Factors Influencing the Intended Adoption of Digital Transformation: A South African Case Study

Organisations worldwide are facing a market pressures which are forcing them to undertake digital transformation projects or initiatives. This research study set out to explore this in more depth, asking questions about the intention of South African (SA) retail organisations to adopt digital transformation and probing into the understanding and perception of digital transformation itself, as well as future intended use cases for available digital technologies. A case study approach was deemed to he an appropriate strategy given the paucity of existing academic research on the topic. Participants in the study had a good understanding of digital transformation and digital technologies, but perceptions were mixed. The most prominent digital transformation initiatives in the SA retail industry were the adoption of cloud technologies and data analytics. The factors identified in this study, using the Technology, Organisational, and Environmental (TOE) framework, can assist retailers in their decision-making process concerning digital transformation adoption.