prepare interview guidelines, semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2020 with six experts in the feld, who we selected through a convenience sampling approach. Our explorative study demonstrates that the development of basic technical skills and agility is an essential entrepreneurial requirement. Our results furthermore indicate that along with technological and soft competencies, social and emotional skills are crucial for entrepreneurs in the digital age. ... [Aus: Introduction

Digital competencies and digital transformation in light of the corona pandemic: Obstacles and challenges at Northern Border University

This study aimed to determine the level of digital competencies among  faculty members and students at the Northern Border University and to identify the obstacles and challenges imposed by the Corona pandemic. A mixture of survey and qualitative approaches was adopted. The study sample consisted of (86) faculty members and (406) students. The study’s questionnaire is to measure digital efficiency at the Northern Border University consisting of seven dimensions of (57) paragraphs, in addition to two open questions about the obstacles and challenges of digital transformation. The results showed that the skills possessed by faculty members and students were of a high degree, and also showed a lack of statistically significant differences in the average digital competencies of university students, whereas there are statistically significant differences due to the impact of the achievement level in favor of the achievement level “excellent” versus “good”. The obstacles to digital transformation were concentrated in four main axes: infrastructure, the lack of interest in digital transformation, resistance to change, and the lack of appropriate competencies for digital transformation. The challenges facing digital transformation were summarized in four main axes: providing infrastructure, developing the quality of communication between the educational process participants, controlling the quality of educational outputs, and raising the digital efficiency of the educational process

INSPIRING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION: AN INTEGRATIVE LEADERSHIP COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK

Leadership inspires digital transformation. Values, skills, and behaviors of leaders are key in driving and leading organizational development processes. The aim of this study was to examine the existing scientific research and develop an integrative framework focused specifically on leadership competencies for digital transformation. For this purpose, a systematic literature review based on Web of Science and Scopus databases has been conducted. In order to analyze and synthetize the qualitative data, the method of content analysis was used. The identified leadership dimensions (competencies) are: why (vision, innovation, flexibility); what (understanding digital technologies, empowerment, collaboration); and how (multiple intelligences, experimentation, continuous learning). The resulting competency framework can be used in the field of business management by leadership and organizational development specialists, educators, as well as current and aspiring leaders of digital transformation. By implementing a proposed future research agenda, the presented results can be further validated, compared and contextualized

Towards a Critical Perspective on Digitalisation and Initial Teacher Education: Moving Beyond the Brick and Mortar

As the pandemic spread, it placed immense pressure on the transformation of the education sector and pushed the sector to fast-track their digital education strategy, especially sharing resources and embracing ubiquitous learning. This necessitated digital transformation, inclusive pedagogies, and reliable connectivity. However, the education sector finds the transition from the legacy traditional face-to-face approach to digital education daunting. The ongoing digital skills dearth among teachers threatens the e-education and equitable educational provisioning agenda of the South African National Development Plan 2030i. In turn, this has a huge impact on learners in the public-school system, who must develop their digital skills and competencies to effectively participate in the global economy, technology sector, and social entrepreneurial activities. The intersection of digital skills and entrepreneurship have been the engine for creating new jobs, advancing innovation and enhancing productivity. These three constructs, the creation of new jobs, advancing innovation, and enhancing productivity, are the imperatives of the National Development Plan 2030. While the primary focus is on digital transformation as an education imperative, this paper used Bernstein’s pedagogic device lens to examine the larger context and framing of digitalisation in education and cultural capital to discern ways in which competencies (the ecosystem of knowledge and skills) may be developed within the existing culture in the public-school system. Digitalisation in education entails a shift from the traditional face-to-face and often ‘brick and mortar’ based approach to a hybrid approach to enhance access and learners’ experience. Furthermore, this study answered questions about the relationship of the technology to teaching and learning. This is driven by increasingly digitally savvy learners, their complex needs, and the demand for ubiquitous access to education. In reviewing the concept of digitalisation, the author noted that there is a need for a digital transformation framework guided by research-informed best practices on the intersection of digitalisation and initial teacher education. In addition, digital technologies play a huge role in inclusivity and epistemic access and has far-reaching effects on social and economic inequalities

Preparing for the future of Technological Progress: A study regarding the effective strategies for employee professional development

This article examines the changing job market and the need for companies to implement proactive measures to maintain competitiveness. It analyzes current and forecasted required skills in respect to the jobs of the future, such as IT&C, cybersecurity, robotics and AI. The article also emphasizes the importance of internship programs as a means for young individuals to gain valuable experience, develop skills, and explore career options. The most effective actions identified for enhancing competitiveness and employability include creating leadership development and modular training programs, conducting workforce planning exercises, and launching internal academy programs (Marr, Business Trends in Practice, 2021). Finally, the paper proposes a proactive guideline, arguing for the need of reskilling, vertical continuous training and digital transformation, aimed at equipping both companies and employees/future workers with the required skills and competencies to navigate the multifaceted dynamics of the labor market, including digital transformation and other related phenomena

Perceptions of teacher competencies in a new higher education blended learning programme: An exploratory study

In a post-digital world, blended teaching and learning is now considered a mainstream approach to pedagogy in higher education. While it is not new, the adoption of this approach was accelerated by the enforced move to emergency online teaching and learning during Covid-19. Research has shown that blended learning in higher education is more effective than online learning and face-to-face learning conducted separately. Currently, one university in the Middle East is embarking on an ambitious digital transformation project that involves the development of a new degree programme and the transition from a predominantly face-to-face teaching model to a blended learning teaching model. This includes the use of a bespoke, digital learning platform and a range of general education courses which are underpinned by an active, flipped learning approach. Together these have created an entirely new blended teaching ecology. Implementing and sustaining such an approach depends on teachers embracing a new mindset and developing new teacher qualities. It also requires the acquisition of both adaptive and technical skills related to new pedagogical approaches and new technology platforms and tools. This exploratory, autoethnographic study focuses on the lived experiences of two higher education teachers who started teaching in this new programme. The study focused on and analysed their journal entries using a systematic teacher competency framework to identify which competencies were more significant in their transition to a blended teaching approach. The findings of the study show that seven competencies feature more heavily in the journal entries, including orientation towards change and improvement, grit, use of instructional strategies and instructional tools. The paper highlights some relevant implications for teachers and university management, who may be considering a similar transformation that uses a blended learning model of teaching. It also suggests that further research into the experiences of teachers could benefit the field.Keywords: blended learning and teaching; teacher competencies, mindsets, qualities; adaptive skills; technical skills; digital transformation; teaching ecologyPart of the Special Issue Teaching practices in times of digital transformatio

COVID-19 AND THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF EDUCATION: THE CASE OF LATVIA AND LITHUANIA

Educational ecosystem is facing rapid changes due emerging technologies and their rapid penetration to daily use. When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, it only accelerated many of these trends. Nevertheless, some education systems have been able to adapt to the changing situation and digital transformation more easily than others. Digital competence is essential for learning, work and active participation in society in digital transformation context. Given the pressure of change on existing learning institutions and learning models, ICT offers broad opportunities for developing a different view. In order for digital education actors to adapt to the digital transformation in the education sector, they also need to have the skills needed to use technology effectively. However, there is a lack of computer and technological literacy. In Latvia and Lithuania, about one in three workers has limited or no digital skills, and most STEM vacancies remain unfilled because workers do not have the necessary competencies and are not inclined to study or retrain. The aim of the study is to assess the effect of dynamic capabilities for added value educational outcomes during COVID-19 recession. The results of the study revealed that dynamic capabilities have a direct positive effect on value based education outcomes. 

The definitions of health care and social welfare informatics competencies

Digital transformation is changing the ecosystem and at the same time professionals’ competencies worldwide. Minimising health care and social welfare costs while increasing citizens’ health and well-being is challenging. Technology and digital tools play an important role in reaching this goal. However, there are inequalities concerning technology, and this has many impacts. Digitalisation brings challenges not only to health care and social welfare professionals but to citizens, too. Working with or using services in digital environments demands new skills. This has social and ethical impacts, e.g. how is equal access to services ensured. Health and social care professionals should have different competencies to respond to this, such as societal competencies. The purpose of this article is to describe how the definition of competencies in health care and social welfare version 1.0 (developed in the national SotePeda 24/7 project) was finalised as the final version 2.0 for Finnish healthcare and social welfare education by experts’ evaluation. Data was collected through an electronic questionnaire administered to selected experts (N=140) during January 2020. The number of experts who responded to the study was 52. These experts (social and health, business and IT) work or have worked in tasks related to the digitalisation of social and health care. The questionnaire was based on version 1.0 of the definition of digital competencies of health care and social welfare informatics. The questionnaire was mainly quantitative, but it also included open-ended qualitative questions. The experts agreed to a large extent on the version 1.0 definition, but some adjustments were made to the definition based on our study. The resulting definition is intended for use in the planning, implementation and evaluation of health care and social welfare education, but it can also be used for polytechnic education. The aim is to develop the digital skills of educators, degree students and in-service trainees in a multidisciplinary way (social and health, business and IT) to meet the needs of working life.Digital transformation is changing the ecosystem and at the same time professionals’ competencies worldwide. Minimising health care and social welfare costs while increasing citizens’ health and well-being is challenging. Technology and digital tools play an important role in reaching this goal. However, there are inequalities concerning technology, and this has many impacts. Digitalisation brings challenges not only to health care and social welfare professionals but to citizens, too. Working with or using services in digital environments demands new skills. This has social and ethical impacts, e.g. how is equal access to services ensured. Health and social care professionals should have different competencies to respond to this, such as societal competencies. The purpose of this article is to describe how the definition of competencies in health care and social welfare version 1.0 (developed in the national SotePeda 24/7 project) was finalised as the final version 2.0 for Finnish healthcare and social welfare education by experts’ evaluation. Data was collected through an electronic questionnaire administered to selected experts (N=140) during January 2020. The number of experts who responded to the study was 52. These experts (social and health, business and IT) work or have worked in tasks related to the digitalisation of social and health care. The questionnaire was based on version 1.0 of the definition of digital competencies of health care and social welfare informatics. The questionnaire was mainly quantitative, but it also included open-ended qualitative questions. The experts agreed to a large extent on the version 1.0 definition, but some adjustments were made to the definition based on our study. The resulting definition is intended for use in the planning, implementation and evaluation of health care and social welfare education, but it can also be used for polytechnic education. The aim is to develop the digital skills of educators, degree students and in-service trainees in a multidisciplinary way (social and health, business and IT) to meet the needs of working life