Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Abstract

Degree Name

Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL)

Department

Organizational Leadership

First Advisor

Bethany Peters

Second Advisor

Jolene Erlacher

Abstract

Title of Project: Championing Change: Equipping Employees for Digital Transformation Defense Date: March 5, 2025 Candidate Name: Tracie Edwards Personal Email Address: tracie.edwards@comcast.net First Advisor: Dr. Bethany Peters Second Advisor: Dr. Jolene Erlacher

DSL Final Project Abstract: According to various sources, 70% or more of digital transformation initiatives fail. Some authors believe the failures are due to “people” problems and the inability of organizations to overcome resistance or a lack of skills among employees. Many organizations also choose to downsize rather than skill up existing staff. However, doing so incurs costs, including the loss of business knowledge and the need to onboard new employees. These costs might have been avoided had there been sufficient effort to prepare and upskill existing employees. This project addressed three overall questions: 1. Why do some Digital Transformation (DT) efforts succeed while others fail? 2. What is the role of the rank-and-file employee in DT? 3. Does investing in upskilling and re-skilling employees with high learnability result in an increased likelihood of DT success? To address these questions, a curriculum was developed based on current research, seeking to train rank-and-file employees in the ways of digital transformation. This curriculum covers the following topics: why organizations undertake digital transformation, readiness for

transformation, preparing for transformation, leading a transformation, sustaining a transformation, and building a culture of continual improvement. At the end of the training, employees should be prepared and capable of supporting the organization’s transformation efforts, making them more valuable to the organization and enhancing their resilience in their careers. Project Type: Curriculum Project Overview: This project is intended for organizations undergoing digital transformation. The goal is to prepare organization employees to become Change Champions prior to formally launching the transformation initiative. This preparation encompasses topics in strategy, leadership, change management, and continuous improvement, equipping employees with the tools necessary to support the change, champion it among their colleagues, and execute it effectively.

Project Themes: Digital transformation success factors, continual improvement culture, change management Contributions to the Field of Leadership: This project addresses a critical gap in digital transformation success rates and proposes a novel approach to enhance organizational readiness. The research identifies the crucial role of rank-and-file employees in digital transformation initiatives and introduces a comprehensive curriculum to upskill and prepare these employees for the challenges of digital transformation. The project focuses on employee development as a key factor in digital transformation success. By creating a curriculum that covers essential aspects of digital transformation, from organizational readiness to sustaining change, this research provides leaders with a practical tool to empower their workforce and increase the likelihood of successful digital initiatives

Real-world Implications: 1. This project has the potential to increase the success rate of digital transformation initiatives significantly. a. Improved organizational decision-making b. Enhanced agility and innovation c. Reduced turnover costs d. Increased employee engagement e. Increased organizational competitiveness

Keywords: digital transformation, continual improvement, narrative strategy, transformation readiness, transformation leadership

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