Getting organizational adaptability in the context of digital transformation

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore what organizational adaptability means in the digitized context and to discuss how manufacturing companies achieve organizational adaptability during the digital transformation process. Design/methodology/approach By conducting semi-structured interviews and acquiring archive data from a typical Chinese manufacturing company, this paper gathers extensive data. Based on this, a single-case study methodology is used to investigate organizational adaptability in digital transformation. Findings This study identifies the process by which companies achieve organizational adaptability during digital transformation and deconstructs organizational adaptability into three dimensions: structural adaptability, operational adaptability and governance adaptability. This study also explores how organizational adaptability is affected by digital capabilities. Originality/value This study proposes a process model to demonstrate how organizational adaptability may be attained during digital transformation and redefines organizational adaptability in the context of digitization.