Influence of Digitalisation on Business Success in Austrian Traded Prime Market Companies—A Longitudinal Study

Software investments can significantly contribute to corporate success by optimising productivity, stimulating creativity, elevating customer satisfaction, and equipping organisations with the essential resources to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing market. This paper examines whether software investments have an impact on the economic success of the companies listed on the Austrian Traded Prime market (ATX companies). A literature review and qualitative content analysis are performed to answer the research questions. For testing hypotheses, a longitudinal study is conducted. Over a ten-year period, the consolidated financial statements of the businesses under review are evaluated. A panel will assist with the data analysis. This study offers notable distinctions from other research that has investigated the correlation between digitalisation and economic success. In contrast to prior studies that relied on surveys to assess the level of digitalisation, this study obtained the required data by conducting a comprehensive examination of the annual reports of all the organisations included in the analysis. The regression analysis of all businesses revealed no correlation between software expenditures and economic success. The regression models were subsequently calculated independently for financial and non-financial companies. The correlation between software investments and economic success in both industries is evident.