Digital transformation and change strategies of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

Abstract

The coronavirus outbreak accelerated digital transformation in broad areas of the SME sector in Suriname. Digital transformation is an important strategic decision and results in changes in the business model of an enterprise. An important aspect when choosing a change strategy is whether it fits the contextual factors of the organization. There is an urgent need in the field of SME entrepreneurship in Suriname to elucidate how change management drives the successful adoption and usage of change within the business. The purpose of this study is to examine how contextual factors affect change strategies during the implementation of organizational change in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Suriname. It first reviews the change strategies these SMEs apply for their digital transformation to prosper in a new era with COVID-19 and beyond. Next, it examines whether the SMEs choose the appropriate change strategies corresponding to their contextual factors. This research builds upon selective data from five cases. The study makes a theoretical contribution to SME entrepreneurship research as it provides more granular insights into organizational change in SMEs. The study particularly illustrates how a good fit between contextual factors and change strategy underlies the successful adoption and usage of change.