Identification and conceptualization of strategic decision-making drivers of digital transformation in Iranian apparel retail organizations

Digital transformation is rapidly changing apparel retail organizations. The high speed of new knowledge and the uncertainty of the fashion world do not allow organizations to make strategic plans, and force them to make strategic decisions in this field. Identifying and conceptualizing the drivers of strategic decisions for the digital transformation of apparel retail organizations is the primary goal of this research by using the multi-grounded theory research strategy. In the theoretical grounding stage, twenty-three international articles were selected and codes and concepts were extracted using the metanalysis method. In the experimental grounding stage, interviews were conducted with seventeen experts, and the codes and concepts extracted from the metanalysis stage were re-examined, redefined, and completed. Finally, by going back and forth and enriching the theory, the conceptual framework model of strategic decision-making drivers of digital transformation in Iran's apparel retail was designed. The results indicate that the drivers of strategic decisions for the digital transformation of apparel retail organizations are in seventeen concepts and four categories under the headings of "organizational drivers," industry and market pressure," "government infrastructure requirements," and "environmental macro trends." The economic pressure and the spread of information technology and bio-social changes from the environmental macro trends and the expectation of financial performance and digital infrastructure of the organization and the employees' pressure from the category of organizational drivers and customer pressure and the pressure of the competitive environment from the category of Industry and market pressure seem to have the most importancecompared to other concepts.