Pandemic, Lockdown, and Digital Transformation: Challenges and Opportunities for Public Administration, Ngos, and Businesses

This edited volume discusses digital transformation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the widespread lockdown policies that followed, digital technologies were touted as an effective means towards ensuring continuity and minimal interruption of day-to-day operations for businesses and other institutions. Digital transformation, however, is an inherently complex process and the pressure of short adoption times may further increase complexities for organizations looking to foster digital technologies.

This volume comprises original research contributions on theoretical foundations and empirical studies of digital transformations in the pandemic era. Written by academics and practitioners from diverse disciplines and industries, the chapters cover topics such as psychological and technical implications of pandemic situations, the economic, organizational, social, and legal implications of digital adoption, and case studies for digital transformation in different industries.

This book will be useful for academics, technology professionals, business policy makers, NGO managers, and governments looking to optimize their digital transformation processes to better prepare their organizations in the presence of pandemic situations.

Saqib Saeed is an Associate Professor with the Department of Computer Information Systems, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia. He received the B.Sc. degree (Hons.) in computer science from International Islamic University Islamabad, Pakistan, in 2001, the M.Sc. degree in software technology from the Stuttgart Technology University of Applied Sciences, Germany, in 2003, and the Ph.D. degree in information systems from the University of Siegen, Germany, in 2012. He is also a Certified Software Quality Engineer from the American Society of Quality. His research interests include human-centered computing, data visualization and analytics, software engineering, information systems management, and digital business transformation. He is also an Associate Editor of IEEE Access and International Journal of Public Administration in the Digital Age, besides being member of the advisory boards of several international journals.

Manuel Pedro Rodríguez Bolívar is Professor of Accounting at the University of Granada (Spain). His research interests are mainly related to e-government and smart cities. He is the author of more than 55 papers published in JCR indexed journals and more than 35 book chapters published in international publishers. He holds the position of Editor-in-Chief of the Public Administration and Information Technology (PAIT) book series in Springer and the International Journal of Public Administration in the Digital Age (IJPADA), and he is a member of the Editorial Board of Government Information Quarterly and other relevant international journals.

Ramayah Thurasamy is a professor at the School of Management at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), where he received his MBA. He teaches mainly courses in research methodology and business statistics. His publications have appeared in internationally recognized journals such as Computers in Human Behavior, Journal of Educational Technology & Society, and Journal of Project Management (JoPM).