Benefits and Importance of Digital Technologies as Digital Maturity Drivers: A Case Study of Finland

This research explores the factors driving digitalization in Finnish SMEs and contributes to the discussion on DigitalMaturity Models (DMMs). It examines how perceived benefits and the importance of digital technologies influence SMEs'digital capabilities. By identifying key motivators and barriers, the study aims to provide practical insights for both academicsand practitioners, bridging the gap between theoretical models and real-world applications. A stratified sample of 1002Finnish SMEs is used. K-means clustering categorizes these companies into three distinct clusters based on their digitalmaturity levels. Logistic regression models predict the likelihood of a company belonging to each cluster, using perceivedbenefits and the importance of digital technologies as predictor variables. This approach systematically analyzes therelationship between these factors and digital maturity, offering a robust framework for understanding digitalization in SMEs.Additional analyses explore interaction effects between predictor variables, providing deeper insights into the dynamics ofdigital transformation. The study yields six logistic regression models with 19 statistically significant coefficients (p<0.05).Results indicate that perceived benefits and the importance of digitalization vary across clusters, highlighting differentmotivators for digital initiatives based on digital maturity levels. SMEs with higher digital maturity perceive greater benefitsand place higher importance on different digital technologies compared to those with lower maturity. These findingsemphasize the need for tailored strategies to support digitalization efforts and reveal significant variations in the adoptionof specific technologies at different stages of digital maturity. The findings guide practitioners and academics in focusing onrelevant technologies and their outcomes concerning SMEs' digital maturity. Targeted interventions and supportmechanisms should address the specific needs of SMEs at various stages of digital maturity. The study contributes to theevolution of DMMs by providing empirical evidence on the factors driving digitalization in SMEs and underscores theimportance of a phased approach to digital transformation. Future research should include cross-country comparisons andlongitudinal studies to enhance the reliability and validity of the results and understand the temporal aspects of digitaltransformation.