Digital transformation initiatives: Motivations, objectives, and strategies

• Empirical analysis of digital transformation antecedents: motivations, objectives & strategies. • Survey of 205 professionals across diverse organisational contexts in DT projects. • Productivity & innovation leadership prevail over external pressures in DT initiation. • Early-stage DT prioritises efficiency & maturity; disruptive strategies follow. • Framework guides alignment of strategic intent and operational execution in DT. Digital Transformation (DT) is a strategic and multidimensional initiative through which organisations reconfigure their business models, structures, and capabilities by integrating digital technologies. Despite growing attention in the literature, a gap remains in understanding the factors that precede DT efforts in a comprehensive and integrated manner. This study addresses this gap by empirically analysing the antecedents of DT, focusing on the motivations, objectives, and strategies formulated by organisations. A questionnaire-based survey was administered to 205 professionals involved in digital initiatives across diverse organisational contexts. The study follows a quantitative approach, supported by descriptive statistical analysis. The results show that, while there is an expected consistency between motivations and objectives, their correspondence with the strategies adopted is not always evident. This research contributes to the theoretical advancement of DT studies by proposing an integrated perspective on its antecedents and offers practical insights for managers and decision-makers in planning and monitoring digital initiatives, reinforcing the need for coherence between strategic intent and operational execution.