Development of a technology and digital transformation adoption framework of the postal industry in Southern Africa: From critical literature review to a theoretical framework

Abstract

The pressing and most urgent challenge for most of the Posts in Southern Africa is to transit from its historical reputation of being a snail-paced, inefficient, loss-making and ineffective service provider to an agile, innovative, solution-driven and highly competitive service provider that strive for excellence. In this context, adoption, and diffusion of technology and digital transformation by Posts should deliver the necessary traction to steer the digital transformation journey of the postal industry in Southern Africa with the necessary velocity while cognizant and mindful of the appropriateness of the technology in the African context in the light of a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) world. The traditional technology adoption models are characterized by “linearity” which is the opposite of a dynamic setting characterized by “causality” which is the fundamental principle of a system thinking approach. The multi-stakeholders in the postal sector with often competing interests renders a linear approach defunct and requires a system approach to digital transformation and technology adoption. The conceptual framework developed from the critical review of literature offers considerable leverage to postal sector in developing countries and to Southern Africa in particular. The proposed conceptual framework integrates dimensions such as Postal Industry 4.0 Envisioning, Strategy, Institutional factors, Organizational factors, Individual factors, Industry 4.0 environment and outcomes.