Perceived benefits of digitalisation for organisations: Evidence from manufacturing, retail, and financial industries in South Africa

Orientation: Digitalisation presents opportunities and challenges for organisations. However, an organisational pursuit of digitalisation depends on the perceived benefits it offers. Research purpose: This study examined respondents’ perceptions of the benefits of digitalisation for organisations in the manufacturing, retail, and financial industries in South Africa. Motivation for the study: There is limited empirical research performed on the benefits of digitalisation for organisations across multiple industries in emerging economies such as South Africa. Research design, approach and method: A combination of non-probability sampling techniques was used to target non-managerial employees and managers from organisations in the finance, retail, and manufacturing industries in South Africa listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, with a total of 111 usable responses received. Quantitative data were collected via a questionnaire and processed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 31. Descriptive statistics, Exploratory Factor Analysis, one-sample t-tests, and Analysis of Variance were used to analyse the data. Main findings: The study delivered a one-factor model, indicating that the respondents had positive perceptions of the benefits of digitalisation for their organisations. The study also revealed significant differences across industries. Practical/managerial implications: The results reflect a positive mindset towards digitalisation, which contributes to readiness for change within organisations, and demonstrate the need for industry-specific digitalisation strategies. Contribution/value-add: The findings of this study provide empirical evidence from an emerging economic context and support the Resource-Based View by illustrating that the benefits of digitalisation for organisations depend on industry type and are driven by organisational capabilities.