Aug 2026· Global academic journal of economics and business· Vol 8, pp. 890-900· 0 citations
TL;DR
A socio-technical account of digital transformation as an organisational capability is developed and how that capability shapes project management efficiency is examined, with an integrated capability framework in which technical affordances generate value only when they are translated through social mechanisms.
Abstract
Digital transformation is often discussed as a portfolio of technologies, yet project outcomes depend less on tool acquisition than on the organisation’s capacity to align technology, work design, governance and human judgement. This review develops a socio-technical account of digital transformation as an organisational capability and examines how that capability shapes project management efficiency. A structured integrative review of research published between 2020 and 2025 was undertaken across project management, information systems, operations, organisational change and digital strategy. The synthesis identifies five mutually dependent capability domains: digital architecture, data and analytical discipline, adaptive delivery routines, participative work design, and transformation governance. These domains improve efficiency through faster information flows, shorter decision cycles, earlier risk detection, reduced coordination loss, reusable knowledge and stronger benefits realisation. However, the evidence also shows that digitisation can increase administrative burden, surveillance concerns, fragmented accountability and false confidence when technology is introduced without process redesign or employee participation. The paper proposes an integrated capability framework in which technical affordances generate value only when they are translated through social mechanisms such as role clarity, psychological safety, cross-functional learning and decision rights. Project efficiency is therefore treated as a multidimensional outcome comprising speed, resource productivity, decision quality, adaptability and sustainable value rather than mere schedule compression. The review concludes with a staged operating model, measurable indicators and a research agenda for testing capability configurations across sectors and levels of digital maturity.
This study examines how digital transformation initiatives shape operational efficiency and organizational change in the logistics sector from a managerial perspective. It conceptualizes digitalization not as a purely technological shift, but as a socio-technical change process that reconfigures organizational routines and coordination mechanisms.
A qualitative case study design was adopted. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with managers in logistics and customs brokerage firms operating in Istanbul, Turkey's primary logistics hub. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis, moving from first-order empirical codes to higher-order theoretical dimensions.
The findings reveal that digital transformation drives organizational change across four interrelated dimensions: (1) structural efficiency gains through enhanced information security and accelerated processes, (2) strategic customer orientation enabled by increased transparency and responsiveness, (3) workforce transformation characterized by more flexible and skill-oriented resource utilization and (4) organizational tensions, including data standardization issues, employee resistance and bureaucratic inertia. These dimensions are interpreted not as independent outcomes but as manifestations of efficiency rationalization: a generative organizational logic that actively restructures routines, redistributes authority and produces constitutive tensions.
This study's primary contribution is to reconceptualize efficiency as a generative mechanism of organizational change rather than as a performance outcome of digital transformation. By specifying the pathways through which efficiency-oriented pressures restructure routines, redistribute authority and reconfigure workforce arrangements in logistics and customs brokerage firms, the study advances a process-oriented theory of digitalization that extends beyond existing accounts by explaining not only what changes but how the logic of efficiency rationalization drives those changes. The findings also contribute to the organizational tensions literature by showing that efficiency-driven reconfiguration simultaneously produces structural gains and organizational frictions, including workforce reduction pressures, employee resistance and institutional constraints, that must be understood as constitutive features of digital transformation rather than as deviations from it.
Z. Demirel· Journal of Organizational Ch...· 0 citations
: The digitalization of human resource management is increasingly central to organizations’ strategic plans worldwide. Yet the question remains whether these investments deliver tangible benefits to business results. In this paper, we analyze recent meta-analytic findings and concrete examples from practice to clarify the conditions under which digitizing the HR function contributes to better organizational outcomes. We analyze three channels through which digital HR systems influence performance: operational efficiency, strategic workforce analytics, and employee experience, using the resource-based view and dynamic capabilities theory. Meta-analytic evidence from 96 studies with 37,924 participants reveals medium-sized performance effects, though significantly stronger for operational efficiency than for strategic transformation. Implementation cases from IBM, Croatia, and Unilever illustrate a striking pattern: success depends far more on how organizations implement technology than on which technology they choose. Effective implementations prioritize workforce capability development, user-centered design, and strategic alignment rather than technological sophistication. However, our analysis reveals the paradoxical nature of digital HRM: while productivity improves, poorly designed systems simultaneously create employee stress and surveillance concerns. We identify four critical success factors that distinguish effective from problematic implementations and conclude with implications for both theory and practice.
By promoting healthier digital practices, organisations can improve employee well-being and effectively use digital tools, ultimately enhancing competitiveness in a dynamic landscape.
Dilek Şahin Yomralıoğlu, Beyza Toksoy· Istanbul Journal of Economic...· 0 citations
This article explores how digital transformation is reshaping organizations by changing stakeholder roles, organizational structures and ways of working. While both project management and change management are recognized as crucial drivers of transformation, their integration remains insufficiently theorized and empirically examined. The purpose of this study is to investigate how aligning these two disciplines can strengthen stakeholder inclusion and organizational adaptability during digital transformation. By focusing on the cultural, organizational and role-based challenges created by new technologies, the article seeks to uncover the mechanisms through which project and change management are integrated and to identify practical strategies that help organizations successfully navigate and sustain transformation in dynamic, technology-driven environments.
A single case study was employed to explore the digital transformation of tramway operations through the introduction of automatic train operation. Data collection occurred in two rounds: 25 semi-structured interviews in February 2024 and 16 interviews in November 2024. Interviews were recorded, supported by field notes. Workshops with senior management were held to validate preliminary findings and generate further insights. Data was analyzed using NVivo software, combining deductive coding with inductive open coding to identify emergent themes. This process allowed for temporal comparison across interview rounds, enabling the mapping of evolving stakeholder engagement, organizational learning and change management practices.
The findings show that integrating change management and project management enhances stakeholder engagement and organizational adaptability during digital transformation by activating four interrelated mechanisms: transparency, boundary-spanning roles, sensemaking processes and capability-building practices. Change management practices enrich project management by fostering inclusion, trust and responsiveness, while project management provides structure, temporal coordination and procedural clarity. Stakeholder engagement evolves from early resistance to collaborative participation as mechanisms such as ambassador programs, transparent communication and iterative feedback are progressively enacted. Leadership plays a central role in sustaining these mechanisms and in supporting learning-oriented practices.
This study has certain limitations. First, its focus on the railway sector constrains the generalizability of findings, as digital transformation may unfold differently across industries. Future comparative research could broaden and validate these insights. Second, the emphasis on internal stakeholders overlooks perspectives of external groups such as passengers, regulators and communities, whose involvement is crucial for comprehensive stakeholder engagement. Third, the study examines the integration of project and change management but does not consider the role of digital tools in enabling this alignment.
This article provides original contributions by advancing a mechanism-based understanding of how project management and change management are integrated during digital transformation. While prior research has documented the effects of automation on tasks and skills, this study extends existing knowledge by explaining how roles, responsibilities and professional identities evolve through the interaction of structured project execution and change-oriented engagement practices. By capturing stakeholders' lived experiences and tracing how engagement and adaptability develop over time, the article offers both theoretical insight and practical guidance for organizations managing complex, automation-driven transformation initiatives.
Xavier Morin· International Journal of Man...· 0 citations
This conceptual paper examines the growing interdependence between digital transformation, risk management, and leadership. Organizations increasingly invest in artificial intelligence, automation, cloud technologies, and digital platforms to improve competitiveness. However, digital transformation simultaneously creates new vulnerabilities related to technology, processes, strategy, and people. Building upon contemporary literature and a practical application from the logistics sector, this article proposes an Integrated Digital Risk (IDR) Framework that positions leadership as the connecting mechanism between innovation and organizational resilience. The framework consists of four dimensions: Strategic Risk, Technology Risk, Process Risk, and People Risk. The paper argues that organizations achieve sustainable digital growth when risk management is embedded into transformation initiatives rather than treated as a separate compliance function. A practical illustration based on the Forwarder Live digital logistics platform demonstrates how risk-aware digital design can strengthen trust, operational continuity, and long-term organizational performance.
Salome Chkheidze· Journal of Management Resear...· 0 citations
Information technology consulting has changed from a technical assistance activity to a strategic profession helping organizations to transform digitally, innovate organizationally, and gain a sustainable competitive advantage. Cloud computing, artificial intelligence, big data analytics, cybersecurity, enterprise platforms, and digital service management have considerably broadened the field and duties of IT consultants. Thus, consultants are increasingly expected to combine technological knowledge with strategic decision making, organizational change management, and business process improvements.
This paper discusses a narrative literature review focused on changes in the practices of IT consulting in the period of 2016-2026. This review discusses scholarly literature concerning digital transformation, consulting competencies, value generation, service innovations, and emerging roles in the consulting profession. In contrast to a descriptive literature review, this research critically contrasts existing perspectives on the subject, finds converging and divergent opinions, and points at research gaps which define the area. Special attention will be paid to changes in the strategic function of IT consultants, to competencies necessary for organizational digital transformations, and to new technologies such as AI in consulting.
Narrative review methodology is made clear through the discussion of how the literature was searched for, what were the criteria for choosing the papers to be included in this paper, and how the process of selecting those papers took place. It has been found that IT consultants in today’s world are seen as strategic partners who enable technological innovation, organizational resilience, and digital transformation of businesses, and not only provide technical solutions. While there have been great advancements in this area, many issues need to be resolved in relation to consulting ethics, AI governance, digital trust, sustainability, and competency development.
Celinne Mendez, Dr. Reagan Ricafort· International journal of res...· 0 citations