Seeking the Unknown : A Multiple Case Study of Traditional Industries Engagement in the Digital Landscape

Abstract: The digital landscape of the modern age is frequently disrupted by new and innovative technologies, causing traditional industries to become calcified. This study examines how organizations within a traditional setting are confronted with numerous challenges when undertaking the challenge of remaining relevant in a digital age. The growing interconnectivity across multiple business landscapes demands new and innovative forms of managing a business. Nevertheless, the related research on how traditional industries are adapting to the digitalization of society is limited. Therefore, the study aims to illustrate the phenomena of emerging organizational barriers caused by an ever-changing digital market through incorporating a multiple case study of two traditional organizations and asking the research question: “What barriers emerge as traditional firms seek to actively engage in the digitalization of society?” The study defines two such barriers, (1) The internal stress of an expanding organization and (2) the underlying silos of Sigma. The separate barriers illustrate an insight into the importance of understanding and mastering the internal process of continuous transformation.