The role of human digital competence in the association of digital vision and strategy, and digital governance on organizational sustainability

This study investigates the association of digital vision and strategy (DVS) and digital governance (DG) on organizational sustainability (OS), with particular emphasis on the mediating role of human digital competence (HDC). Drawing on the natural resource-based view and the dynamic capabilities perspective, the study develops a framework explaining how digital strategic orientations and governance mechanisms contribute to sustainability outcomes through human digital capabilities. Survey data (N=481) collected from firms operating in Turkey were analyzed using PLS-SEM. The findings reveal that DG has a positive direct effect on OS, whereas DVS does not significantly affect OS directly. HDC negatively affects OS and mediates the relationships between both DVS and DG and organizational sustainability. These findings position HDC as a key mechanism through which digital vision, strategy, and governance are translated into sustainability outcomes. The study contributes to the literature by demonstrating the direct and indirect effects of digital governance on sustainability and extending resource-based and dynamic capabilities perspectives to explain the relationship between digital transformation and organizational sustainability.