Translating IT capabilities: Linking enabling infrastructure to digital transformation in hospitals—Sustainable digital enablement framework

Saeid Jorfi , Till J. Winkler
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Abstract

The paradox of hospitals investing heavily in IT infrastructure, which can often be ineffective in their digital transformation efforts, is a rich, even frustrating scenario that warrants a deeper understanding. Moving beyond just outcome, our effort-focused approach examines how IT infrastructure supports sustainable digital transformation as an ongoing effort, reflecting real-time resource utilization, strategic direction, and organizational commitment crucial for success. We propose that a robust IT infrastructure potentially enhances an organization's capacity to enable its IT capabilities, fostering organizational readiness and self-efficacy, and encouraging more ambitious efforts in digital initiatives. We introduce two new concepts, translating IT capabilities and enabling IT infrastructure, to elucidate novel mechanisms through which IT infrastructure influences transformation efforts. PLS-SEM analysis of 124 hospital IT managers reveals that enabling IT infrastructure's impact is fully mediated by three translating IT capabilities: IT human, IT relationship, and IT architecture capabilities, with the IT human capability exerting the strongest influence. Our Sustainable Digital Enablement Framework offers novel insights, providing a dynamic roadmap for hospitals, policymakers, and stakeholders to enhance sustainable digital transformation efforts. The study also contributes from a theoretical point of view by providing further empirical confirmation of the fact that investing in IT's "soft" side (human skills, relationships, architecture) is as crucial as, if not more crucial than, the "hard" infrastructure for sustainable digital transformation and strategic alignment.
转化IT能力:将启用基础设施与医院的数字化转型联系起来——可持续的数字化实施框架
医院大量投资于IT基础设施,而这在数字化转型工作中往往是无效的,这是一个丰富的、甚至令人沮丧的场景,值得我们更深入地了解。除了结果之外,我们以努力为中心的方法检查了IT基础设施如何支持可持续的数字化转型作为一项持续的工作,反映了对成功至关重要的实时资源利用、战略方向和组织承诺。我们建议,一个健壮的IT基础设施可以潜在地增强一个组织的能力,使其具备IT能力,促进组织的准备和自我效能,并鼓励在数字计划中更有雄心的努力。我们引入两个新概念,转换IT功能和启用IT基础设施,以阐明IT基础设施影响转换工作的新机制。对124名医院IT经理的PLS-SEM分析表明,IT基础设施的启用影响完全由IT人力、IT关系和IT架构能力这三种转化IT能力所介导,其中IT人力能力的影响最大。我们的可持续数字化实现框架提供了新颖的见解,为医院、政策制定者和利益相关者提供了动态路线图,以加强可持续的数字化转型工作。该研究还从理论角度做出了贡献,提供了进一步的实证证实,即投资IT的“软”方面(人际技能、关系、架构)对于可持续数字化转型和战略调整来说,与“硬”基础设施一样重要,甚至更重要。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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CiteScore
12.30
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