Strategy in a Digital World

Abstract: Organizations are increasingly adopting digital strategies and investing heavily in digital technologies and initiatives. However, to date, there does not appear to be a clear understanding of digital strategies and their purpose, which forms the motivation for this research. This research-in-progress study aims to address this research gap by exploring 1) the various conceptions of digital strategy, and 2) the way in which digital strategies differ from conventional strategies, through interviews with three senior executives. We employed thematic analysis to analyse the interview data, which resulted in the identification of ten themes that were grouped under three theoretical constructs. We then explored the applicability of the six dimensions of strategy proposed by Hax (1990) in the digital context and proposed two additional dimensions. The contribution of this study is to provide a deeper understanding of digital strategy to support further academic research and provide guidance to practitioners.