It's here to stay: Lessons, reflections, and visions on digital transformation amid public crisis

Abstract

The objective of this study is to propose a framework for organizing and evaluating digital transformation practices and trends amid the recent public crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In doing so, we provide a systematic review of 160 empirical articles on digital transformation during the pandemic published in 63 academic journals across disciplines such as marketing, management, business, and economics from 2020 to 2023. Our theoretical, methodological, and thematic analysis reveals how digital transformation has been accelerated in various interactions taking place at the organization-consumer, intra-organizational, organization-employee, inter-organizational, and organization-government levels. This analysis yields valuable insights into digital transformation practices amid the pandemic, presenting important practical implications for individuals, organizations, and governmental entities. Finally, various directions for future research on digital transformation in exogenous crises are recommended based on input by academics in the field, which helps to further expand its boundaries.