Translating IT capabilities: Linking enabling infrastructure to digital transformation in hospitals—Sustainable digital enablement framework
The paradox of hospitals investing heavily in IT infrastructure, which can often be ineffective in their digital transformation efforts, is a rich, even frustrating scenario that warrants a deeper understanding. Moving beyond just outcome, our effort-focused approach examines how IT infrastructure s...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-09-01
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| Series: | Sustainable Technology and Entrepreneurship |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773032825000227 |
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| author | Saeid Jorfi Till J. Winkler |
| author_facet | Saeid Jorfi Till J. Winkler |
| author_sort | Saeid Jorfi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The paradox of hospitals investing heavily in IT infrastructure, which can often be ineffective in their digital transformation efforts, is a rich, even frustrating scenario that warrants a deeper understanding. Moving beyond just outcome, our effort-focused approach examines how IT infrastructure supports sustainable digital transformation as an ongoing effort, reflecting real-time resource utilization, strategic direction, and organizational commitment crucial for success. We propose that a robust IT infrastructure potentially enhances an organization's capacity to enable its IT capabilities, fostering organizational readiness and self-efficacy, and encouraging more ambitious efforts in digital initiatives. We introduce two new concepts, translating IT capabilities and enabling IT infrastructure, to elucidate novel mechanisms through which IT infrastructure influences transformation efforts. PLS-SEM analysis of 124 hospital IT managers reveals that enabling IT infrastructure's impact is fully mediated by three translating IT capabilities: IT human, IT relationship, and IT architecture capabilities, with the IT human capability exerting the strongest influence. Our Sustainable Digital Enablement Framework offers novel insights, providing a dynamic roadmap for hospitals, policymakers, and stakeholders to enhance sustainable digital transformation efforts. The study also contributes from a theoretical point of view by providing further empirical confirmation of the fact that investing in IT's ''soft'' side (human skills, relationships, architecture) is as crucial as, if not more crucial than, the ''hard'' infrastructure for sustainable digital transformation and strategic alignment. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1a025c3ef3394cbab187e6a583cd92f9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2773-0328 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sustainable Technology and Entrepreneurship |
| spelling | doaj-art-1a025c3ef3394cbab187e6a583cd92f92025-08-23T04:50:12ZengElsevierSustainable Technology and Entrepreneurship2773-03282025-09-014310011710.1016/j.stae.2025.100117Translating IT capabilities: Linking enabling infrastructure to digital transformation in hospitals—Sustainable digital enablement frameworkSaeid Jorfi0Till J. Winkler1University of Hagen, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics Chair of Information Management, Universitätsstraße 41, 58097, Hagen, Germany; Corresponding author.University of Hagen, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Universitätsstraße 41, 58097, Hagen, Germany; Copenhagen Business School, Department of Digitalization, Howitzvej, 602000, Frederiksberg, DenmarkThe paradox of hospitals investing heavily in IT infrastructure, which can often be ineffective in their digital transformation efforts, is a rich, even frustrating scenario that warrants a deeper understanding. Moving beyond just outcome, our effort-focused approach examines how IT infrastructure supports sustainable digital transformation as an ongoing effort, reflecting real-time resource utilization, strategic direction, and organizational commitment crucial for success. We propose that a robust IT infrastructure potentially enhances an organization's capacity to enable its IT capabilities, fostering organizational readiness and self-efficacy, and encouraging more ambitious efforts in digital initiatives. We introduce two new concepts, translating IT capabilities and enabling IT infrastructure, to elucidate novel mechanisms through which IT infrastructure influences transformation efforts. PLS-SEM analysis of 124 hospital IT managers reveals that enabling IT infrastructure's impact is fully mediated by three translating IT capabilities: IT human, IT relationship, and IT architecture capabilities, with the IT human capability exerting the strongest influence. Our Sustainable Digital Enablement Framework offers novel insights, providing a dynamic roadmap for hospitals, policymakers, and stakeholders to enhance sustainable digital transformation efforts. The study also contributes from a theoretical point of view by providing further empirical confirmation of the fact that investing in IT's ''soft'' side (human skills, relationships, architecture) is as crucial as, if not more crucial than, the ''hard'' infrastructure for sustainable digital transformation and strategic alignment.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773032825000227Hospitals' digital transformation effortsEffort-focused approachEnabling IT infrastructureTranslating IT capabilitiesIT-business strategic alignment |
| spellingShingle | Saeid Jorfi Till J. Winkler Translating IT capabilities: Linking enabling infrastructure to digital transformation in hospitals—Sustainable digital enablement framework Sustainable Technology and Entrepreneurship Hospitals' digital transformation efforts Effort-focused approach Enabling IT infrastructure Translating IT capabilities IT-business strategic alignment |
| title | Translating IT capabilities: Linking enabling infrastructure to digital transformation in hospitals—Sustainable digital enablement framework |
| title_full | Translating IT capabilities: Linking enabling infrastructure to digital transformation in hospitals—Sustainable digital enablement framework |
| title_fullStr | Translating IT capabilities: Linking enabling infrastructure to digital transformation in hospitals—Sustainable digital enablement framework |
| title_full_unstemmed | Translating IT capabilities: Linking enabling infrastructure to digital transformation in hospitals—Sustainable digital enablement framework |
| title_short | Translating IT capabilities: Linking enabling infrastructure to digital transformation in hospitals—Sustainable digital enablement framework |
| title_sort | translating it capabilities linking enabling infrastructure to digital transformation in hospitals sustainable digital enablement framework |
| topic | Hospitals' digital transformation efforts Effort-focused approach Enabling IT infrastructure Translating IT capabilities IT-business strategic alignment |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773032825000227 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT saeidjorfi translatingitcapabilitieslinkingenablinginfrastructuretodigitaltransformationinhospitalssustainabledigitalenablementframework AT tilljwinkler translatingitcapabilitieslinkingenablinginfrastructuretodigitaltransformationinhospitalssustainabledigitalenablementframework |