Title:
Digital Transformation and Innovation in Traditional Industries: Global Insights and Evidence from Emerging Markets in West Africa

Authors:
Christiana S. Holist, Abu Bakarr Koroma*, Iye Kandeh, Gibrilla Deen Kamara*, Sorie Nyamakoro Sesay*, China

Abstract:

This study investigates how digital transformation affects innovation in traditional industries across four West African countries—Sierra Leone, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal. Despite the widespread ambition for digitalization, many traditional sectors in emerging economies lag behind in adopting and benefitting from digital tools. Using a mixed-methods approach, this research examines the relationships between firms’ digital capability development, organizational culture, leadership commitment, and innovation performance. Quantitative data from firm-level surveys are triangulated with qualitative insights from interviews with industry leaders and policymakers in both Anglophone and Francophone contexts. The findings reveal that higher levels of digital capability are significantly associated with greater innovation (product, process, and business model), though this effect is moderated by leadership commitment and a pro-innovation culture. Cross-country comparisons show that national infrastructure readiness and institutional support explain much of the variation in outcomes: Ghana and Senegal show higher digital maturity, while Sierra Leone exhibits constraints arising from lower connectivity and a more informal industrial base. Theoretically, this research contributes by adapting dynamic capabilities, resource-based views, and TOE frameworks for resource-constrained environments. Practically, it offers actionable recommendations for managers and policymakers to leverage digitalization as a pathway to sustainable innovation in traditional sectors.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.51505/IJEBMR.2025.91207