Importance of Change Management in Digital Transformation Sustainability

Abstract

Organizational changes triggered by digital transformation usually focus only on internal processes or yet baser on technology, leaving behind, or even totally ignoring the consequences of such changes on people. There is a lack of studies presenting the pathways for sustainable change management during digital transformation, especially those from traditional professions, less digitally mature businesses, and developing countries (Philip J., 2021). Digital Transformation plays an important role in improving the efficiency of company's operations which links to sustainability. The business transformation will be successful only when employees are wholeheartedly committed to the company's vision and not merely when the company successfully installs some of the new and emerging technologies and implements changes (Florek-Paszkowska, 2021). Yet, the ultimate studies show that digital transformation initiatives have still very high tendency to failure. Aiming to resolve this issue, this study conducted a systematic literature analysis to review articles that discuss current trends in the Change Management and Digital Transformation discipline.The study results propose a Change Management Framework composed of its three imperatives: Leadership, Communication and Inclusion, which on the other hand induce strong foundations of a sustainable and resilient digital transformation in organizations. This paper synthesizes the presented research field's importance and provides insights for practitioners how to have their digital transformation initiatives succeed and retain sustainable.Originality/value – The study analyzes the impact of change management to digital transformation sustainability through a holistic approach, conventionally not given enough attention even though it may be found in every single research as a critical factor to digital transformation success.