Technical change and digital transformation. Firms’ performance and behavior in an innovation ecosystem

The aim of this research is to explore, through four different papers, the impact of Digital Transformation on behaviour and performance of innovative firms, especially small and medium- sized companies (SMEs). In the first paper, I tried to provide a brief excursus, through the most relevant literature review, on the mechanisms underlying firms’ value creation processes in a Digital Transformation environment, especially from a dynamic capabilities’ perspective. Therefore, it has been proved that digital technologies such as IoT, Big Data and Artificial Intelligence, albeit their numerous benefits, are able to provide just a little contribution to the firms’ value creation if not supported by a diversified set of managerial and organizational skills. In line with this, I tried to go beyond the technology-centric perspective of Digital Transformation, emphasizing instead the actor-driven organizational transformation of capabilities, both from a supply-side (digital solution providers) and a demand-side perspective (SMEs). In my second paper, I carried on an empirical regional analysis to provide a preliminary qualitative investigation of the role played by 3D-printing (3DP) technology in the Italian manufacturing environment. It is shown that specific 3DP’s benefits can significantly influence the firms’ 3DP adoption behaviour. Moreover, it is demonstrated, through a multiple-case study analysis, how the perception of Italian manufacturing firms about their own innovation level is, most of time, not in line with their real level of innovativeness. Thereafter, in my third paper, I tried to extend the focus of my research on a national level by designing a richer web-survey, based on the last OECD guidelines to identify, in a quantitative way, the main business capabilities impacting on the performance of Italian SMEs with a strong innovation component. The results obtained turned out to be perfectly in line with the relevant literature abovementioned in terms of the crucial role played by dynamic managerial capabilities and intangibles assets on firms’ innovation performance. Finally, in my last research essay, I moved my analysis on an international level, by exploring the mechanisms underlining the effects of the Digital Transformation on system integrators’ performance. Compared to the second and third papers where I analysed the phenomenon of interest by a demand-side perspective, in this last analysis it is adopted a supply-side point of view, focusing on the crucial role played by the organizational capabilities in system integrators’ performance improvement. The results support all the foregoing findings and provide new interesting insights on the effects of Digital Transformation in the business context.