IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i6p3628-d775063.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Threats and Opportunities in Digital Transformation in SMEs from the Perspective of Sustainability: A Case Study in the Czech Republic

Author

Listed:
  • Iveta Šimberová

    (Institute of Management, Faculty of Business and Management, Brno University of Technology, Kolejni 906/4, 612 00 Brno, Czech Republic)

  • Antonín Korauš

    (Department of Information Science and Management, Academy of the Police Force in Bratislava, 835 17 Bratislava, Slovakia)

  • David Schüller

    (Institute of Management, Faculty of Business and Management, Brno University of Technology, Kolejni 906/4, 612 00 Brno, Czech Republic)

  • Lenka Širáňová

    (Institute of Informatics, Faculty of Business and Management, Brno University of Technology, Kolejni 2906/4, 612 00 Brno, Czech Republic)

  • Jarmila Straková

    (Department of Management, Okružní Institute of Technology and Business in České Budějovice, 517/10, 370 01 České Budějovice, Czech Republic)

  • Jan Váchal

    (Department of Management, Okružní Institute of Technology and Business in České Budějovice, 517/10, 370 01 České Budějovice, Czech Republic)

Abstract

Digital technologies represent an important factor in the achievement of the sustainability goals of the European Green Deal. Whether the digitalisation trend will contribute to the sustainable development of societies in the long term depends on how we shape and understand it. The aim of this paper is to create a concept for the management of the threats and opportunities in the digital transformation of SMEs. As part of a broader research project, a complex tool was developed to assess the digital maturity of SMEs, and our paper focuses on one aspect of this tool, which is related to the identification and management of the opportunities and threats that are associated with digital transformation trends. The methodology that was used to develop this paper is based on a pilot survey that involved 154 SMEs in the Czech Republic, 74 of which were used for the follow-up survey on the opportunities and threats. Sixteen key trends were identified, which were then reduced to five latent factors, with their names forming five dimensions. In the cluster analysis, the companies were divided into three clusters, which served as the basis for determining the final cluster centres. The result is a concept for the management of the threats and opportunities in the digital transformation of SMEs. Digital transformation is the broad topic. Therefore, the theoretical overlap of this study can be seen in the narrower focus on the identification and management of the opportunities and threats in digital transformation. In addition, this study focuses on SMEs because there are more than one million small and medium-sized enterprises in the Czech Republic, and they create 54% of the innovative solutions. The practical impact of this study can be understood in the fact that the proposed concept may enable SMEs to more easily manage threats and opportunities in their digital transformation.

Suggested Citation

  • Iveta Šimberová & Antonín Korauš & David Schüller & Lenka Širáňová & Jarmila Straková & Jan Váchal, 2022. "Threats and Opportunities in Digital Transformation in SMEs from the Perspective of Sustainability: A Case Study in the Czech Republic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-17, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:6:p:3628-:d:775063
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/6/3628/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/6/3628/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Antonín Korauš & Miroslav Gombár & Alena Vagaská & Radovan Bačík & Peter Korba & Filip Černák, 2021. "Bitcoin price as one of basic cryptocurrencies in relation to the basic stock market's indicators," Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, VsI Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Center, vol. 9(2), pages 552-569, December.
    2. Dumitru Miron & Monica Aureliana Petcu & Maria Iulia David-Sobolevschi & Radu Cezar Cojocariu, 2021. "A Muldimensional Approach of the Relationship Between Teleworking and Employees Well-Being – Romania During the Pandemic Generated by the Sars-Cov-2 Virus," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 23(58), pages 586-586, August.
    3. Solomiia Fedushko & Tomáš Peráček & Yuriy Syerov & Olha Trach, 2021. "Development of Methods for the Strategic Management of Web Projects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-18, January.
    4. Hess, Thomas & Matt, Christian & Benlian, Alexander & Wiesböck, Florian, 2016. "Options for Formulating a Digital Transformation Strategy," Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 81032, Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL).
    5. Satish Nambisan, 2017. "Digital Entrepreneurship: Toward a Digital Technology Perspective of Entrepreneurship," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 41(6), pages 1029-1055, November.
    6. Bohuslava Mihalčová & Antonín Korauš & Olha Prokopenko & Jozefína Hvastová & Magdaléna Freňáková & Peter Gallo & Beáta Balogová, 2021. "Effective Management Tools for Solving the Problem of Poverty in Relation to Food Waste in Context of Integrated Management of Energy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-18, July.
    7. Ladislav Mura & Zuzana Hajduová, 2021. "Measuring efficiency by using selected determinants in regional SMEs," Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, VsI Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Center, vol. 8(3), pages 487-503, March.
    8. Bresciani, Stefano & Ferraris, Alberto & Del Giudice, Manlio, 2018. "The management of organizational ambidexterity through alliances in a new context of analysis: Internet of Things (IoT) smart city projects," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 331-338.
    9. Jarmila Straková & Antonín Korauš & Jan Váchal & František Pollák & Filip Černák & Milan Talíř & Jaroslav Kollmann, 2021. "Sustainable Development Economics of Enterprises in the Services Sector Based on Effective Management of Value Streams," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-15, August.
    10. Igor Varyash & Alexey Mikhaylov & Nikita Moiseev & Kirill Aleshin, 2020. "Triple bottom line and corporate social responsibility performance indicators for Russian companies," Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, VsI Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Center, vol. 8(1), pages 313-329, September.
    11. Bernd Schäfer & Massimo Gasparon & Per Storm, 2020. "European Raw Materials Alliance—a new initiative to increase raw material resilience for a greener Europe," Mineral Economics, Springer;Raw Materials Group (RMG);Luleå University of Technology, vol. 33(3), pages 415-416, October.
    12. Norman Blaikie, 1991. "A critique of the use of triangulation in social research," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 25(2), pages 115-136, May.
    13. Kristina Razminienė & Irina Vinogradova-Zinkevič & Manuela Tvaronavičienė, 2021. "Tracing Relationship between Cluster’s Performance and Transition to the Circular Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-15, December.
    14. Nomeda Dobrovolskienė & Anastasija Pozniak & Manuela Tvaronavičienė, 2021. "Assessment of the Sustainability of a Real Estate Project Using Multi-Criteria Decision Making," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-19, April.
    15. Gulmira Nurzhanova & Galym Mussirov & Shakizada Niyazbekova & Akilbek Ilyas & Yuliya Gabdrashitovna Tyurina & Leila A. Maisigova & Marija Troyanskaya & Kymbat Kunanbayeva, 2020. "Demographic and migration processes of labor potential: a case study the agricultural sector of the Republic of Kazakhstan," Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, VsI Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Center, vol. 8(1), pages 656-671, September.
    16. Hess, Thomas & Matt, Christian & Benlian, Alexander & Wiesböck, Florian, 2016. "Options for Formulating a Digital Transformation Strategy," Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 82423, Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL).
    17. José Domingo Sánchez-Martínez & Juan Carlos Rodríguez-Cohard & Antonio Garrido-Almonacid & Vicente José Gallego-Simón, 2020. "Social Innovation in Rural Areas? The Case of Andalusian Olive Oil Co-Operatives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-18, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Hornyák, Miklós & Kruzslicz, Ferenc & Lányi, Beatrix, 2023. "A kis- és középvállalatok digitális transzformációja - az online jelenlét és a versenyképesség összefüggései [The relationships between the online presence of SMEs and competitiveness]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(5), pages 517-543.
    2. Daniela Roxana Vuță & Eliza Nichifor & Ioana Bianca Chițu & Gabriel Brătucu, 2022. "Digital Transformation—Top Priority in Difficult Times: The Case Study of Romanian Micro-Enterprises and SMEs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-14, August.
    3. Viet Anh Ta & Chieh-Yu Lin, 2023. "Exploring the Determinants of Digital Transformation Adoption for SMEs in an Emerging Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-13, April.
    4. Bartosz Wachnik & Aleksandra Krupa & Krzysztof Santarek, 2022. "A Comparative Analysis of the Acquisition Transaction of Management Information Systems through Virtual and Face-to-Face Negotiations—The Perspective of Green IT Industry in Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-12, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jinqiu He & Huiwen Su, 2022. "Digital Transformation and Green Innovation of Chinese Firms: The Moderating Role of Regulatory Pressure and International Opportunities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-21, October.
    2. Cong Cheng & Hongfang Cui, 2024. "Combining digital and legacy technologies: firm digital transformation strategies—evidence from Chinese manufacturing companies," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-14, December.
    3. Ge Zhang & Yuxiang Gao & Gaoyong Li, 2023. "Research on Digital Transformation and Green Technology Innovation—Evidence from China’s Listed Manufacturing Enterprises," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-23, April.
    4. Maria Elisavet Balta & Thanos Papadopoulos & Konstantina Spanaki, 2024. "Business model pivoting and digital technologies in turbulent environments," Post-Print hal-04513406, HAL.
    5. Saarikko, Ted & Westergren, Ulrika H. & Blomquist, Tomas, 2020. "Digital transformation: Five recommendations for the digitally conscious firm," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 63(6), pages 825-839.
    6. Zhu, Xiumei & Li, Yue, 2023. "The use of data-driven insight in ambidextrous digital transformation: How do resource orchestration, organizational strategic decision-making, and organizational agility matter?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    7. Yu, Honglan & Fletcher, Margaret & Buck, Trevor, 2022. "Managing digital transformation during re-internationalization: Trajectories and implications for performance," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(4).
    8. Zhang, Zhengyi & Jin, Jun & Li, Shijing & Zhang, Yuanmin, 2023. "Digital transformation of incumbent firms from the perspective of portfolios of innovation," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    9. Di Ye & Bin Xu & Bingling Wei & Linlin Zheng & Yenchun Jim Wu, 2024. "Employee work engagement in the digital transformation of enterprises: a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-15, December.
    10. Chatterjee, Sheshadri & Chaudhuri, Ranjan & Vrontis, Demetris & Jabeen, Fauzia, 2022. "Digital transformation of organization using AI-CRM: From microfoundational perspective with leadership support," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 46-58.
    11. Blanka, Christine & Krumay, Barbara & Rueckel, David, 2022. "The interplay of digital transformation and employee competency: A design science approach," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    12. Siachou, Evangelia & Vrontis, Demetris & Trichina, Eleni, 2021. "Can traditional organizations be digitally transformed by themselves? The moderating role of absorptive capacity and strategic interdependence," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 408-421.
    13. Ritala, Paavo & Baiyere, Abayomi & Hughes, Mathew & Kraus, Sascha, 2021. "Digital strategy implementation: The role of individual entrepreneurial orientation and relational capital," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    14. Eller, Robert & Alford, Philip & Kallmünzer, Andreas & Peters, Mike, 2020. "Antecedents, consequences, and challenges of small and medium-sized enterprise digitalization," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 119-127.
    15. Verma, Pratima & Kumar, Vimal & Yalcin, Haydar & Daim, Tugrul, 2023. "Organizational architecture of strategic entrepreneurial firms for digital transformation: A bibliometric analysis," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    16. Wiesböck, Florian & Hess, Thomas, 2018. "Understanding the capabilities for digital innovations from a digital technology perspective," Working Papers 1/2018, University of Munich, Munich School of Management, Institute for Information Systems and New Media.
    17. Corvello, Vincenzo & Belas, Jaroslav & Giglio, Carlo & Iazzolino, Gianpaolo & Troise, Ciro, 2023. "The impact of business owners’ individual characteristics on patenting in the context of digital innovation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 155(PA).
    18. Jahangir Karimi & Zhiping Walter, 2021. "The Role of Entrepreneurial Agility in Digital Entrepreneurship and Creating Value in Response to Digital Disruption in the Newspaper Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-26, March.
    19. Kraus, Sascha & Vonmetz, Katharina & Bullini Orlandi, Ludovico & Zardini, Alessandro & Rossignoli, Cecilia, 2023. "Digital entrepreneurship: The role of entrepreneurial orientation and digitalization for disruptive innovation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    20. Marino-Romero, Jorge Alberto & Palos-Sánchez, Pedro R. & Velicia-Martín, Félix, 2024. "Evolution of digital transformation in SMEs management through a bibliometric analysis," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:6:p:3628-:d:775063. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.