Digital Transformation and Sustainable Organisational Performance: A Systematic Literature Review

Authors

  • Misheck Musaigwa University of Johannesburg image/svg+xml Author
  • Vivence Kalitanyi Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51137/wrp.ijarbm.498

Keywords:

Digital Transformation, Organisational Capabilities, Sustainability, Innovation, Strategic Agility, Organisational Performance

Abstract

Digital transformation has become a central strategic priority for organisations seeking to enhance competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience in increasingly dynamic environments. Despite the growing volume of scholarly work in this area, existing research remains fragmented across disciplines, theoretical perspectives, and outcome domains, limiting cumulative understanding of how digital transformation produces organisational, financial, and sustainability-related value. This study addresses this gap by conducting a systematic literature review of recent research on digital transformation. The selected studies were analysed using a thematic synthesis approach to identify recurring patterns, mechanisms, and outcomes associated with digital transformation across diverse organisational contexts. The findings indicate that digital transformation is best understood as a multidimensional organisational change process rather than a purely technological initiative. Across the reviewed literature, transformation outcomes are shown to depend on the development and orchestration of organisational capabilities, including leadership, innovation, governance, and human resource capabilities. The review further reveals that sustainability and ESG outcomes are most evident when digital transformation is deliberately aligned with organisational strategy and values, often through integrated “twin transformation” approaches. Innovation and organisational learning emerge as key mediating mechanisms linking digital transformation to financial performance, resilience, and sustainability outcomes.

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Published

2026-06-05

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Section

Literature Review Paper

How to Cite

Musaigwa, M., & Kalitanyi, V. (2026). Digital Transformation and Sustainable Organisational Performance: A Systematic Literature Review. International Journal of Applied Research in Business and Management, 7(5). https://doi.org/10.51137/wrp.ijarbm.498

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