Cultural Issues Derail Digital Transformations
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Cultural Issues Derail Digital Transformations
Cultural issues are the main hurdle to digital transformation. Leaders think they've cultivated a culture of innovation and risk-taking, but few workers agree. -
High and Low
40% of the global senior executives and managers surveyed believe there is a high prevalence of digital culture in their company, but only 27% of employees agree. -
Biggest Hurdles to Digital Transformation
Cultural issues: 62%, Archaic IT systems and apps: 48%, Lack of digital skills: 43%, Absence of clear leadership vision: 38% -
Siloed Efforts
85% of the company leaders surveyed said their workforce easily collaborates throughout functions and business units, yet just 41% of employees said this is the case. -
Cautious Approach?
75% of leaders said their organization has a culture of innovation, experimentation and risk-taking, but only 37% of workers said this is true. -
Timely Issue
74% of business leaders said their employees can set aside time from core work to innovate, but just 42% of employees said they can do this. -
No Can Do?
69% of business leaders describe their digital vision as pragmatic and easily translatable into concrete projects and initiatives, yet only 36% of employees agree. -
Red Tape
66% of corporate leaders said their employees don't have to deal with bureaucracy to submit ideas, but just 32% of workers said that's the case. -
Bumpy Road
64% of business leaders said there are dedicated avenues in their company to share innovative ideas with top executives, yet only 32% of employees agree. -
Muddled Message
61% of company leaders said digital strategy and vision are well-communicated throughout their organization, but just 38% of employees said that actually happens. -
Training Dispute
60% of organizational leaders said their company invests in building their employees' digital capabilities, but only 33% of workers said this is the case.
There's a huge difference between how companies' executives believe they are encouraging a digital culture and how employees think their leadership is doing, according to a recent survey from Capgemini and Brian Solis, a prominent digital analyst and author. The resulting report, "The Digital Culture Challenge: Closing the Employee-Leadership Gap," reveals that cultural issues create the biggest hurdle to a digital transformation. Leaders, for example, are convinced that collaboration flows freely throughout functions and business units, but employees said that isn't the case. Leaders also think they've cultivated a culture of innovation, experimentation and risk-taking, while few workers agree. Findings indicate that similarly differing impressions linger with respect to stifling bureaucratic channels, a lack of opportunities to share ideas with executives and a reluctance to invest into the digital capabilities of staffers. "Digital technologies can bring significant new value, but organizations will only unlock that potential if they have the right digital culture ingrained and in place," according to the report. "Currently, that is not happening. Employees are being sidelined and disenfranchised in the culture change journey, and the gap between leadership and employee perceptions is stark. … Organizations that invest in people, and align the values and mission of the company to employees, set the stage for working with purpose. Ultimately, this creates an ecosystem that promotes learning, experimenting and growth." More than 1,700 global senior executives, managers and employees took part in the research.