Exploiting sustainability pillars for ensuring digital transition in systems functioning

The rapid spread of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has attracted the attention of multiple researchers and practitioners interested in defining models, tools, techniques, and approaches for supporting social and economic organizations in maximizing the ‘advantages’ offered by the emerging digital platforms. Due to the increasing attention on this topic, multiple contributions have been provided about protocols and rules related to the so-called ‘digital organizations’. Unfortunately, all these contributions seem to only focus the attention on the technical dimensions of digitalization without considering the key role that human and relational dimensions have in ensuring organizations’ survival over time. In such a debate, the role of sustainability and related cognitive dimensions in the ongoing process for digital transition seems to be completely underestimated. To bridge this gap, the paper adopts the interpretative lens provided by the Behavioural Psychology and the Systems Approach for clarifying the relations between sustainability and digital transition. A conceptual model is proposed and discussed for supporting both researchers and practitioners in developing a holistic view of digital transition as a way through which ensuring sustainable development both at the organization and the socio-economic level.