Digital transformation: A multidisciplinary perspective and future research agenda

• Published in: International journal of consumer studies Vol. 48; no. 2
• Main Authors: Paul, Justin, Ueno, Akiko, Dennis, Charles, Alamanos, Eleftherios, Curtis, Lucill, Foroudi, Pantea, Kacprzak, Agnieszka, Kunz, Werner H., Liu, Jonathan, Marvi, Reza, Nair, Sree Lekshmi Sreekumaran, Ozdemir, Ozlem, Pantano, Eleonora, Papadopoulos, Thanos, Petit, Olivia, Tyagi, Sapna, Wirtz, Jochen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-03-2024
• Subjects: Artificial intelligence; ChatGPT; Consumers; COVID-19; digital transformation; Interdisciplinary aspects; Internet‐of‐things; mobile apps; Pandemics; Social media; Transformation; Virtual reality
• ISSN: 1470-6423; 1470-6431
• DOI: 10.1111/ijcs.13015

Digital transformation has had an unprecedented influence on all sectors of business over the last decade. We are now entering an era characterized by the extensive digital transformation of businesses, society, and consumers. Therefore, digital transformation has become a pivotal focus for organizations across various sectors in recent years. Despite differing scholarly perspectives on the concept and elements of digital transformation, a consensus exists that it significantly impacts consumer decisions and necessitates organizational adaptation. Recent challenges such as the COVID‐19 pandemic have further accelerated the need for digital transformation and its effects on consumers. This necessitates an editorial perspective on this most important topic to establish future research agenda encompassing the various dimensions of digital transformation. The purpose of this editorial perspective is to review research on digital transformation from a multidisciplinary viewpoint and provide insights into several key domains—Internet‐of‐Things, social media, mobile apps, artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, the metaverse, and corporate digital responsibility—that are poised to fuel the pace of digital transformation. Each domain is analyzed through a lens of introduction, role, importance, multifaceted impact, and conclusions. Future research directions are suggested.