| dc.description.abstract | Digitalisation is a heavily debated topic within the business community. However, there is
little empirical research on digitalisation, and accordingly practitioners define best practice.
This thesis seeks to theorise strategies employed by firms in order to increase commercial
exploitation of digitalisation. It investigates how the classic theoretical framework of
strategic orientations influences the more diffuse theory of the concept of digitalisation. The
measurement of commercial exploitation of digitalisation consists of two distinct
components: digitalisation to increase revenue (i.e. digital transformation), and digitalisation
to cut costs (i.e. digitisation). The results are based on a quantitative survey with respondents
from medium and large Norwegian companies across service- and manufactoring industries.
The thesis reveals that market oriented- and technological oriented businesses are more
committed to utilise digital technology to increase their revenue. Market orientation has the
strongest effect. We find no evidence to support that strategic orientation has any significant
impact on companies’ ability to reduce costs by applying digital technology. There was
found no support of any effect from combining strategic orientations in order to increase
commercial exploitation of digitalisation. Neither organisational collaboration nor
communication across company departments shows any significant effect on commercial
exploitation of digitalisation. Additionally, the thesis demonstrates that digital
transformation leads to both a competitive advantage and increased profitability across
industries. However, there is no correspondence between digitisation and these
measurements of performance. | nb_NO |
