Conceptualizing digitalization orientation as a strategic posture – How to boost the impact of digital technologies in businesses: A qualitative good practices approach

Due to the far-reaching and multifaceted potential of digital technologies, finding a way to enable digital technologies to unleash their full potential and to create competitive advantages is complex. Family businesses are often particularly careful with accepting innovation and represent insightful cases for analyzing digital transformation. We propose that digital transformation works particularly well when it is anchored as a strategic orientation. We refer to this as digitalization orientation (DO), which builds on fundamental premises that frame important digitalization decisions. By means of an in-depth analysis of four good practices, we identify five dimensions of DO: (1) openness towards digitalization, (2) awareness of data as valuable resources, (3) urge to find customized digital solutions, (4) perseverance in the implementation of digitalization plans, and (5) involvement of employees in the digitalization process. These five dimensions are proposed for research as a basis for a DO scale and for businesses in practice to reflect on promising ways of their digital transformation. • Digitalization orientation as a contemporary strategic posture is conceptualized. • A qualitative good practices approach based on system analysis is applied. • Five dimensions of digitalization orientation are identified. • They are suggested to companies to reflect promising ways of their digitalization.