Towards a Model of Transformation: Manager's Perceptions of Transformation in an E-business Environment

Abstract

In the Entrepreneurial Millennium, companies and industries must come to terms with change. When change is radical, they must manage a metamorphosis by way of transformation. Here industry structures and relationships may change radically where new rules and guidelines are needed to manage the business and its customers in the transformed dimension. Some studies have conducted research and analysed findings according to the transformational impact on the organisations showing that early adopters of e-business show a trend towards cost reductions and administrative efficiencies while more mature users focus on strategic level change and advantage (Ash and Burn, 2003). Other researchers have studied the challenges that major organisations have encountered while expanding their ebusiness transformation strategy (Ranganathan, Shetty and Muthukumaran, 2004). Managers therefore need to develop a better understanding of the theory and processes associated with the transformation in an e-business context. This paper reviews the findings of field research and uses it as a basis to propose a new model of transformation which may guide future research and lead to a better understanding of what is involved in the process.