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Article . 2026 . Peer-reviewed
License: CC BY
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Digital Transformation in SMEs in Developing Countries: A Culturally Contextualized Theory-Building Model

Authors: Díaz-Arancibia, Jaime; Bustamante-Mora, Ana; Arango-López, Jeferson; Villegas, Gabriel M. Ramírez;

Digital Transformation in SMEs in Developing Countries: A Culturally Contextualized Theory-Building Model

Abstract

Digital transformation among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries is limited by a persistent gap between prevailing adoption frameworks and the sociocultural realities of target populations. Frameworks such as the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework, UTAUT, and IDT were originally developed for industrialized contexts and do not adequately account for the cultural factors influencing adoption behavior in structurally distinct environments. A systematic mapping of 256 articles revealed that only 14 consider cultural behavior as a variable, and none utilize a validated cultural measurement instrument. This study introduces the Culturally Contextualized Digital Transformation Model (CC-DTM), a four-layer theoretical architecture that integrates the TOE framework, TAM constructs, and Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, operationalized as individual-level espoused values rather than national aggregate scores. The model incorporates a novel meso-level construct, Ecosystem Density, which mediates the relationship between environmental context and organizational readiness. The CC-DTM specifies 22 constructs and 15 directional hypotheses, organized into an initial empirical agenda (H1–H12) and deferred extensions (H13–H15). Additionally, a three-configuration typology based on internal SME attributes is developed. A two-phase validation roadmap, consisting of expert-panel content assessment and configurational case illustration across ten Chilean SMEs, is proposed.

Keywords

TOE framework, TAM, ecosystem density, digital transformation, developing countries, technology adoption, Hofstede, small and medium enterprises, cultural dimensions

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average