Gothenburg U-GOT KIES Research Seminar with Astrid Heidemann Lassen

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Abstract

This study explores the relationship between the composition of management teams' technological and soft digital competencies and their strategic approaches to digital transformation in Industry 4.0 (I4.0).The study uses a mixed-method approach. Based on interview and survey data from 13 management teams in large organizations in the Swedish manufacturing industry, the study first applies k-means clustering to identify patterns and then the Gioia methodology to analyze the specificities of each pattern in depth. We identify four significantly different patterns.The findings suggest that different combinations of competencies significantly influence the strategic focus. Management teams with high soft digital but low technological competencies tend to struggle with strategy execution, relying heavily on external stakeholders (Proposition 1). Teams with low levels of both competencies typically adopt internal, single-solution strategies (Proposition 2), while those with high levels of both adopt a systemic strategy that integrates multiple areas within the organization (Proposition 3). Teams with high technological but low soft digital competencies focus on large-scale IT initiatives (Proposition 4). The study concludes that higher technological competencies lead to more specific strategies, while lower competencies result in more exploratory approaches. The findings underscore the need for tailored leadership and competency development to align digital strategies across organizational levels, addressing gaps between group-level and site-level management. This research extends the understanding of how management team composition influences digital transformation strategies, offering insights into effective leadership in the I4.0 era.

Programme

The presentation is 20 minutes, followed by a 25-minute discussion.

Chair: Maureen McKelvey