Non-profit organisations in the digital age: A research agenda for supporting the development of a digital transformation strategy

Abstract

Digital transformation (DT) research is moving to new frontiers of investigation, exploring the nexus between multi-scale and multi-level stimuli and effects. This article contributes to the literature examining how DT phenomena affect multiple and connected ecosystems among industries, governments, economies, and societies. Identifying DT outcomes in a given context includes considering the organisations’ unequal development and digital presence. Non-profit organisations (NPOs) are flagships of a unique organisational nature based on non-distributional constraints and the primacy of nonfinancial outcomes. Assuming DT as a process that could improve, transform, or change an entity’s property, this research examines which specific aspects link to DT outcomes in the context of NPOs, investigating preconditions, value-creation structures, and strategic development. The study performs a meta-synthesis by developing a taxonomy of 124 journal articles strictly discussing DT in NPOs to identify objects and characteristics describing the debate. Subsequently, it questions the validity of adopting insights resulting from other organisational forms to study and develop DT strategies for NPOs by comparing two frameworks. This study contributes to the current body of knowledge by suggesting a lens of analysis helpful in assessing the (DT) value-creation structures of NPOs, a research agenda outlining future directions, and recommendations intended to support NPOs’ policymakers and managers in undertaking DT projects.