Integration of Digital Technologies into Craft Practices

ABSTRACT: Digital transformation (DT) is the use and integration of digital technologies in all areas of an organization, leading to profound changes in its activities, operations and value creation for customers. It has become a matter of survival for organizations across all sectors, geographies and sizes. Despite its widespread adoption, DT success is not achieved by investing in technology alone; it is necessary to analyze the factors that influence success and understand why some companies gain a competitive advantage while others fail. This study examines three key factors of DT: business model innovation, digital technology integration and digital talent management, and their relationship to performance. In addition, we examine the environment in which each organization operates, considering the technological intensity of the sector as a potential moderating factor between these factors and performance. The study focuses on Spanish manufacturing companies, using data from the ESEE. By analyzing a panel data set of 9215 observations between 2011 and 2017, we provide evidence that the technological intensity of the sector significantly affects the relationship between business model innovation, digital technology integration, the development of new competencies and performance. The study shows that companies in medium- and low-tech sectors can benefit more quickly from investments aimed at business model innovation, digital technology integration and the development of new competencies, and achieve better short-term results compared to companies in high-tech sectors. These results suggest that, despite their limited investment in R&D, companies in medium- and low-tech sectors have resources and capabilities that compensate for their innovation activities.ABSTRACT: Digital transformation (DT) is the use and integration of digital technologies in all areas of an organization, leading to profound changes in its activities, operations and value creation for customers. It has become a matter of survival for organizations across all sectors, geographies and sizes. Despite its widespread adoption, DT success is not achieved by investing in technology alone; it is necessary to analyze the factors that influence success and understand why some companies gain a competitive advantage while others fail. This study examines three key factors of DT: business model innovation, digital technology integration and digital talent management, and their relationship to performance. In addition, we examine the environment in which each organization operates, considering the technological intensity of the sector as a potential moderating factor between these factors and performance. The study focuses on Spanish manufacturing companies, using data from the ESEE. By analyzing a panel data set of 9215 observations between 2011 and 2017, we provide evidence that the technological intensity of the sector significantly affects the relationship between business model innovation, digital technology integration, the development of new competencies and performance. The study shows that companies in medium- and low-tech sectors can benefit more quickly from investments aimed at business model innovation, digital technology integration and the development of new competencies, and achieve better short-term results compared to companies in high-tech sectors. These results suggest that, despite their limited investment in R&D, companies in medium- and low-tech sectors have resources and capabilities that compensate for their innovation activities. Keywords: Digital transformation; performance of Spanish manufacturing firms; business model innovation; digital technology integration; digital talent management; industry’s technological intensity. Keywords: Digital transformation; performance of Spanish manufacturing firms; business model innovation; digital technology integration; digital talent management; industry’s technological intensity.

Purpose The research provides new strategies for enhancing resilience in pharmaceutical manufacturing by addressing the dynamic nature of digital technology within the challenging framework of a VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) world, focusing on the concept of digital twins (DTs). This paper aims to emphasize the pivotal role of resilience in navigating disruptions and propose future research directions to contribute to the industry’s effective adaptation to uncertainties and dynamic challenges. Design/methodology/approach This research uses a qualitative approach, drawing insights from an extensive literature review on pharmaceutical manufacturing resilience and the integration of digital technologies. Methodologically, it synthesizes information from scholarly articles, empirical studies and industry reports to construct a comprehensive understanding. This design facilitates a thorough examination of the subject, providing valuable insights for practitioners, researchers and policymakers in the pharmaceutical industry. Findings This paper illustrates the practical application of DTs in vaccine production, emphasizing their critical role in ensuring quality, safety and adaptability. It adopts the “seizing, sensing and transforming” framework, showcasing the strategic integration of Industry 4.0 technologies to address dynamic challenges. Key insights include the significance of human elements alongside technological advancements, the need for real-time monitoring using Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) and the transformative potential of sustainability practices, diversified supply chains and collaborative ecosystems. Research limitations/implications This paper highlights the integration of human and digital elements, emphasizing IoT, AI and DTs for resilience. It underscores sustainable practices, supply chain diversification and collaboration as key strategies for addressing pharmaceutical industry challenges. Practical implications This paper offers practical insights for pharmaceutical manufacturing, emphasizing the need for robust cybersecurity measures, strategic investments in digital technologies and proactive regulatory compliance. Managers are encouraged to allocate budgets for digital integration, prioritize change management for technology adoption and invest in a skilled workforce. The adoption and management of DTs are highlighted to enhance resilience. Overall, the paper guides pharmaceutical organizations in navigating the complexities of the VUCA environment, ensuring the quality and safety of products through a multifaceted approach that combines advanced technologies with sustainability practices, supply chain diversification and collaborative ecosystems. Social implications The research addresses VUCA challenges, including volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity in pharmaceutical manufacturing. It emphasizes societal benefits such as uninterrupted drug supply, environmental responsibility through sustainable practices and enhanced collaboration among stakeholders. By leveraging digital technologies and resilience strategies, the study highlights the pharmaceutical sector’s pivotal role in managing health crises and ensuring patient safety. Originality/value This paper offers substantial originality and value by presenting a comprehensive framework for bolstering resilience in pharmaceutical manufacturing within the VUCA environment. The integration of advanced digital technologies, notably DTs, is explored in-depth, providing novel insights into their practical application. The “seizing, sensing and transforming” concept contributes a nuanced approach, considering both technological and human dimensions. This paper addresses the gaps in current literature by combining diverse elements such as Industry 4.0, risk assessment, sustainability practices and collaborative ecosystems. Its practical implications for managers and detailed exploration of research directions add tangible value, guiding future endeavors in enhancing pharmaceutical industry resilience.

The study investigated teacher preparedness and integration of digital technologies among foundation phase teachers in Kenya. The Ex post facto research design was adopted. The target population for the study was 345 teachers consisting of 225 grade 1-3 teachers and 90 foundation phase teachers. The sample size for the study consisted of 263 foundation phase teachers. Reliability of the questionnaires was ascertained by Cronbach’s alpha method and α of 0.7 to 0.8 were reported. Pearson correlation and linear regression were used to analyze data. The findings indicated a significant highly positive correlation (n=202; r =.711; p < 0.05)between status of digital literacy and integration of digital technologies; a low positive correlation (n=202; r =.292; p <.05) between relevancy and adequacy of teachers training and integration of digital technologies; a weak (n=202; r =.332; p<.05), positive correlation between teachers’ ICT advancement and integration of digital technologies; and, a statistically significant (n=202; r =.384; p < 0.05) positive correlation between teachers’ perception and integration of digital technologies. The teacher’s status of digital literacy had the highest impact on enhancing Integration of Digital Technology. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education Science and Technology should enhance more structured training on literacy for teachers.

IT-experienced executives and digital-physical integration: An internal capabilities perspective

This study determined the motivation, barriers, and self-efficacy on digital technology of the nurse educators in the selected HEIs in CALABARZON, Philippines. Varied aspects of socio-cultural, training and professional development, attitude, leadership and administration, and pedagogy influenced the motivation in digital technology among nurse educators. On the other hand, lack of internet service, requiring more time to fully integrate technology in teaching, lack of adequate and necessary training, unclear implication of technology in professional practice, and lack of competence in adopting technology hindered their digital technology integration. Self-efficacy is facilitated by easy access to resources from the online library, the capability to meet deadlines, the capacity to efficiently learn to use a new type of digital technology, and being able to carry out their ethico-legal responsibilities regarding their role as teachers. Motivation and barriers are interrelated variables that influence digital technology use and integration among nurse educators. Barriers and self-efficacy have a high positive relationship that when self-efficacy is low, a reduction of barriers is also noted. Thus, nurse educators must be provided with continued support and training as they adapt to the education landscape and as they embrace the instructional challenges brought about by digital technology in the 21st century classroom.

This study addresses the problem that many global supplies chain enterprises still experience delayed, fragmented financial risk monitoring and suboptimal investment efficiency because operational data are not consistently captured and integrated across cloud and enterprise platforms. The purpose was to test whether Internet of Things capability (IoT) and digital technology integration (DTI) improve financial risk monitoring effectiveness (FRM) and, in turn, investment efficiency (IE). Using a quantitative, cross-sectional, case-based design, survey data were collected from enterprise functions (supply chain, logistics, procurement, operations, and finance/risk) in a single organizational case (N = 210), with 62.4% operations-facing and 37.6% finance/risk-facing respondents. Constructs were measured on 5-point Likert scales and showed strong reliability (αIoT = .86, αDTI = .88, αFRM = .90, αIE = .85), with above-neutral mean scores (IoT M = 3.78, DTI M = 3.69, FRM M = 3.73, IE M = 3.61). The analysis plan included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, multiple regression with controls (size, supply chain complexity, tenure, digital maturity), and mediation testing using bootstrap resampling (5,000). Headline findings show that IoT and DTI significantly predicted FRM (β = .28, p < .001; β = .41, p < .001; R² = .52), FRM predicted IE (β = .43, p < .001; IE model R² = .53), and both IoT and DTI retained significant direct effects on IE (β = .12, p = .031; β = .17, p = .004). Mediation results indicate partial mediation via FRM, with significant indirect effects for IoT (0.12, 95% CI [0.07, 0.19]) and DTI (0.18, 95% CI [0.11, 0.27]). The findings imply that enterprises should prioritize end-to-end data integration and finance-ready monitoring routines, because improved FRM is a primary mechanism through which digital capability translates into more disciplined, efficient investment decisions.

Digital transformation reshapes firms into more digital, data-driven, and customer-centric organizations. Because it often supports innovation, firms are widely expected to benefit from higher performance and productivity. However, it remains unclear whether higher national levels of digital integration translate into higher aggregate enterprise productivity. This study adopts a socio-technical and ecosystem perspective to examine the relationship between digital technology integration and enterprise labor productivity across the 27 EU member states, while also considering the role of key ecosystem enablers. A balanced country-year panel of data (N = 162) was constructed from Eurostat Structural Business Statistics on the apparent labor productivity of total enterprises, together with Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) indicators on the integration of digital technology, human capital, connectivity, and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, covering the period from 2017 to 2022. To this end, fixed-effects regression models were estimated using robust standard errors clustered by country and combined with correlated random effects (CRE/Mundlak) decomposition. This methodological approach was adopted to distinguish short-run within-country dynamics from persistent between-country differences. The study contributes to ecosystem-level DESI research by using this distinction to assess how country-level digital integration is associated with enterprise productivity. The fixed-effects results provide no evidence that year-to-year changes in digital technology integration, on their own, are associated with higher enterprise productivity. Additionally, no statistically significant interaction effect was observed with either human capital or digital connectivity. By contrast, GDP per capita was found to be a robust positive predictor of enterprise productivity. The CRE/Mundlak results indicate that the majority of between-country productivity differences are attributable to differences in economic development. Furthermore, there is evidence of a positive association between the average level of digital technology integration and human capital. Taken together, these findings suggest that national digital technology integration reflects business environment conditions at the ecosystem level. While it may create opportunities for enterprise business model innovation, its productivity implications are more likely to emerge gradually through stronger absorptive capacity and complementary capabilities. Consequently, the study suggests that enterprise digital transformation policies should be aligned with investments in digital skills and broadband infrastructure. These policies should also support process redesign, greater interoperability, and the implementation of AI-enabled technologies.

The rapid development of digital technology requires teachers to improve their competence in effectively integrating technology into the learning process on an ongoing basis. Pedagogical and professional competence are essential in ensuring that teachers can adapt to technological changes and create meaningful and engaging learning experiences. However, many educators face challenges in optimally utilizing digital tools, so it is important to examine the relationship between their competence and the integration of digital technology. This study aims to analyze the impact of teachers' pedagogical and professional competencies on the integration of digital technology into tlearning. Using an ex-post facto quantitative research design, this study was conducted at SD Muhammadiyah Karangkajen Yogyakarta, involving 39 teachers selected through non-probability sampling, so the results have limitations in external validity and generalizability. The findings should be interpreted with caution. The research results show a significant correlation between pedagogical competencies and digital technology integration (r = 0.655, p < 0.05) as well as between professional competencies and digital technology integration (r = 0.747, p < 0.05), confirming the influence of both competencies. These findings highlight the importance of continuous professional development to strengthen teachers' ability to integrate digital tools into their teaching. This study suggests that developing pedagogical and professional competencies is essential to maximize the potential of digital technology education, which ultimately enhances students' learning experiences.

The field of wearable technology has extensively described the opportunities, challenges as well as the concerns around integrating digital technologies into fashion. However, it has so far not provided a sufficiently clear and embodied understanding of technology. Technology therefore is often still limited to something that adds functionality to textiles or clothing. Additionally, technology is seen as a way to enhance the visual expression and thereby the representational character of clothing. Both approaches seem to hinder the intersection of digital technologies and textiles on a material and embodied level. While the role of wearable technologies in the everyday could benefit from it. In this paper, we therefore argue for reframing the understanding of technology to better facilitate the integration of digital technologies (i.e. electronics and software) into everyday fashion. A reflective analysis of the process of designing wearable technologies, based on the design practice of the first author, reveals that technology is considered a material and that its material qualities are not thought of as either functional or aesthetic. These insights, arising from practice, have led us to turn to postphenomenology (a strand of philosophy of technology) to come to further conceptualization. Postphenomenology looks at the ways in which technologies mediate or “coshape” the relationship between human beings and the world. By seeing technologies as the media that connect humans to the world, they acquire a material and contextual dimension. The idea that artifacts mediate materially thus offers a very useful starting point for understanding and designing wearable technologies. The contribution of this article is twofold, namely, first, to provide a material understanding of the technology on the basis of design practice. And secondly, to bridge design practice with theory by suggesting to bring postphenomenology into fashion to better facilitate the design of wearable technologies for the everyday.

The article examines the relationship between modern trends in the philosophy of culture and the integration of digital technologies into the field of art. New digital art forms are not explored in a differentiated manner, in terms of technology and socio-cultural changes, but in an integrated one. This topic is relevant, since digital technologies have become engrained in our lives, forming new aesthetic ideals and language in art. The modern era of information technology entails global changes in the social system and affects all spheres of human activity. The integration of digital technologies into the socio-cultural environment is due to technological progress in the field of digital solutions. Among the existing variety of digital art, the following forms should be noted: the art of video art, digital painting, computer graphics and computer animation, electronic music, digital literature and much more. The development of digital technologies not only expands the theory and methodology of culture, but also the educational process in whole. Digital arts, which are based on the concept of using digital technology products for applying them in human artistic activity, while developing and progressing, equally attract the attention of both people of art and people of science. This progress has included not only the development of existing, already well-known art forms, but has also entailed the birth of new types and forms of artistic activity.

A inserção de tecnologias digitais na Educação - neste texto, em especial no âmbito da formação de professores de línguas - tem gerado reflexão em pesquisadores de Lingüística Aplicada a partir do momento em que as teorias que compõem a "Lingüística Aplicada dominante" (LARSEN-FREEMAN, 2000) se mostram insuficientes para abarcar o fenômeno das relações sociais que fundamentam a aprendizagem. Na busca de uma abordagem teórica que dê conta dos movimentos complexos típicos da experiência pedagógica - na qual incluem-se, indissociavelmente, docentes e discentes - optamos pelo suporte no Pensamento Complexo (MORIN, 1995), na Teoria do Caos (GLEICK, 1989), na Emergência (JOHNSON, 2003) e na Teoria dos Valores Qualitativos (PIAGET, 1973) e relatamos reflexões resultantes de pesquisa sobre grupos de professores (em serviço e pré-serviço) em um curso a distância, em ambiente virtual de aprendizagem (AVA). Percebemos que entender os grupos como sistemas complexos nos permite identificar elementos que fomentam sua manutenção e atuam na emergência de comportamentos interativos os quais são essenciais para a aprendizagem sob uma perspectiva sócio-construtivista.

This article examines how different forms of digitalization affect inequality in Europe. Using a cross-national dataset of economic development and digitalization across a range of regression specifications including country and time fixed effects, this article explores the heterogeneous relationships of disparate forms of digitalization – human capital, broadband connectivity, integration of digital technology into small and medium enterprises, and digital public services – with income inequality. Fixed country and time effects models show that only the digitalization of human capital and integration of digital technology by SMEs are associated with decreases in income inequality. Causal mediation analysis reveals that tertiary education, despite its oft-cited connection to digital technology uptake, has no causal effect on the pathways through which digitalization of labour and SME operations lower inequality, which are direct. The findings tentatively suggest that there exist informal sources of digital skills training apart from formal tertiary education and point to SMEs as a potentially impactful area for investing in digitalization as pathways for income redistribution.

El presente artículo presenta el análisis de la inclusión de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) en los programas de formación inicial docente (FID) en Uruguay. El objetivo es cómo la Competencia Digital Docente (CDD) se incorpora en los programas de los cursos como parte de la formación de estudiantes, en el contexto de implementación de una política educativa pública de inclusión digital en el país. A través del análisis de contenido y bajo la metodología propuesta por Krippendorff (1990), se analizan los programas utilizando una matriz de indicadores realizada para medir el nivel de CDD. Las dimensiones consideradas son los fundamentos, objetivos y los contenidos. Del análisis se pudo inferir inconsistencias en la cobertura de la CDD entre los componentes de los programas analizados. Éstas se presentan tanto a nivel de dimensiones como de indicadores, especialmente en los programas de las materias “Informática” y “Educación y tecnologías”, no así en el programa de “Educación e integración de tecnologías digitales”. En el programa de “Informática” se puede apreciar que los componentes analizados presentan escasa relación con la CDD, de acuerdo a la matriz utilizada para el análisis. Como conclusión más relevante destacamos que los programas analizados, si bien de forma dispar incluyen la mayoría de los componentes de la CDD, no responden a las necesidades formativas actuales en lo que a formación por competencias se refiere.

The article presents an analysis of the problem of training future physical education teachers to organize physical education and mass work in the conditions of digitalization of education. Physical education is considered an important component of the educational process, as it contributes to the comprehensive development of the personality, health promotion, and the formation of healthy lifestyle skills. The article summarizes various approaches to the problem of training physical education teachers in higher education institutions, such as the issue of updating the content, forms, and methods of professional training of physical education teachers; features of the use of pedagogical technologies in the professional training of future physical education teachers; the need for future physical education teachers to master professional knowledge; and training physical education teachers to use information technologies in teaching and coaching activities. An important aspect of the research presented in the article is the integration of digital technologies into physical education through the use of mobile applications for tracking physical activity (Google Fit, Strava), conducting online classes, or interactive lessons on theoretical physical training. The integration of digital technologies into physical education also involves the gamification of physical education, the introduction of sports challenges, tournaments, and team competitions using digital technologies, and the use of VR/AR tools for teaching movement techniques. It is talked about how to bring higher education up to date in the area of training physical education teachers. This is happening right now with the goal of shifting the focus from sports and physical education to personal growth and making people better, which is in line with the humanistic nature of physical education and mass reality. The article proves that such an approach determines the new content of the professional activity of a physical education teacher based on the formation of his professional culture.

21st-century physics education requires the development of students' critical thinking skills through innovative learning that is integrated with digital technology. This study aims to conduct a systematic review of the literature discussing the integration of STEM and digital technology in physics education and to perform a bibliometric analysis to map the topics and directions of research development in STEM-based physics learning. The research method employs a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach and bibliometric analysis by analyzing 12 articles obtained from the Scopus database using the keywords physics, education, critical thinking, and STEM over the past five years. Article selection was conducted using the PRISMA approach with the assistance of Rayyan AI, while bibliometric analysis was performed using VOSviewer. The research results indicate that the integration of STEM and digital technology has proven effective in enhancing students' critical thinking skills through contextual and problem-solving-based learning. Project-Based Learning (PjBL) emerged as the dominant learning model integrating digital technology to create an interactive learning environment. Bibliometric analysis identified four main clusters focused on the role of students as the center of learning and teachers as facilitators of digital learning innovation. These findings confirm that the integration of STEM and digital technology supports pedagogical transformation toward more modern and adaptive learning, providing a foundation for educators to implement effective learning approaches in developing 21st-century skills.