Management 4.0 in Theory and Practice: The Strategic Role of Digital Solutions in Selected Organizations [védés előtt]

Abstract

In my doctoral dissertation, I aim to answer the question of what the role of digital solutions in strategy is. I examine the question in two different contexts: the internationalization of SMEs and the digital transformation of public services. In my dissertation, I use the theoretical foundation of dynamic capabilities. After reviewing the key milestones in the evolution of strategic management and providing a theoretical foundation, I present a conceptual framework that explains how dynamic capabilities erode and are built. It helps us understand how and why organizations can (or cannot) stay competitive in the digital era: if they cannot react successfully to the changes triggered by digitalization, their dynamic capabilities, thus their competitiveness erode, but if they are successful, their dynamic capabilities become stronger. Digital solutions, at the same time, can improve organizations' dynamic capabilities. Then, I define the concept of Management 4.0, and summarize the results of a systematic literature review about the drivers and barriers of digital solutions. The next three chapters present the articles that comprise my dissertation. The first article (Szedmák and Szabó, 2025) explores and contextualizes the success factors of digital solution implementation - technological factors, technology – organization fit, and management competence - through a systematic literature review (PRISMA) and qualitative interviews. The qualitative research emphasizes the crucial role of project champions, process orientation, and experiential learning in the success of digital solution implementations in the Hungarian context. The second article (Szabó et al., 2021) uses a questionnaire-based survey of 316 SMEs to investigate how digital solutions can contribute to the growth of the firm, and points out that the use of most digital systems is a major driving force in internationalization. The third article (Szedmák et al., 2025) analyzes the main steps, goals, and benefits of the digital transformation of public services, and highlights that digital transformation delivers significant value to citizens, shortens administrative lead times, and leads to the optimization of organizational processes. The main results of my dissertation are the following. (1) It highlights the strategic role of digital solutions: they can be the source of competitive advantage. (2) The implementation of digital solutions often takes years to (fully) materialize, and failures are costly. (3) Successful digital solution implementation is critical for successfully shaping the environment, reacting to changes, and rebuilding the business model. Otherwise, through several steps, dynamic and ordinary capabilities erode, and competitive advantage weakens or disappears. (4) Finally, the dissertation points out important research directions for investigating the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on organizations.