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Digital technologies are now part of our daily lives, and the speed of their implementation and use has been accelerated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital transformation, seen in the past as a problem, is now perceived as an important component in the future of sustainable development (SD), especially at higher education institutions whose operations have been adversely affected by the pandemic in many ways. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the subject matter of digital transformation and how it relates to a SD context. It reports on the results of a worldwide survey at higher education institutions, which identified some areas where the pandemic impacted and/or influenced their activities. The survey received 158 responses and a principal component analysis was performed to model the items associated with digital tools boosting SD, innovative business opportunities and ideas, and needs for improvement at HEIs. The results indicate that most part of the respondents developed digital skills and increased their involvement with e-learning and distance learning; however, more digital training is needed. Findings also support the role played by digital technologies in boosting SD at HEIs, and the role of institutions in promoting innovation through digital tools. Apart from an analysis of the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to digital transformation in an SD context in higher education institutions, the paper provides an assessment of trends and recommendations that may guide future developments in a post-pandemic work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to explore the emerging issue of Digital Transformation (DT) in the Greek fashion industry, which according to literature, is highly fragmented, populated by a large number of digitally immature SMEs and financially strained, even before the outburst of the COVID-19 crisis. This paper aims to explore the current level of knowledge, understanding and adoption of Digital Transformation from fashion companies in Greece, by evaluating the results of an online survey of sixty middle and top-level executives from the fashion industry. The descriptive analysis of the survey data reveals the aforementioned technology lag and -among other findings- showcases the need for a more comprehensive, efficient, structured, less fragmented and coordinated approach towards developing a digital strategy and implementation roadmap that will guide fashion companies through the harsh realities of the post-COVID19 era, as dictated and imposed by the 'next normal' for manufacturers and retailers all over the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digital divide gained new importance since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemics. However, the phenomenon is far from being fully conceptualized or effectively measured. The key question, whether digital divide is a mere extension of other social inequalities, or it has significant new meaning, remains largely unanswered; a reason is the lack of effective instruments of quantitative study of the phenomenon that would capture its complex nature. The present paper addresses both conceptualizing and measurement issues, suggesting that separation of supply- and demand-side considerations is crucial in understanding the digital divide and introducing a composite Digital Life Index, measures separately the digital supply and demand across seven independent dimensions. The Index is based on Internet-borne data, a distinction from traditional research approaches that rely on official statistics or surveys. Though the empiric part of the paper is focused on the sub-national digital divide in Russia we argue that its methodology can be applied on many other levels and its conceptual findings are relevant to understanding the phenomenon globally. The hierarchical regression analysis is used to determine the relative importance of factors like income, human capital, and policy in shaping the digital divide. The result of the analysis suggests that the digital divide is driven more by the differences in demand than in supply; the role of income is insignificant, and the quality of policy and human capital is the key determinant of the divide. The paper advances the existing conceptual and methodological literature on the issue and can also inform practical decision-making regarding the strategies of national and regional digital development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital Transformation has generated much research and curiosity recently, with the COVID-19 global pandemic accelerating its pace across all industry sectors. Current literature has not adequately provided a comprehensive understanding of Digital Transformation Leadership (DTL). The objective of this research is to explore the characteristics of DTL by undertaking a comprehensive review of Information Systems literature using a systematic procedure of identifying and coding 87 research papers, resulting in 600 coded excerpts, capturing the 'who' and 'what' of DTL. Our analysis identifies eight DTL characteristics, namely: digital strategist, digital culturalist, digital architect, customer centrist, organisational agilist, data advocate, business process optimiser and digital workplace landscaper. We discuss mapping the DTL characteristics to c-suite roles, presenting a taxonomy from the literature, of interest to both academics and practitioners. This research raises the awareness of the concept of DTL characteristics, especially amongst those in positions of leadership and decision making authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher education institutions have always been changing concurrently with larger societal developments. This paper addresses digital transformation in higher education (DTHE) during a disruptive crisis, e.g., the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding different perspectives on DTHE during the pandemic is important, as the meaning allocated to the unfolding events holds the potential to shape future decision making. We conducted a critical review of 22 academic papers published in the first year of the pandemic. A thematic analysis revealed divergent perspectives of how the pandemic was affecting DTHE, with the material pointing in the direction of the pandemic as an accelerator of ongoing changes in higher education. The papers unanimously understood DTHE as multi-dimensional and as an ongoing, long-time process entangled with digital transformations in other sectors already initiated before the pandemic. Although this review is limited to research carried out during the first year of the pandemic, further studies might address a longer time-period, by studying changes in higher education and research in consequence of a disruptive crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With a rising globalization of the economy and society, the digital transformation, and the economic downturn started in 2008, working is becoming less dependent on distance, location, and time. These are some of the reasons that have fostered the development and diffusion of new working spaces like coworking spaces. The paper aims at exploring the location determinants of coworking spaces, an issue that has been less developed by the literature up to now. By focusing on the 549 coworking spaces located in Italy at the year 2018, the paper investigates the location factors of such workplaces, and the attractiveness of large cities as well as peripheral areas. The results of the descriptive statistics and the econometric analysis (a Zero-Inflated Negative Binomial model is applied) confirm that coworking is mainly an urban phenomenon, since coworking spaces tend to be knowledge-intensive places for creative people. Specifically, the municipalities showing higher innovation and entrepreneurial environment (i.e. major cities) are preferred locations. Besides, it is discussed whether coworking spaces may contribute to fostering the development of peripheral and inner areas in Italy, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic where the share of teleworkers outside metropolitan areas has massively increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital transformation has become an inevitable choice for tourism companies to improve the resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper focuses on the influence of digital transformation on the resilience of tourism companies and clarifies the important role of digital transformation in enhancing the sustainability of tourism companies. Based on the data from Chinese tourism-listed companies, it is found that digital transformation can mitigate the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on corporate resilience. Heterogeneity tests indicate that digital transformation has positive effects on resilience for both eastern and non-state companies, and the resilience of large-, small-, and medium-sized companies benefit from digital transformation. Influence mechanism tests show that digital transformation can strengthen the resilience of tourism companies by increasing organizational flexibility, enhancing sustainable operation capability and shaping competitive advantage. The conclusions are of reference value for decision-making on the use of digital technology to enhance risk resistance by tourism companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several measures have been taken to reduce the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. One of these measures is the broad digital transformation that has rapidly and unexpectedly forced the deployment of digital technologies into corporations' business models and organizational structures. This digital transformation has affected all the socio-economic aspects. In response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, this paper explores the impact of the implementation of digital transformation on the socio-economic recovery by employing cross-sectional regression analysis on 99 countries in year 2020. The paper analyzes the impact of digital transformation on each of economic growth, health care, and income inequality. The results reveal that the digital transformation has a positive and significant impact on the GDP per capita in which a 1% increase in digital transformation results in 1.52% increase in GDP per capita, a positive and significant impact on income equality in which a 1% increase in digital transformation leads to 0.05% increase in income equality, and a negative and significant impact on infant mortality rate, in which a 1% increase in digital transformation results in 0.85% decrease in infant mortality rate which reflects its positive impact on the health care. Hence, the digital transformation has a positive and significant effects on different socio-economic aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically analyses the current state and future implications of digital transformation, with a specific focus on the challenges that organizations navigate in the post-pandemic era. By emphasizing the importance of strategic vision, adaptability, and a human-centric approach, this article underscores the potential of digital transformation to create value and drive sustainable growth. The reflections and conclusions presented in this work can provide valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers alike. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic is causing an unprecedented global health crisis with severe socio-economic consequences. This paper explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Digital transformation and vice versa. More especially, the article provides concrete reflections on whether and how the COVID-19 outbreak is accelerating digital transformation in organizations. The main conclusions of this work can be valuable to startups and traditional organisations that intend to explore or seize opportunities in digital transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which author discusses articles on topics including focuses on "From Postcolonial to Subimperial Formations of Medicine: Superregional Perspectives from Taiwan and Korea" extends the discussion on the formation of colonial knowledge by the Japanese Empire.

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The global pandemic, COVID-19 shattered everyday life as we know it and disrupted education globally. In this study, we explore an initiated digital transformation accelerated by the pandemic from school leaders' perspectives in the context of Swedish high schools. The data consists of a questionnaire with 105 school leaders containing both fixed and open-ended response types. The results reveal significant differences in school leaders' views on how the transition has worked, whether they and their staff have developed their digital competence, and, how it will affect the school onwards. Contributions include theorising about school leaders' experiences of navigating an accelerated digital transformation prompted by the pandemic. We introduce four school leader profiles: (a) the enthusiast, (b) the affirmative (c) the skeptical, and (d) the hesitant. These profiles serve to encapsulate the nuanced perspectives of school leaders, thereby enriching our comprehension of their diverse requirements and priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the impact of the intensity of countries' digital transformation on the performance of 3961 global companies in the Information Technology sector in 2020. We analyse the impact of e-government index, e-participation index, and cybersecurity commitment on firms' performance (enterprise value, book value per share, and cash flow from operation per share) using OLS regression. A structural equation modelling was further employed to explain the mediating role of cybersecurity commitment. Results suggest that e-government has a positive linkage with cybersecurity commitment and performance. However, there is preliminary evidence that cybersecurity measures initiated by e-government will drive performance. The e-participation index has a positive association with cybersecurity commitment and a heterogeneous impact on performance, suggesting the need to differentiate between development and participation. Finally, results highlight the pivotal role of e-government and cybersecurity commitment in boosting the profitability of companies and supporting the influence of the surrounding technological environment on companies' performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many firms are engaging in the digital transformation (DT) of their sales forces, and this trend has accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, research on DT as a profound organizational change process, as well as salespeople's individual psychological reactions to such initiatives, is still limited. Although DT offers salespeople more and better resources for work-related goal attainment, it increases job demands and typically generates high uncertainty, which companies must then manage. We draw on job demands-resources (JD-R) theory to account for these bright and dark side effects simultaneously. We analyze the direct, mediated, and moderated effects of uncertainty reduction initiatives (resources) and excessive workload (demands) on the perceived usefulness of DT (i.e. salespeople's motivation to embrace it), the stress it generates, and the ultimate success of DT integration. In doing so, we shed light on the complex pattern of relationships that characterizes salespeople's psychological reactions to DT. Using DT context-specific constructs, we test our model and hypotheses on a sample of 144 salespeople of a firm engaged in DT. Our results fill several gaps in the technology in sales, DT, and JD-R literatures, and we provide managers with several guidelines to better manage DT in sales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This critical review and perspective of the literature features the current landscape of online learning in higher education institutions (HEIs). The review starts by exploring the changing nature of student needs and staff and institutional roles in the face of online learning, and how digital transformation is shaping the culture and ways of learning. The aim is to better understand the challenges faced by higher education leaders to adopt online offerings and the factors affecting their decision-making. Emergence and fast evolution of third-party online programme management providers (OPMs) and forces which encourage or oppose their partnership with HEIs are critically discussed. The review also highlights the impact of COVID-19 emergency online learning on institutional practices and future adoption of online offerings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unexpected crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic considerably influence business operations and supply chains worldwide. Therefore, many companies have adopted digitalization to address the rapidly changing environment. However, few studies have explored the mediating mechanism between digitalization and collaborative planning. Based on structural equation modeling, this study examines how digital transformation can improve collaborative planning through the mediating roles of management participation and information sharing. The results indicate that digital transformation significantly affects management and information sharing. Additionally, management participation and information sharing positively affect collaborative planning. However, this study reveals that digital transformation does not directly influence collaborative planning. Overall, owing to a lack of research exploring the mediating mechanism between digital transformation and collaborative planning, this study contributes to digitalization and manufacturing and provides valuable suggestions. Fundamentally, companies that want to develop digitalization and encourage collaborative planning should consider the effects of management participation and information sharing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) worldwide, especially in European countries, suffered a steep fall due to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus. This article is the first effort to empirically investigate the nexus between digital transformation and FDI inflows, thereby finding a way to help countries overcome the current situation. Using the data of 23 European countries pre-COVID (2015–2019) and during the COVID health crisis (2020), we demonstrate a nonlinear relationship between digitalization and FDI inflows, implying that a certain extent of digital transformation could promote the inflows of FDI. Before the COVID-19 health crisis, digital business played a critical role in attracting FDI inflows. E-commercial activities also enhanced FDI flows during the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, and digital public services may be an effective tool to help countries overcome the health crisis. Furthermore, digitalization plays a critical role in promoting FDI inflows in both the short term and long term. Hence, digital transformation is an inevitable process that countries need to embrace in order to overcome the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and resolve the delay or lack of foreign investments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the long-anticipated digital transformation of traditional retail has become the new reality. Retailers are responding to changes in consumers' shopping behaviours and their demand for new interaction channels and touchpoints to shop at their convenience, regardless of time and location. Consequently, retailers are experiencing a change from single-channel models to multi-channel and omnichannel models. Omnichannel retailing demands integrated channel management and operation to improve customers' shopping experiences. This study uses measures of channel integration levels from previous research to analyse channel integration among leading vendors in three top retailing sectors (clothing and apparel, home furniture and grocery) and expands the analysis by including indicators of digital transformation. The model includes 27 indicators related to channel integration and 9 indicators of digital transformation, and compares the results across sectors. By so doing, the study also aims to help establish values that may be used as target or reference values of channel integration and digitalization of retailers across sectors, irrespective of their size. The research methodology uses the 'mystery shopper' technique and includes the collection of data about the 165 leading companies in these sectors in Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid digital transformation is taking place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing organisations and higher educational institutions to change their working and learning culture. This study explores the challenges of rapid digital transformation arising during the pandemic in the higher education context. This research used the Q-methodology to understand the nine challenges that higher education encountered, perceived differently as four main patterns: (1) Digital-nomad enterprise; (2) Corporate-collectivism; (3) Well-being-oriented; and (4) Pluralistic. This study broadens the current understanding of digital transformation, especially in higher education. The nine challenges and four patterns of transformation actors serve as a starting point for organisations in supporting technological choice and strategic interventions, based on individual, group, and organisational behavioural levels. Moreover, five propositions, based on the competing concerns of these challenges, establish a framework for comprehending the ecosystem that enables rapid digital transformation. Strategies, prerequisites, and key factors during the (digital) technology development process benefit the cyber-society ecosystem. As a practical contribution, Q-methodology was used to investigate perspectives on digitalisation challenges during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few decades, digital technologies have become essential for the competitive success of museums and the achievement of their institutional mission. To the best of our knowledge, few studies have analyzed the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on digitalization in the museum sector. In light of this, the present study aims to investigate whether the pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation of museums. It examines the case of Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence through semi-structured interviews and secondary sources. The results show that the museum started its digitalization some time ago, but the pandemic has accelerated it. The institution has been developing several new digital projects using various online and onsite tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital transformation in higher education, especially after COVID-19, is seen as inevitable. This research explores digital transformation's maturity and challenges within the education enterprise. The significance of this study stems from the critical role digital transformation and higher education play in today's digital economy, and digital learning, especially with the impact of COVID-19. This study proposes a new model to measure digital transformation maturity assessment in the education enterprise, based on Deloitte's 2019 digital transformation assessment model, and Petkovic et al.'s [2014. Cloud Computing Support to University Business Processes in External Collaboration." Acta Polytechnica Hungarica 11 (3): 181–200] mega and major higher education process mapping. The study triangulates the findings of multiple research instruments, including survey, interviews, case study, and direct observation. The research findings show a gap between digital transformation's maturity perception, and core requirements. A stronger focus on enabling processes, and a lack of wholistic vision, digital transformation competency, and data structure were among the leading challenges in digital transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only affected higher education on a global scale but it has also brought numerous challenges to the higher education community. Although initial responses involved faculties rushing to change their traditional curriculums to fit an online environment, we opine that transitioning contents to an online learning environment is not enough. This article adds to the conversations surrounding the challenges and problems faced by the community and opinions to handle these challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]