No 2024/18 Managing Digital Transformation for Innovation

A Multi-Level and Multi-Dimensional Integrated Model for Managers

Abstract

A company’s digital transformation (DT) is a fundamental change process enabled by digital technologies. DT aims to bring radical improvements and innovations to create value for its stakeholders. This paper introduces a Multi-Level and Multi-Dimensional Integrated (MMI) model to help managers understand and navigate the complexity of a company’s DT. The framework contains three analytical levels (individual, organizational, and business ecosystem), four analytical dimensions (actor, determinant, process, and expected results), and two types of relations (same-level and cross-level). The framework emphasizes the interplays of the different dimensions within and across the various analytical levels that influence the process and performance of the company’s DT. The MMI model addresses research gaps in single-level DT analyses by providing a holistic framework for managers to align internal and external resources, foster collaboration, and mitigate challenges such as resistance to change and regulatory pressures. While advancing theoretical understanding, the MMI model offers guidance for managing a company’s DT, though further operationalization is required for practical application.