| Abstract [eng] |
Digital transformation is now regarded as one of the most important drivers of organizational competitiveness, productivity, and higher value creation. However, in the context of incumbent firms, it remains a complex and often fragmented process. Although such organizations possess accumulated experience, established routines, and stable operating models, these same features can reinforce organizational inertia and constrain deeper change. The problem addressed in this thesis stems from the fact that the academic literature still does not sufficiently explain why some digitalization projects in incumbent firms remain limited to local technological or process improvements, while others become a basis for broader organizational learning and the growth of innovativeness. The aim of the thesis is to investigate how organizational experience accumulated during digitalization projects and emerging technological sensemaking in incumbent firms, acting within the context of organizational barriers, contribute to transformative learning and the further growth of organizational innovativeness. The object of the research is the transformative learning processes emerging during digitalization projects in incumbent firms. In the theoretical part of the thesis, digital transformation is approached as a holistic organizational change involving not only the implementation of technologies, but also changes in processes, managerial practices, strategic direction, and value creation logic. The analysis is grounded in the dimensions of digital transformation, the logic of digital maturity assessment, and J. Mezirow’s theory of transformative learning. A qualitative multiple case study design was chosen for the empirical research. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and supplementary project documentation analysis. The study examines digitalization project cases implemented by Zenitech in incumbent organizations operating in the entertainment broadcasting, banking, and energy sectors. The cases were selected according to the profile of the organizations, their incumbent nature, and the maturity and progression of the projects, allowing the research to assess not only the initial triggers of change but also their broader organizational consequences. The interview guide was developed on the basis of the theoretical analysis, drawing on the identified dimensions of digital transformation, the logic of digital process maturity assessment, and the dynamics of organizational change. The findings reveal that digitalization projects in incumbent firms often begin as responses to specific operational limitations, but their organizational impact increases when established ways of working are questioned during the project. The research shows that organizational barriers are reduced not only through the implementation of technological solutions, but also through learning from the project process, involving business-side employees in shaping decisions, and adopting new practices from external partners. In this study, external partnership emerged as a significant enabler of transformative learning, as it helps incumbent firms renew their operating principles, strengthen competencies, and develop a broader understanding of the role of technology within the organization. Therefore, digitalization projects contribute to the growth of organizational innovativeness when they move beyond isolated technology implementation and become a process of learning, reassessing established practices, and embedding new operating principles. The additional discussion of a digitalization service provider’s context also showed that the development of new technological competencies is relevant not only for incumbent firms undergoing digitalization, but also for the technology partners that support them. |
