Many countries are leveraging digital transformation to enhance productivity and organizational performance. In Saudi Arabia, this transformation is pivotal to the Saudi Vision 2030 plan (Alojail et al., 2023). The government promotes technology as a cornerstone of economic development (Gadi, 2021). Consequently, digital transformation is reshaping the global business environment, with Saudi Arabia integrating it as a central element of its Vision 2030 strategy. This shift, driven by technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT), aims to advance economic diversification, competitiveness, and social development. Effective leadership, collaboration, and innovation are essential for harnessing these technologies. Saudi Arabia's focus on digital transformation is crucial for achieving Vision 2030's goals, aiming to boost productivity, drive economic growth, and foster social progress, thereby aligning with its strategic objectives for a sustainable future.
i. Digital Transformation
Digital transformation is a critical and evolving concept in the modern business landscape, reflecting how organizations adapt to and leverage new technologies to drive growth and innovation. As businesses navigate an increasingly digital world, understanding digital transformation becomes essential. In the following section, we will explore various definitions of digital transformation, providing a comprehensive overview of its scope and impact. This presentation will highlight how digital technologies reshape business systems, processes, technology, and organizational culture, offering insights into the fundamental aspects of digital transformation:
According to Surianarayanan (2020), digital transformation is defined as the process of leveraging digital technologies and integrating them across all areas of a business to fundamentally reshape four key aspects: systems, processes, technology, and the people within the enterprise.
While Gašperlin et al., (2021) indicated that digital transformation refers to the process of redefining how enterprises conduct business by utilizing digital technology. It involves altering existing organizational processes both within and between organizations.
In summary, digital transformation is a comprehensive process that fundamentally redefines how businesses operate by integrating digital technologies across all facets of the organization. Whether through reshaping systems, processes, and technologies or by altering internal and external organizational processes, digital transformation is about leveraging digital tools to drive significant change and innovation within enterprises.
Digital transformation is not merely a one-time event or the simple adoption of new technologies; it requires a profound shift in how organizations function. This shift involves redefining existing paradigms and models, empowering the organization, and bolstering its competitive position. The ultimate goal of digital transformation is to cultivate greater innovation within the organization, allowing it to transcend routine processes and focus on achieving broader strategic objectives. By fully embracing this transformation, organizations can position themselves to thrive in an increasingly dynamic and digital landscape (Alshammari, 2023).
As indicated by Surianarayanan, (2020) digital transformation involves the application of digital technologies across all areas of a business, fundamentally reshaping systems, processes, technology, and people to create new opportunities. This transformation provides several significant benefits:
-
Lower Investment Costs: By optimizing processes and leveraging technology, businesses can reduce their investment expenditures.
-
Enhanced Financial Performance: Digital transformation often leads to improved financial results through increased efficiency and effectiveness.
-
Increased Employee Productivity: Implementing digital tools and processes boosts employee productivity by automating routine tasks.
-
Better Customer Experience: Advanced technologies enable businesses to meet customer expectations more effectively and provide a superior experience.
-
Improved Interoperability: Enhanced systems and technology improve the integration and interaction between different parts of the organization.
According to the Diffusion of Innovations theory, potential adopters initially lack awareness of an innovation. At this early stage, the innovation-decision process model emphasizes the use of effective communication channels to raise awareness and move potential adopters to the knowledge stage. Once aware, potential adopters actively seek information about the possible impacts of adopting the innovation, which shapes their attitudes toward its attributes during the persuasion stage. The theory suggests that having sufficient practical knowledge about the innovation is crucial for progressing to the next stage, where the adoption decision is ultimately made (Brandt, 2018).
The transformative impact of digital transformation in Saudi Arabia, aligned with Vision 2030 objectives, is significant. Leadership, collaboration, and innovation are pivotal for success. Embracing digital technologies offers opportunities for economic diversification, enhanced competitiveness, and social development. Continuous monitoring and adaptation are essential to navigate the evolving digital landscape effectively. Overall, digital transformation holds promise for Saudi Arabia's future, fostering inclusive growth and sustainable development in line with Vision 2030's aspirations. Technological advancements like cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT) offer organizations unparalleled opportunities to streamline operations, optimize processes, and develop innovative products and services. These technologies act as catalysts for digital transformation, enabling organizations to boost efficiency, productivity, and agility in an ever-evolving business environment (Alnasser et al., 2024. P.24).
ii. Organizational Culture
Organizational culture is a fundamental aspect of any organization, encompassing the shared values, beliefs, and norms that influence how employees behave and interact within the workplace. It serves as the underlying framework that guides decision-making and shapes the overall environment of an organization. In the following section, we will explore various definitions of organizational culture provided by different researchers, offering a comprehensive understanding of how this concept has been interpreted and its significance in shaping organizational behaviour:
According to Kumar & Hamid (2021), organizational culture refers to the values and norms of behaviour that are accepted and understood by every member of the organization, it is used as a basis for behaviour in the organization. While Abbas (2023) defined organizational culture as encompassing the beliefs and values that employees have embraced over time. These values shape their expectations of work and significantly influence their behaviour and attitudes in the workplace. Finally, Mohamed (2023) stated that organizational culture refers to the shared values and beliefs among members of an organization, initially established by the leader and then communicated and reinforced through various methods to shape employee behaviour and their understanding of the organization's mission and goals. Organizational culture is typically measured across three dimensions: employee orientation, customer focus, and responsibility.
Organizational culture consists of the values that are deeply embedded within an organization or company, serving as guiding principles for its members in their daily activities. These cultural guidelines, whether formally documented or informally understood, can vary in strength depending on certain organizational variables. These variables include employee adherence to regulations, individual commitment to achieving goals, and the ability to meet work targets within set deadlines. Since organizational culture is closely linked to the work environment, it significantly influences employee performance. In the absence of a strong organizational culture, employees may struggle to fulfil their responsibilities effectively due to a lack of commitment and clarity. A robust organizational culture, on the other hand, fosters, enhances and sustains high performance. The stronger the organizational culture, the higher the level of employee performance (Amran & Setyanegara, 2021).
Organizational culture is crucial to the functioning of an organization, making it a topic of significant interest not only to researchers and scholars but also to companies and their managers. As one of the most complex aspects of change management, organizational culture consists of both formal and informal elements. Importantly, these cultures are neither static nor uniform; they evolve over time (Alfadhili et al., 2023).
Organizational culture is shaped by the foundational philosophy upon which the organization was established. This culture significantly influences the criteria for evaluating employee performance. The actions of top management play a crucial role in defining what behaviours are deemed acceptable or unacceptable within the organization. The effectiveness of employee socialization depends on how well the values of new employees align with the organization's values during the selection process and the preferences set by top management (Permana, 2020).
Organizational culture encompasses the values that emerge within an organization and guide the behaviour of its members. It is a fundamental aspect of any company, often associated with the shared values, norms, attitudes, and work ethics among the organization’s components. These elements are essential for assessing employee quality, influencing their thinking, collaboration, and interaction with the environment. A strong organizational culture can enhance employee performance and contribute significantly to the company’s success, as it provides clear direction for employees in fulfilling their responsibilities (Mulyaningrum et al., 2022).
Organizational culture is a crucial and highly strategic factor in the growth and advancement of organizations across various sectors, including business, government, educational organizations, and socio-religious organizations. Rather than existing naturally, organizational culture must be deliberately created, maintained, strengthened, and sometimes adapted to meet both internal and external demands. It plays a significant role in shaping organizational effectiveness (Ningsih, 2022).
According to Ilie et al., (2020), organizational culture is a fundamental and intangible element within a company, characterized by several key attributes:
-
Intangible and Immeasurable: Organizational culture is an abstract system of shared values that cannot be easily quantified but significantly influences company dynamics.
-
Complex System of Shared Values: It represents a network of unwritten rules and collective norms that guide employees' daily behaviours and interactions.
-
Collective Thinking and Norms: The culture encompasses the shared attitudes, beliefs, and norms within the organization, which can also be observed by external market players.
-
Origins and Evolution: It originates from the company's founding, often influenced by its shareholders or top management in the case of multinationals.
-
Distinctive Environment: The culture is established by creating a unique environment or atmosphere that distinguishes the company and enhances its market recognition.
-
Presence of Subcultures: Alongside the overarching organizational culture, various subcultures may exist within different roles or departments, each with distinct characteristics but aligned with the broader organizational culture.
In addition, Jafari et al., (2023) indicated that when organizational culture aligns with organizational objectives, it enhances the organization’s efficiency and effectiveness. Characteristics of Organizational Culture include:
Lastly, Ramos & Ellitan, (2022), indicates that the characteristics of organizational culture are:
-
System of Shared Meanings: Organizational culture is defined by a system of shared meanings held by members, which distinguishes the organization from others.
-
Observable Way of Acting: The culture is characterized by an observable way of acting exhibited by all members of the organization.
-
Existence of Norms: The culture includes norms that set standards of behaviour for members.
-
Rules and Regulations: Some specific rules and regulations bind all members of the organization.
-
Organizational Climate: The culture is marked by an organizational climate, which is the interaction between individuals and their environment, influencing their perceptions, impressions, and feelings.
-
Habits and Traditions: The current habits, traditions, and general ways of doing things within the organization are the results of past actions.
-
Founders' Influence: The highest source of an organization's culture is its founders, whose actions and decisions have shaped the culture.
According to the Resource-Based View (RBV), a firm's unique set of resources and capabilities is crucial for achieving and maintaining a competitive advantage. In terms of organizational culture, RBV emphasizes the importance of a strong and well-aligned culture as a valuable resource that can influence employee behaviour and decision-making (Alateeg & Alhammadi, 2024).
iii. The impact of digital transformation on organizational culture in light of leadership styles
This section explores the impact of digital transformation on organizational culture, with a particular focus on the influence of leadership styles. Digital transformation presents significant challenges for organizations, requiring a fundamental rethinking of organizational structures and internal processes to adapt to rapid technological and market changes. In this context, leadership plays a crucial role in steering this transformation and shaping an organizational culture that embraces innovation and achieves sustainable success.
Organizational culture is a critical aspect of any organization. It can be understood through seven key indicators: willingness to take risks, attention to detail, results orientation, people orientation, team orientation, aggressiveness, and stability (Rauf et al., 2020). Organizational culture is composed of three elements: external adaptation tasks, internal integration tasks, and fundamental underlying assumptions (Setiono et al., 2022).
Organizational culture is shaped by its people, processes, and technology. It reflects the organization's integrity, development, future vision, social influence, and brand value. As rapid digitalization transforms how we work, communicate, prioritize customer value, and plan for the future, it inevitably impacts our organizational structures, both directly and indirectly, necessitating ongoing adaptation. However, swiftly altering an established culture is challenging and can sometimes negatively affect employee trust, performance, and internal corporate dynamics (Dash & Gatharia, 2015).
Digital transformation involves the application of digital technologies across all areas of a business, fundamentally altering business processes to create new opportunities for meeting customer expectations, adapting to evolving business needs, and responding to dynamic market trends. At its core, digital transformation is the process of reshaping a business's systems, processes, technology, and people (Firican, 2023).
In the digital era, organizations face an unparalleled shift in the global business landscape, driven by rapid technological advancements. To stay competitive and achieve sustainable growth, businesses must embrace digital transformation, which integrates digital technologies into their processes, culture, and customer interactions, creating new value and opportunities. Leadership plays a pivotal role in steering this transformation and fostering innovation within organizations, making it a critical factor in the successful integration of digital practices and the evolution of organizational culture (Yansen & Yujie, 2023). Digital transformation goes beyond simply adopting and utilizing new digital technologies; it involves a comprehensive organizational shift driven by the integration of digital knowledge, fostering a culture that embraces rethinking work processes, and adopting new practices and business models. Leaders play a vital role in shaping the organizational culture and environment, essential for cultivating, developing, and managing digital knowledge (Schiuma et al., 2024).
A study conducted by Malik et al., (2024) indicated that specific leadership traits—agility, participation, innovativeness, and openness—along with democratic and transformational leadership styles, and a strong foundation in cognitive, social, technological, and digital skills, are instrumental in driving business model innovation and organizational change. These qualities are crucial for the successful digital transformation of organizational culture.
In conclusion, the effect of digital transformation on organizational culture within Saudi enterprises is profound, with leadership styles playing a critical mediating role. Digital transformation necessitates a comprehensive shift in organizational structures, processes, and culture to adapt to rapid technological advancements and evolving market demands. Effective leadership is essential in navigating these changes and fostering a culture that embraces innovation, agility, and continuous improvement. Leadership styles, particularly those that are agile, participatory, and transformational, are key to successfully integrating digital technologies and ensuring that organizational culture evolves in a way that supports sustainable growth and competitiveness in line with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 objectives.