An examination of the preconditions of learning to facilitate innovation in digitalization projects: a project team members’ perspective

Abstract

In the modern business environment spearheaded by digitalization, organizations are faced with the challenge of maintaining a competitive edge despite constant dynamic changes. Organizations therefore, have to adopt new, improved and modern ways of doing things. This can be achieved through proper knowledge management within the organization, which is an antecedent of innovation. Innovation is one of the crucial means for tackling the digitalization challenge as it enables organizations to maintain their competitive edge. Although extant studies have extensively studied learning in projects, there is a lack of concrete examples of the correlation between learning and improving innovation in the digitalization context. This article is based on a qualitative study aimed at examining the organizations’ preconditions of learning in achieving innovation in digitalization projects focusing on the perspective of the project team members. Data was collected through open-ended questionnaires with a total of 97 respondents and analyzed using NVivo qualitative software. The findings revealed two viewpoints regarding the perception of learning for innovation. The preconditions for learning for innovation in digitalization were also identified. Moreover, the immediate outcomes of learning were identified that can be utilized in assessing whether employees are actually learning given the necessary preconditions are established.