A comparison of soft factors in the implementation and adoption of digitalization projects: a systematic literature review

Abstract

This study expounds existing literature on digitalization projects taking a one-dimensional view on people at organizational, project and individual levels. Through a systematic literature review, we highlight and contrast the impact of soft factors on the implementation and adoption of digitalization projects. Four core enablers were identified and contrasted at different organizational levels in an integrated framework for successful implementation and adoption of digitalization projects. Findings indicate that both adoption and implementation of digitalization projects have similar core enablers at organizational level, significantly different actions that need to be taken at project level and slightly different characteristics at individual level. Moreover, eight critical soft factors were identified for successful implementation and adoption of digitalization projects. The findings provide valuable insights to practitioners and enable controlling the highest value factors to increase the success rate of digitalization projects and to identify the core elements that need attention at various organizational levels. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic literature review that expounds the extent of knowledge available on success factors within the context of digitalization projects taking the single dimensional focus on people at different organizational levels.