Strategic Adaptation Narratives of Small Businesses Facing Digital Transformation

Hernawati W. Retno Wiratih; Miswan Miswan; Dharma Widada; Siti Mahmudah

doi:10.55927/fjst.v4i11.311

Authors

Hernawati W. Retno Wiratih Universitas Presiden
Miswan Miswan Universitas Al-Ghifari
Dharma Widada Universitas Mulawarman
Siti Mahmudah Politeknik NSC Surabaya

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55927/fjst.v4i11.311

Keywords:

Strategic Adaptation, Narratives, Small Businesses, Digital Transformation

Abstract

Digital transformation has become a determining factor in the sustainability dynamics of small businesses facing competitive pressures and changing consumer behavior. In the context of strategic management, digital adaptation is not only related to the application of technology, but also to the ability of small business actors to restructure their strategies, organizational culture, and business narratives to remain relevant in the midst of digital disruption. This study aims to analyze the narrative of strategic adaptation developed by small business actors in responding to digital transformation, focusing on strategic thinking patterns, decision-making processes, and emerging organizational learning mechanisms. The approach of this research is qualitative with a narrative design, using a semi-structured interview technique with eight informants who are small business actors in the city of Bandung who have adopted digital practices in their business management. The data was analyzed through thematic coding stages to identify narrative patterns that describe adaptation strategies to digital change. The results show that small business actors tend to build adaptive narratives based on empirical experiences, which emphasize the importance of collaboration, flexibility, and technology integration in improving business efficiency and sustainability. In conclusion, this research makes a theoretical contribution to the development of narrative-based strategic management studies, while offering practical implications for increasing the adaptive capacity of small businesses in the face of sustainable digital transformation.

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