Abstract This study examines the economic and decision-making elements affecting the digitization of SMEs in Romania, emphasizing government policies, research and development (R nevertheless, respondents noted that these efforts often fail owing to excessive bureaucracy and insufficient information distribution. Furthermore, the results emphasize the significance of R&D expenditures and customized training programs in improving digital competencies. Notwithstanding the advantages noted in fields such as IT, resource limitations continue to be a significant obstacle for several SMEs. The research enhances the current literature by elucidating the relationship between external economic influences and internal decision-making mechanisms in the digitization process of SMEs. Limitations include a limited sample size and the focus group technique, indicating that future research should use quantitative and longitudinal methods to enhance the comprehension of these dynamics throughout time.
Lupşa-Tătaru et al. (2025) studied this question.