Complex Digital Environments Research Articles

Digital Leadership: Its Influence on Driving Digital Policy Adoption in the Public Sector

This study examines the pivotal role of digital leadership in driving government transformation. By leveraging advanced data analytics, governments can formulate more predictive policies and anticipate future challenges. Digital services enhance efficiency, accessibility, and transparency, fostering trust in government institutions. However, successful digital transformation hinges on effective leadership. Digital leaders possess the skills to navigate complex digital environments, cultivate digital mindsets, and identify opportunities. This research explores the competencies required for digital leadership, including data analytics, strategic thinking, and the ability to inspire and motivate teams. Furthermore, it investigates the impact of digital leadership on policy adoption, service delivery, and organizational culture. Through a comprehensive literature review, this study contributes to the understanding of how digital leadership can accelerate government modernization and improve public service delivery.

Agenda Setting Theory in The Age of Digital Media: An Analytical Perspective

This paper explores agenda-setting theory within digital media. It aims to evaluate changes in these paradigms due to digital platforms and their impact on mass communication theories. The discussion includes a historical overview of agenda-setting theory, grounded in foundational works and expanded by contemporary insights on user agency and information dissemination in the digital age. Using qualitative methods, the study incorporates thematic analysis, content analysis, and interviews with media professionals and users to collect comprehensive data. Key findings indicate that the traditional linear flow of information from media to the public has shifted to a multidirectional exchange influenced by user-generated content and social media dynamics. The study emphasizes the need for scholars to adapt traditional media theories to the participatory nature of modern platforms. This research enhances understanding of current media ecosystems and lays the groundwork for future studies on media influence in complex digital environments.

Longitudinal Use Patterns of Technology Subtypes During the Transition Into Early Adolescence: Results From the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study

PurposeAdolescents encounter a complex digital environment, yet existing data on youth technology use rarely differentiates technology subtypes. This study maps the evolution and intricacies of youth engagement with technology subtypes. MethodsN = 11,868 participants in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study followed from ages ∼9/10 to ∼13/14. We examined youths' self-reported hours per day (hr/day) of technology subtypes: TV/Movies, video games, YouTube, social media, video chat, and texting. We used descriptive statistics and multilevel logistic regression to assess cross-sectional and longitudinal use patterns of technology subtypes, agreement between child and parent reports on the child's technology use, and associations between each technology subtype and sociodemographics (child's biological sex, parent education, income, and marital status). ResultsAt age 9/10, ∼75% of youth reported minimal (<30 min/day) social technology use (social media, video chat, texting) and up to ∼1.5 hr/day of TV, video games, and YouTube. By age 13/14, TV trajectories were converging to >2 hr/day, but social technology trajectories “fanned out” into a wide range of usage rates. Child and parent reports were weakly correlated (rs range: 0.13–0.29). Using child-reported hours of technology use, increases in the subject-specific odds of using a technology >2 hr/day ranged from 25% (YouTube; 95% CI: 1.16–1.35) to 234% (social media; 95% CI: 3.14–3.55). Compared with males, females had ∼100–200% greater odds of >2 hr/day of social technologies, but ∼40–80% reduced odds of >2 hr/day of video games and YouTube. Higher parent education and income predicted significantly lower odds of >2 hr/day of use – regardless of technology subtype. DiscussionDistributions of youths' self-reported technology engagement are highly contingent on technology subtype, age, and biological sex. Future research on youth development and technology may benefit from considering youths' varied digital experiences.

Enterprise Data Governance : A Comprehensive Framework for Ensuring Data Integrity, Security, and Compliance in Modern Organizations

Enterprise data governance has emerged as a critical function for organizations seeking to maximize the value of their data assets while mitigating risks associated with data management. This article presents a comprehensive framework for implementing effective data governance strategies in modern enterprises. It examines the key components of robust governance structures, including clear policies, well-defined roles and responsibilities, and the establishment of data quality standards. The article explores methods for ensuring regulatory compliance and enhancing data security, emphasizing the importance of risk management and data protection measures. By analyzing case studies across various industries, the article identifies best practices and common challenges in data governance implementation. Additionally, it investigates the impact of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain on data governance practices. The findings underscore the necessity of a holistic approach to data governance that aligns with organizational objectives, fosters a data-driven culture, and adapts to evolving regulatory landscapes. This article contributes to the growing body of knowledge on enterprise data management and provides practical insights for organizations striving to improve their data governance capabilities in an increasingly complex digital environment.

Log Analyzer and Anomaly Reporting Framework for Proactive System Monitoring.

Abstract: In an era where organizations increasingly rely on intricate software applications, cloud services, and interconnected networks, the significance of analyses cannot be overstated. These tools serve as vigilant custodians of digital footprints, meticulously dissecting the voluminous records encapsulated in log files to extract valuable insights and detect anomalies. As such, log analyses emerge as linchpins in deciphering the meaning behind recorded events, enabling organizations to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of their digital infrastructures and enhance their security posture. This comprehensive exploration aims to untangle the core attributes of log analyses, bringing clarity to their parsing capabilities, the art of information extraction, and the nuanced algorithms that facilitate the conversion of raw logs into actionable insights. Furthermore, against the backdrop of a dynamically evolving cyber threat landscape, the role of log analyses extends beyond conventional diagnostics. These tools have become instrumental in the proactively orchestrated defense against cyber adversaries, empowering organizations to detect and mitigate threats in real-time. Through an in-depth analysis of log analyses and their evolving functionalities, this paper seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of their Integral role in modern cybersecurity and system management. By elucidating the significance and impact of log analyses, organizations can leverage these tools to fortify their defenses, mitigate risks, and make informed, data-driven decisions in an increasingly complex digital environment

Digital Pathways to Success: The Transformative Power of Digitalization and Digital Capabilities on SMEs’ Financial Performance

In the contemporary competitive business milieu, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have discerned the significance of embracing the digital landscape to cater to the ever-evolving global customer demands, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. This research aims to provide valuable insights into how SMEs navigate the complex digital environment by examining the combinations of digitalization and digital capabilities dimensions that contribute to enhancing financial performance. Different dimensions of digitalization and digital capabilities are used as explanatory variables, while financial performance is an outcome. The study specifically focuses on the SME sector in Pakistan. Employing a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), the investigation uncovers six novel configurations of factors that drive performance in SMEs, with their roles showing variations depending on accompanying elements. The study identifies six specific combinations (configurations) of determinant antecedents that lead to improved financial performance. Interestingly, the findings highlight that achieving high financial performance is not solely contingent on any individual factor but hinges upon their collective inclusion within causal combinations. By expanding the current understanding of how these antecedents synergistically impact financial performance, this study makes a noteworthy contribution to the literature on firm performance. Furthermore, it offers valuable implications for managers, illuminating the specific factor combinations that pave the way for enhanced performance in the context of SMEs.

Paradoxical tensions in the implementation of digital security governance: Toward an ambidextrous approach to governing digital security

Due to increasing numbers of cyberattacks, security is one of the leading challenges to contemporary organizations. As contradictory demands (e.g., tensions in digital organizations) intensify, organizations increasingly find it difficult to implement digital security governance (DSG) as part of their regular organizational change activities. Based on data from forty-two interviews with Dutch CISOs and CIOs of large organizations that are active in various sectors, we identify three key paradoxical tensions that affect DSG implementation. We found that in a digital context, paradoxical tensions are pressurized and become out of balance. Disbalance among tensions exposes friction that hinders the implementation of DSG mechanisms. Finally, we present a conceptual model that sets direction for ambidextrous digital security. Understanding how to engage with tensions in an ambidextrous way determines the success of DSG implementations in today's complex digital environments.

Data risks and security in the financial sector: Adapting to a new environment

Huge increases in data generation and storage volumes in recent years, coupled with technological innovations, are changing the nature of data risks in the financial sector. Several factors determine the nature of data risks: (a) the way technology is used; (b) the profile of financial sector entities and their interconnections; (c) the cyberthreat landscape; and (d) awareness and practices among legitimate users of data. How these factors are evolving in an increasingly complex digital environment is described. To manage the changing data risk profile, the EU regulatory framework is adapting. Key regulatory developments in the financial sector include the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) proposal and the recent advice from the European Supervisory Authorities in relation to digital finance. More broadly, the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act aim to create a safer digital space for EU citizens.

Zero Trust Security: Reimagining Cyber Defense for Modern Organizations

In an era where cyber threats are growing in frequency and sophistication, traditional perimeter-based security models have proven inadequate for protecting modern organizational infrastructures. As digital transformation accelerates, driven by remote work, cloud adoption, and mobile device proliferation, organizations are adopting a new paradigm: Zero Trust Security. Zero Trust is a strategic approach to cybersecurity that assumes all network traffic, both external and internal, may be hostile. This model enforces strict identity verification, limited access, and continuous monitoring of every user, device, and system interaction within an organization’s network. This paper explores the principles and architecture of Zero Trust Security, outlining its core components such as Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), micro-segmentation, Identity and Access Management (IAM), and least privilege access. By examining why organizations are shifting to this model, the paper highlights how Zero Trust addresses the limitations of conventional security approaches, including their vulnerability to insider threats and unauthorized lateral movement within networks. We discuss the benefits of implementing a Zero Trust strategy, including enhanced security, improved regulatory compliance, and the potential for significant cost savings. Additionally, we provide case studies demonstrating the successful adoption of Zero Trust in various sectors. The paper also addresses the challenges that organizations face when transitioning to a Zero Trust framework, including integration with legacy systems and managing user experience. Finally, we propose metrics for measuring Zero Trust effectiveness and include a cost-benefit analysis comparing traditional and Zero Trust security models over a five-year period. Through this comprehensive examination, the paper emphasizes the role of Zero Trust Security as a reimagined approach for robust cyber defense in today’s complex digital environment, offering actionable insights for organizations looking to modernize their security postures.

Security of complex economic systems: Risk management of their digital transformation

Subject. The article presents an overview of recent results of foreign and domestic studies on the security of complex economic systems in the process of their digital transformation. During the deployment of Industry 4.0 technologies, the frequency, diversity and level of digital risks are growing faster than digital security tools for complex systems are evolving. This will offset the benefits of digital transformation, and can lead to large-scale failures. Objectives. The aim is to identify sources of new threats, vulnerability areas of complex systems and possible losses, assess the result of measures taken, and form a modern paradigm for ensuring the digital security of complex systems. Methods. The study employs identification, systems analysis and discussion of relationship between recent scientific results on this topic that enable to reveal methodological problems and determine the directions of their solution to ensure digital security at a qualitatively new level. Results. We unveiled the behavior patterns of complex systems, which form systemic risks, identify trends that are changing the digital risk landscape, consider classifications of weaknesses and possible losses of enterprises in the process of their digital transformation, show the gaps in organizational capabilities to meet digital security requirements. The increasingly complex digital environment forces enterprises to redesign their plans for business continuity. Conclusions. In the next decade, enterprises will need a new paradigm of security, organically combining economic and social aspects, a strategic and operational approach to the risk management of digital transformation, considering the security management as a flexible learning ecosystem.

Understanding the Complex Adoption Behavior of Cloud Services by SMEs Based on Complexity Theory: A Fuzzy Sets Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA)

To survive in a competitive environment, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have had to adapt to the digital environment in order to adjust to customer needs globally, particularly in the post-COVID-19 world. The advantages of cloud computing (e.g., flexibility, scalability, and low entry cost) provide opportunities for SMEs with a restricted budget and limited resources. To understand how SMEs adopt cloud computing in a complex digital environment, this study examines how antecedents combine with each other to explain the high adoption of cloud computing. From the perspectives of holism and set theory, we draw on complexity and configuration theories, present a conceptual model including seven antecedents based on the technology-organization-environment framework, and conduct an asymmetric fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. Through an empirical study with 123 Chinese companies, we identify nine combinations (configurations) of determinant antecedents that lead to the high adoption of cloud computing. The results show that none of the factors are indispensable to explain a high adoption on their own; instead, they are insufficient but necessary parts of the causal combinations that explain a high adoption. This study contributes to the literature on cloud computing adoption by extending current knowledge on how antecedents combine to increase the adoption and identify specific patterns of SMEs for whom these factors are essential and greatly influence their adoption.

Cognitive load measurement during navigation and information retrieval in digital text

Interaction with digital text permeates practically all types of educational, professional and leisure activities of modern life. The effective working with digital instructions and materials determines the success in solving a number of real problems. At the same time, the negative impact of overly complex digital environments on learning outcomes, work efficiency, and subjective well-being has been proven in numerous empirical studies. In this work, an attempt is made to study the navigational characteristics of a digital text that are significant for solving practical problems from the standpoint of the Cognitive Load Theory. A total of 20 subjects (13F; 7M) took part in the experiment with intra-individual plan and 2x2 factorial design. Information retrieval was considered as a task, and the navigation characteristics of the text were varied under controlled experimental conditions in order to determine the optimal combination of navigational cues. Digital text environments with different navigation characteristics were designed. The indicators of oculomotor activity and performance data were analysed to determine the conditions causing the greatest excess cognitive load. A computational approach was applied to assess the relative effectiveness of conditions. It was found that information search in digital environments with less navigational cues provoke increase in scan-path complexity, searching time and number of fixations. These observations support the general hypothesis of this study, according to which a lack of navigation cues affect directly on the cognitive load growth during information search in digital texts.

Digital Justice

As technology use permeates many parts of society there are still groups where the penetration of technology is low: adults with little exposure to technology during their traditional learning years, users from lower SES, lower education levels, resulting in a digital divide between the digital haves and have-nots. This paper presents a community-based, mixed methods research project that endeavored to study the phenomenon of digital divide through a set of theoretical frameworks: Rawls’ principles of justice as fairness provided the overall social justice umbrella, Sen’s capability approach grounded the study in the specificities of learners’ lives and acknowledged learner diversity, and Horton’s cultural education, Freire’s critical consciousness, and Eubanks’ critical technology education provided the pedagogical lens to understand the importance of the critical learning process in digital education. The findings from the study support the concept of situated or contextual technology that seeks to increase the benefits of technology for adult learners while providing them the tools to manage complex digital environments through relatable instruction, user-centric design for technological tools and interfaces, and more robust government action in alleviating the digital divide through well-designed digital literacy programs.

Comparing Digital Communication Systems: An empirical framework for analysing the political economy of digital infrastructures

Abstract This article offers a research tool for comparative studies of digital communication systems. It brings together the fields of infrastructure studies, Internet governance, and political economy of the Internet with the tradition of systemic media analysis and argues that existing frameworks are inadequate for capturing regulatory and power structures in a complex digital environment. In the article, we develop a framework for conceptualising and mapping the components of digital communication systems – the DCS framework – and operationalise it for standardised measurements by outlining twelve key indicators that can be analysed using empirical data from a number of existing databases. The framework provides a basis for measuring and comparing digital communication systems across national or regional contexts, and thereby developing new typologies for how to understand structural differences and similarities.

Identifying the combinations of motivations and emotions for creating satisfied users in SNSs: An fsQCA approach

Social Networking Sites (SNSs) play an important role in our daily lives and the number of their users increases regularly. To understand how users can be satisfied in the complex digital environment of SNSs, this study examines how motivations and emotions combine with each other to explain high satisfaction. Users’ motivations comprise four attributes, entertainment, information, social-psychological, and convenience. Emotions are divided into their two main categories, that is positive and negative emotions. We draw on complexity and configuration theories, present a conceptual model along with propositions and perform a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). Through an empirically study with 582 SNSs users, we present eight combinations (configurations) of motivations and emotions that lead to high satisfaction, which highlight the role of high convenience, followed by entertainment and information motivations in being satisfied with SNSs. High satisfaction can be achieved both when positive and negative emotions are high and low, depending on how they combine users’ motivations. None of the factors are indispensable to explain high satisfaction on their own, instead they are insufficient but necessary parts of the causal combinations that explain high satisfaction. This study contributes in SNSs literature by extending current knowledge on how motivations and emotions combine to increase satisfaction, and by identifying specific patterns of users for whom these factors are important and influence greatly their satisfaction.

Regulating Disruptive Technologies: Oxymoron or Essential Evolution?

This article focuses on artificial intelligence, robots, and wearable technologies as cutting-edge, disruptive technological innovations poised to impact the regulation of professions. While the article discusses these innovations from a nursing perspective, the issues raised can apply to any healthcare discipline. Accordingly, it is essential for regulatory bodies to explore how these potentially disruptive innovations will be regulated. Finding regulatory solutions is necessary if today's industrial-era regulatory model is to evolve into one fit for a rapidly-changing, complex digital environment where healthcare delivery is increasingly dependent on new technologies. Having considered the wider literature on how regulators address disruptive innovation, we conclude the nursing profession, and regulated professions in general, can learn from these experiences. Model acts and rules, scopes of practice, sunset reviews, and leading-edge research provisions facilitate more agile and recursive responses to these emergent technologies.

Organized Complexity of Digital Business Strategy: A Configurational Perspective

How should firms configure organizational capabilities to achieve competitive advantage in complex digital environments? To answer this question, we investigate parsimonious configurations for high firm performance in digital environments characterized by organized complexity. We adopt a configurational perspective accompanied by a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to explicate complex nonlinear relationships among key digital and non-digital capabilities in the form of conjunction, equifinality, and asymmetry in producing the outcome. With this approach, we shift attention from individual capabilities to configurations of capabilities to develop a better understanding of the complex role of IT in the digital world. Our analyses, using a rare and unique dataset of 376 observations for organizations in healthcare, education, manufacturing, and service sectors in the United States, reveal three key findings. First, IT-enabled information analytics capability alone is neither necessary nor sufficient in any configuration for high performance; however, it is an important component of the configurations in which it plays multifaceted roles varying from an enabling role in some contexts, to no role or a counterproductive role in other contexts. Second, we document a few parsimonious configurations emergent from complex nonlinear interactions among six organizational capabilities. Interestingly, these configurations often have an isomorphic structure that produces both high financial performance and high customer performance simultaneously. Third, the structures of configurations for high performance differ from those of not-high performance, suggesting an asymmetric view of causality that underpins organizational performance. Together, the findings provide implications for further research on complexity theory in digital business strategy, and for managers to view and redesign digital business strategy as configurations of IT and organizational capabilities.

What Do We Know About Digital Attribution?

![Figure][1] Digital attribution sounds rather simple in that it involves isolating advertising tactics and assessing their impact on consumer decision making. But in a complex digital environment, advertisers must navigate through a variety of consumer platforms and touch points to find the

An investigation into blogging as an opportunity for work-integrated learning for journalism students

Purpose – Blogging has become a well-established method of online communication and publication, used by individuals and organisations to disseminate news, ideas and information. In their earlier forms, blogs were used as online diaries, but have now evolved into complex digital environments. The purpose of this paper is to consider whether blogging can be framed as a mode of work-integrated learning in the context of journalism and media education, and to ask whether blogging can develop transferable skills useful in graduate-level employment. Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured interviews were conducted with established undergraduate bloggers to investigate which skills and attributes were developed through blogging. Findings – When evaluated against the Prospects UK list of graduate attributes (the Government career’s service) blogging allows the development of the vast majority of transferable skills, abilities and behaviours expected of graduates. It is necessary to structure the curriculum to ensure that blogging is taught, and blogging activity monitored and evaluated, so that journalism undergraduates maximise the opportunities offered by blogging and fully reflect on their experiences. Originality/value – This paper argues that these online environments, with their associated communities, offer journalism students opportunities for work-integrated learning. It argues that blog environments have the potential to enable students to develop journalism-specific skills, and enhance transferable graduate attributes including creativity, sophisticated communication competencies, initiative and problem solving. It suggests that blogging offers a platform for accessing experiential learning, and as such should be considered within a curriculum for work-integrated learning in the journalism and media subject area.

From Crud to Cream: Imagining a Rich Scholarly Repository Interface

This article addresses the design of a dynamic repository interface to support numerous scholarly activities. Starting with the four fundamental functions associated with persistent storage — create, read, update, and delete (CRUD) — we tested, as an organizing rubric for the interface, the acronym CREAM: Create (represent, illustrate); Read (sample, read); Enhance (refer, annotate, process); Analyze (search, select, visualize, mine, cluster); and Manage (track, label, transform). Based on a card-sorting exercise conducted with researchers, we conclude that a slightly modified rubric of CREAMS offers a useful starting point that emphasizes the enriched functionality a scholarly repository or similarly complex digital environment requires, as well as the immense challenge of designing conceptually clear interfaces, even for a relatively homogenous community of researchers.