Strategies implemented by firms to facilitate digital transformation in VUCA contexts: Implications for sustainable transformation in emerging markets

Author : Jose Montes

Abstract : Countries face interconnected challenges such as geopolitical tensions, tariff wars, climate change, cyber threats, and pandemics, which in turn affect the performance of industries and firms and their capacity to pursue both digital and sustainable transformation. Despite these challenges, many firms still must continue with their digital transformation and technological implementation processes, otherwise they risk failure. This research explores the strategies implemented by firms to facilitate digital transformation and technological implementation during times of high volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA) in emerging markets. To explore these strategies we carried out a multiple case study involving 15 Colombian firms from different sectors, sizes and ages. The results indicate four categories of strategies to ease digital transformation in VUCA contexts: information-centered (seeking expert advice, researching extensively, monitoring competitors and markets, obtaining customer feedback, and analyzing potential impacts of decisions), attitude-centered (maintaining decisiveness and avoiding paralysis, demonstrating leader confidence, cultivating resilience, staying motivated, embracing adaptability, and not fearing failure), value-centered (focusing on customer needs, prototyping frequently, maintaining stakeholder communication, and building team collaboration), and adaptation-centered (reacting with agility and flexibility, prioritizing initiatives with finite resources, envisioning multiple solution pathways, and managing costs strategically). Informed by our empirical results, we present a framework of tactics that derive from these strategies to ease digital transformation at the firm level in emerging markets. This paper contributes to theory by enhancing understanding of how firms advance technology adoption and transformation in challenging contexts where environmental and social pressures increasingly intersect with digital imperatives. The paper contributes to practice by providing actionable tactics grounded in real managerial experiences to facilitate transformation in emerging market contexts.

Keywords : Strategy, digital transformation, technology adoption, emerging markets, VUCA, sustainable transformation.

Conference Name : International Conference on Emerging Markets and International Business Growth (ICEMIBG - 26)

Conference Place : Istanbul, Turkey

Conference Date : 5th Mar 2026