Recent technological advances are radically changing the industrial landscape and driving a digital transformation of industry. This transformation presents several challenges for industrial companies, notably the urgent need to bridge a widening skill gap. In order to address the skill gaps, industrial companies are exploring the potential of the Metaverse as a tool for workforce training.  The Metaverse is a unique, 3D multi-user environment, blending physical and digital elements, thereby facilitating interaction between objects and individuals. Given these features, it possesses the capacity to facilitate immersive learning within industrial firms, offering realistic and interactive training experiences. However, there is a lack of research and understanding regarding the application of the Metaverse for workforce training in these contexts.  Thus, the objective of this study is to explore how the Metaverse can be used by industrial companies and identify the driving factors behind its adoption. To fulfill this purpose, an exploratory qualitative study was conducted, employing semi-structured in-depth interviews that are analyzed thematically.  The study’s primary contribution is a practice-oriented framework detailing the interplay between technology, management, and people; explaining how they combine to support immersive learning. The framework offers unique insights and practical implications for industrial practitioners. Critically, the study emphasizes the importance of effective change management for aligning these three elements, emphasizing that successful implementation goes beyond mere adoption of technology. The study finds that the Metaverse is best viewed as a complement to traditional physical training in industrial companies, identifying specific practical use-cases where the Metaverse can be utilized effectively.

Många stora organisationer som myndigheter och banker arbetar med en monolitisk applikationsarkitektur som är ett gammalt sätt att strukturera applikationer. Flera faktorer som att attrahera och behålla talang, vara skalbar och flexibel, samt en bra tjänsteleverans driver dessa organisationer att byta till en mikrotjänstorienterad arkitektur. Att migrera stora applikationer och samtidigt leverera tjänster till kunder eller användare är en stor och svår uppgift. Problemet är att det inte finns tillräckligt med forskning om hur man arbetar under denna typ av modernisering av applikationsarkitekturen samtidigt som organisatorisk stabilitet upprätthålls. Denna studie syftar till att bättre förstå hur organisatorisk stabilitet kan upprätthållas under tider av stora tekniska förändringar i arbetssätt under övergångsperioden för arkitekturer. Studien utgick från följande forskningsfråga: Hur upprätthålls organisatorisk stabilitet under övergångsperioden för modernisering av arkitekturer under flytten mot mikrotjänster? Studien har baserats på en kvalitativ ansats, där en fallstudie har använts för att samla in empiriskt material. Studiens empiriska material har samlats in genom åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer med anställda med olika roller på myndigheten som utför ett storskaligt applikationsarkitektur projekt; containerprojektet. Datan analyserades med hjälp av tematisk analys. Studiens resultat visar hur både förberedande och löpande hantering är viktiga för framgång. I de förberedande stadierna är faktorer relaterade till risktagande och hantering av projektets arbetsstyrka viktiga att besluta om. När projektet väl har startat är det viktigt att aktivt arbeta med förändringsarbete och att vara flexibel, kommunicera med riktad information och hantera varje specifikt hinder noggrant. Studien visade också hur valet av teknik inte är avgörande för projektets framgång utan en metod för att nå dit. Resultaten har visat hur uppdelningen av en stor plan i mindre projekt, som vidare delas upp i faser, är en framgångsfaktor. Studien har bidragit med nya insikter till forskningen inom IT-hantering och applikationsarkitektur. / Many large organizations, such as government entities and banks, operate with a monolithic application architecture, an old way of structuring applications. Several factors including attracting and maintaining talent, being scalable and flexible, as well as a good service delivery, are driving these organizations to change toward a microservice-oriented architecture. To migrate large applications while simultaneously delivering the services to clients or users is a large and challenging task. The problem is that there is insufficient research on how to work during this type of application architecture modernization while maintaining organizational stability. This thesis aims to better understand how organizational stability can be maintained during times of disruptive technological change in the workspace during the transition period of architecture. The study utilized the following research question: How to maintain organizational stability in the transition period of architectural modernization moving towards microservices? The study has been based on a qualitative approach, where one case has been used in gathering empirical material. The study's empirical material has been collected through eight semi-structured interviews with employees of various roles at the Swedish agency performing a large-scale application architecture project; the containerization-project. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The thesis findings show how both preparatory and ongoing management contributions are essential for success. In the preparatory stages, factors related to risk-taking and managing the project workforce are essential to decide. Once the project has started, it is crucial to work on change management efforts actively and to be flexible, communicate with targeted information, and handle each specific obstacle carefully. The study also showed how the choice of technologies is not central to the project's success but a method to get there. The findings have shown how dividing a large plan into smaller projects, further divided into phases, is a success factor. The study contributed new insights to IT management and application architecture research.

According to UNESCO (2021) 43% of museums faced closure in the first quarter of 2021 due to an ongoing pandemic. Those that could, offered digital experiences to maintain links with their visitors, and for those institutions without the skills or resources to reach out to their visitors, their very existence remained in a state of flux. The situation in Sweden was no different and, prior to UNESCO’s published figures of 2021, the Swedish Government (2020) instigated an inquiry to establish the necessary interventions required to reignite the heritage sector post pandemic. The inquiry found a history of challenging problems for the sector. One problem recognised was the need for a digitalised sector to sustain heritage, and secondly, the motivation for this research, the lack of skills and resources in the sector. The aims of this research therefore were twofold. Firstly, to identify what digital skills andeducation are needed in galleries, libraries, archives, and museums, (GLAM) and secondly, to test the hypothesis that Higher Education curricula in Sweden requires a programme of analysis and restructure. Notwithstanding a review of past literature review to reflect on previous research of skills and education in the sector, an in-depth analysis of the Governmental inquiry also took place. As a secondary research activity, a sample of respondents were selected to represent small and large institutions across the sector. Comments, experiences, and opinions regarding lack of resources and skills, were extrapolated from recorded interviews, surveys and responses to the Governmental Inquiry which were noted and logged. Secondly, an analysis of skills required in current job vacancies in the sector took place. Additionally, perspectives from sector unions were sought, and finally, a limited survey of employee thoughts on current skills and what skills they believed they needed for the future was completed. The results indicated that discourse of skills and the digital vision in the sector have been ongoing for many years and that a global pandemic had to be the instigator for governmental intervention. There is also a traditional approach to the education of graduates in galleries, archives, and museums, unlike those educated to work inlibraries. archives and researchers via digital humanities programs. For those entering the profession in museums and galleries, there is little, if any exposure to digital practices. Barriers to change included financing, infrastructures, and a lack of leadership development in the sector. Digital transformations it was felt, requires a top-down approach and leadership is currently not in situ.

The aviation industry has some tough years behind it due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence of low cost carriers. In the competition of retaining and attracting passengers, the importance of the passenger's airport experience has been discovered. This thesis investigates how digitalising of airports can lead to an enhanced airport experience for passengers. With the use of a digital transformation model and the field of service design a research design of four phases has been assembled. Through in-depth interviews, participation in a vision seminar and shadowing of passengers, the current state of digitalisation at airports has been assessed and goals for a future digital airport has been defined. This laid the foundation for the developed vision for future digital airports presented in this thesis. The results indicated that digitalisation can have a great impact on passengers' airport experience if properly designed. In fact, simply digitising is not enough, the airports must undergo a digital transformation to reach the full potential of digitalisation. The digital maturity of passengers is also found as a key point to successfully change the way airports operate.

The thesis shed light into the connectivity between the Organization and Employees in terms of their acceptance and contribution towards Digital Transformation initiatives through the different elements of Data Democratisation. The study identifies Six key elements of Data Democratisation and how these elements are incorporated to successfully steer Digital Transformation in the organization. The six elements are Data Governance, Data Accessibility, Data Literacy, Data Culture, Data Security and Technology. A combination of Surveys and Literature Review are used to build a foundation for the research. The Democratised tools, Google Forms, Google Analytics and Power-BI are the data analysis methodologies to populate the study results. The results contribute to the organisations, seeking to optimize their Digital Transformation initiatives through Data-Driven methods over traditional Information Technology.   Keywords: Data Democratisation, Digital Transformation, Data Democratization, Elements of Data Democratisation.

This publication-based dissertation examines human-related success factors for the implementation and application of data analytics tools and methods within the decision-making process of organizations. Generated insights on human-related factors are outlined and described in six chapters. First, a general introduction to the subject is provided and the research is positioned within a broader overall context. Additionally, the first section comprises a summary of the research papers included, along with publication information. Chapter 2 presents a systematic literature review summarizing the capabilities of Big Data analytics (BDA) with regard to firm performance. Five key capability clusters have been identified to categorize all relevant human-related capabilities across existing research to date. Chapter 3 presents an empirical research paper examining the relevant managerial aspects that must be considered when shifting from intuitive to analytics-based decision-making. Introducing a six-factor framework, the chapter outlines the findings of an indepth single case study of a German manufacturing organization that has already implemented analytical methods and tools within its decision processes. Chapter 4 contains the second empirical paper, which outlines the crucial role that executives play within the process of a firm’s digital transformation toward the application of analytics. Based on conducted interviews, four managerial archetypes are identified, with detailed descriptions of their characteristics, capabilities, and contribution to transformation. Chapter 5 introduces a teaching case study that sheds light on best practices relevant to the application of analytics. This case study describes the most critical factors for success in the use of an AI tool using an example from Wilo, a leading German manufacturer of pumps and pump systems. Finally, Chapter 6 summarizes the findings of this publication-based dissertation, outlines its contributions to academia and practice, and presents its limitations and potential avenues for future research.

Современная экономика государств базируется на постоянных улучшениях: модернизуются существующие и разрабатываются новые модели, инновационные продукты и управляющие системы. Страны, чье руководство осуществляет финансовые вливания в инновации в социальную сферу, в повышение квалификации рабочей силы и развитие технологий, в качестве результата имеет ускорение экономического роста и повышение конкурентоспособности государства в целом. Современная экономическая реальность, связанная с введением антироссийских экономических санкций, придает особую актуальность вопросам развития в государстве конкурентоспособной экономики, импортозамещения и модернизации отечественного промышленного производства. Цель диссертационного исследования заключается в разработке предложений по повышению эффективности процессов цифровой трансформации промышленного предприятия. Научная новизна диссертационного исследования состоит в разработке алгоритма проведения цифровой трансформации промышленного предприятия с учетом его стратегических ориентиров, который позволяет повысить всестороннюю эффективность его деятельности, а также оценить степень влияния цифровизации на улучшение финансовых показателей компании в период санкций и импортозамещения. Практическая значимость диссертационного исследования заключается в возможности использования разработанного алгоритма и плана мероприятий по цифровизации на конкретном предприятии, а также в деятельности муниципальных и региональных органов управления в рамках частно-государственного партнерства. / The modern economy of states is based on constant improvements: existing models are being modernized and new models, innovative products and control systems are being developed. Countries whose leadership makes financial investments in innovation in the social sphere, in improving the skills of the workforce and developing technology, result in accelerated economic growth and increased competitiveness of the state as a whole. Modern economic reality associated with the introduction of anti-Russian economic sanctions gives particular relevance to the development of a competitive economy in the state, import substitution and modernization of domestic industrial production. The purpose of the dissertation research is to develop proposals for increasing the efficiency of digital transformation processes of an industrial enterprise. The scientific novelty of the dissertation research lies in the development of an algorithm for carrying out the digital transformation of an industrial enterprise, considering its strategic guidelines, which makes it possible to increase the comprehensive efficiency of its activities, as well as to assess the degree of influence of digitalization on improving the financial performance of the company during the period of sanctions and import substitution. The practical significance of the dissertation research lies in the possibility of using the developed algorithm and action plan for digitalization at a specific enterprise, as well as in the activities of municipal and regional governments within the framework of public-private partnerships.

This paper examines how the adoption of a series of digital technologies in tourism companies affects economic, social, and environmental sustainability. This research conducted a quantitative survey on tourism companies in Korea to empirically explore the connection between digital transformation and its impact on sustainability. The survey questionnaire was generated under the six hypotheses, which categorized research questions in detail. As a result of the survey data analysis, the following three implications were derived. First, it was confirmed that the economic sustainability of a company increases as the size of digital transformation grows. This result connotes substantial meaning because the existence of economies of scale helps economic sustainability, but on the other hand, it can undermine social sustainability. Second, a marginalization of environmental sustainability issues in digital transformation was observed. Survey results statistically confirmed that the impact of digital transformation on environmental sustainability is smaller than on economic and social sustainability. Finally, digital transformation has the characteristics of a service. There are provider companies that create digital transformation services, and at the same time, there are beneficiary companies that receive and utilize digital services. The fact that the impact of the innovation voucher service expected by the provider company was accepted as a smaller impact on the beneficiary company means that digital transformation services should also be designed to be more customer-centric.  Economic, social, and environmental sustainability do not exist alone. Improving economic sustainability triggered by digital transformation has side effects that deepen social inequality, and business activities focused on economic and social sustainability make the mistake of minimizing environmental sustainability in corporate management decisions. Digital transformation is a service that creates value in the process of utilization. Our society should balance the value generated by digital transformation with economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

Background: The manufacturing industry is diverting away from the one-size-fits-all mass manufacture towards more customized processes. With increasingly individualized consumer preferences and an intense competitive environment, food manufacturers are required to meet specific consumer demands with similar efficiency to those produced massively. Such market requirements are feasible with the technological advancements envisioned by Industry 4.0. The consequences of such are increased flexibility and mass customization in manufacturing which forces the food manufacturer towards its realization. The integration process, however, involves a comprehensive transformation that affects every aspect of the organization. This consequently imposes significant challenges upon the food manufacturing company. Purpose: The study aims to investigate the transformation process ensued by the food manufacturer for Industry 4.0. Consequently, a conceptual framework is developed detailing the application of Industry 4.0 in the food manufacturing industry. Method: An inductive qualitative approach, in combination with a multiple-case study, is pursued to address the formulated questions of research. Based on such, semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals representing three multinational food manufacturers. Further, a thematic analytical technique was adopted as means to identify similarities and patterns within the obtained data. The collected data was analyzed using thematic analysis through which the researchers came up with the conceptual framework. Conclusion: The results of the research reveal internal and external factors such as labor policies and IT infrastructure to influence the transformation process for Industry 4.0. In due to this, the implementation of the phenomenon occurs phase-wise, globally coordinated and regionally concentrated. This enables the organization to overcome the obstacles faced and, subsequently, ensure the successful deployment of Industry 4.0.

The emergence of moving learning activities online, due to Covid-19 pandemic preventive measures and fast growing technology, forced many educational institutions to design and prepare their distance learning systems on time, without adopting the best practices for an effective and holistic digital transformation. This fact highlights the need of reconsidering the models in online learning and redesigning the learning processes to meet students e-learning needs and receive a more qualitative educational experience. This study intends to show which are the perspectives of students on the next generation learning platform, post-covid, and how this can contribute to a more effective learning in HE. To serve this purpose, an internet-based survey was designed. The questionnaire was distributed via the DSV iLearn platform of the program to all participants-users of the platform, and the method of data analysis chosen was Quantitative analysis. The results of this study showed an overall satisfaction with the platform capabilities and a satisfactory level of students’ skills in the use of ICT technologies and a digital learning platform. Some important conclusions about dependencies of students’ characteristics that affect their engagement with an elearning platform also arose, while areas of improvement were identified regarding the feeling of safety using a digital platform, alternative assessment techniques, new platform technological features and interaction with peers and instructors. Under this study limitations and the potential of a future and more extensive research, the aim of these results is their incorporation in the design, implementation and optimization processes of the next generation learning platform, contributing to the Higher Education e-learning systems performance and responsiveness flexibility, taking also into consideration qualitative factors related to students’ characteristics and needs.