The impact of the pandemic crisis on the digital transition process of Italian SMEs

Journal title MANAGEMENT CONTROL
Author/s Paola Paoloni, Martina Manzo, Veronica Procacci
Publishing Year 2023 Issue 2023/2 Suppl.
Language English Pages 25 P. 83-107 File size 299 KB
DOI 10.3280/MACO2023-002-S1005
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In recent years, the digital revolution has impacted the entrepreneurial system globally, forcing companies to review their business models, products, and services value proposition. Companies must implement digital technologies in production processes to exploit new opportunities. This requires investing in machinery and devices and acquiring new knowledge. The national and European economic system mainly comprises Small and Medi-um-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), characterized by low managerial skills and under-capitalization, which may hinder the required investments in information technol-ogy. In Italy, the digital transition is constrained by the structural limits of its conserva-tive entrepreneurial fabric. However, the recent pandemic crisis has accelerated this digital transition process. More and more companies have invested in R&D to increase the production process's automation level and improve their digital capa-bilities. Literature has been widely investigating the impact of the pandemic crisis on the innovation process of SMEs adopting different perspectives. The study aims to answer the following research questions (RQs). RQ1: Which main foci can be identified in literature facing the impact of COVID-19 on the SMEs’ innovation process? RQ2: Which new needs arose during the pandemic fostering digitalization? To answer RQ1, a Structured Literature Review (SLR) is adopted (128 studies identified on the SCOPUS database). To answer RQ2, a qualitative methodology is used based on direct observation of two Italian firms

Keywords: Digital disruption, Small and Medium Enterprises, COVID-19, crisis, innovation

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Paola Paoloni, Martina Manzo, Veronica Procacci, The impact of the pandemic crisis on the digital transition process of Italian SMEs in "MANAGEMENT CONTROL" 2 Suppl./2023, pp 83-107, DOI: 10.3280/MACO2023-002-S1005