A Weighted Model of Digital Culture Assessment in Organizations (Studied Case: An Iranian Insurance Company)

Fotouhnezhad, Reyhane; ShamiZanjani, Mehdi

doi:10.22034/jhrs.2025.517168.2399

A Weighted Model of Digital Culture Assessment in Organizations (Studied Case: An Iranian Insurance Company)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Reyhane Fotouhnezhad ¹

Mehdi ShamiZanjani ²

¹ MSc. Student, Department of Information Technology Management, Faculty of Technology and Industrial Management, College of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

² Prof., Department of Information Technology Management, Faculty of Technology and Industrial Management, College of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

10.22034/jhrs.2025.517168.2399

Abstract

Background & Purpose: Organizations operating in today’s digital environment must pursue digital transformation to survive and remain competitive. Digital culture is a critical success factor on this journey. Implementing cultural initiatives within an organization requires an assessment of its digital culture. Therefore, a model is needed that evaluates the current state of each dimension of digital culture and determines the relative importance (weights) of those dimensions within the organization’s strategies, so that digital-culture initiatives can be designed in alignment with the most critical dimensions. This study aims to propose a weighted model that assesses organizational digital culture in terms of both status and importance.
Methodology: This research employs a mixed-methods strategy; In the qualitative phase, the dimensions and indicators of digital culture were identified using a meta-synthesis approach, then refined and completed through expert interviews. In the quantitative phase, the digital culture of a major Iranian insurance company was evaluated via a survey and the Bayesian Best–Worst Method (a multi-attribute decision-making technique). An importance–performance matrix was then constructed for that organization’s digital culture.
Findings: In this study, a weighted model comprising nine dimensions and 37 indicators for evaluating digital culture was proposed. These dimensions are: Digital Mindset, Agility, Data Orientation, Customer Orientation, Innovation, Internal Collaboration, External Collaboration, Talent Orientation, and Openness to Change. The digital culture of the case study was then assessed using this model, and the status and importance of each dimension for the organization were determined. Finally, by plotting an importance–performance matrix, Customer Orientation, Innovation, and External Collaboration were identified as the organization’s priority dimensions.
Conclusion: Digital culture is an essential prerequisite for organizations on the path to digitalization. To cultivate a digital-era organizational culture, managers must first assess their company’s digital culture. The model developed in this study evaluates digital culture dimensions from the dual perspectives of status and importance, providing managers with a clear picture of their organization’s digital-culture profile. This insight helps them focus digital-culture projects on those dimensions that are most critical and aligned with their strategies. Moreover, this model, rooted in a synthesis of prior research and expert opinion, can serve for future studies on organizational culture

Keywords

Digital Transformation

Digital Culture

Bayesian Best-worst Method

Assessment of digital culture

Organizational culture

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