Managing change in the era of digital transformation. The case of Greek public sector

Purpose This study examines the crucial process of implementing digital transformation in the Greek public sector, investigating how organizational framework, organizational sustainment, and employee digital readiness influence the successful integration of technological changes and digital reforms. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative survey was conducted with 233 Greek civil servants attending undergraduate and postgraduate programs in Public Administration. The study employed validated measurement scales including Holt et al.'s (2007) Readiness for Organizational Change scale, Miller's (1997) Integration of Change scale, and Westerman et al.'s (2014) scales for Organizational Frame and Sustainment of Digital Challenge. Data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha coefficients, Pearson correlations, multiple regression models, and bootstrapped mediation analysis via Hayes' (2022) PROCESS macro (Model 4, 5,000 resamples) to test hypotheses regarding direct and indirect effects. Findings Results demonstrate that organizational frame of digital challenge and organizational sustainment of digital transformation significantly and positively affect both employee readiness for digital change and successful integration of digital initiatives. Employee readiness partially mediates the relationships between organizational conditions (framing and sustainment) and integration success, explaining the mechanisms through which organizational interventions translate into successful outcomes. Originality/value This research fills a crucial gap by comprehensively examining relationships between digital organizational frame, sustainment, readiness, and their combined effect on implementation success. It validates Westerman et al.'s digital transformation compass in public sector contexts and provides empirical evidence for developing best practices in digital transformation management for public organizations.