Author:
Maximilian Breitruck
Affiliation:
Institute of Information Systems and Digital Business, University of St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
Keyword(s):
Digital Maturity Models, Benchmarking, Design Principles.
Abstract:
Digital maturity models (DMMs) already have a long history of providing organizations with structured approaches for assessing and guiding their digital transformation initiatives. While descriptive and prescriptive DMMs have seen extensive development, comparatively few models focus on benchmarking digital maturity internally as well as externally across multiple organizations. Moreover, existing literature frequently highlights persistent shortcomings, including limited theoretical grounding, methodological inconsistencies, and inadequate empirical validation. This study addresses these gaps by synthesizing insights from a systematic literature review of 58 publications into a cohesive set of design principles for comparative DMMs. We differentiate between “usage design principles,” which adapt established descriptive and prescriptive DMM components to comparative contexts, and newly formulated principles developed specifically to accommodate implicit data sources and support ongoi
ng benchmarking. The resulting framework provides researchers and practitioners with a foundation for designing, evaluating, and selecting comparative DMMs that are more conceptually robust, methodologically sound, and empirically viable. Ultimately, this work aims to enhance the overall maturity and applicability of comparative DMMs in advancing organizational digital transformation.
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