Building Digital Resilience in Major Shocks: How Ukrainian Organizations Enact Digital Transformation in Times of War

Abstract

Limited IS research is available on digital transformation (DT) and digital resilience in major shocks. Drawing on Boh et al. (2023) digital resilience framework and using the case of Ukrainian organizations operating during the war, we explore how DT is enacted to build digital resilience. Analysis of 40 interviews with the Ukrainian managers shows that DT unfolds emergently to ensure organizational survival, involving the integration of social media and messaging in work practices to ensure continuous contact, morale support, and decision-making. Re-adapting remote work practices from the pandemic, handling infrastructure damages, enhancing cybersecurity protection, and developing new online services to reach out to customers are key strategies that contributed to building digital resilience. Further, volunteering and donating to the army contribute to community feelings, pivotal for building resilience in war. The study provides suggestions for extending the digital resilience framework and offers insights for managing organizations in times of major shocks.