Digital transformation and technology adoption in small and medium-sized enterprises
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Digital transformation has become a strategic factor for the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises in Latin America; however, gaps persist in digital capabilities, data management, financing, leadership, and technological integration. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between technological, organizational, and institutional conditions, the level of technology adoption, and business performance. A qualitative, documentary, cross-sectional, and exploratory study was conducted through the interpretive analysis of recent scientific literature and technical reports on small and medium-sized enterprises in Latin America. The results showed that 71% of the evaluated firms remained at early stages of digital maturity, with the greatest limitations observed in data and analytics, as well as in people and organizational structures. Positive associations were also identified between digital capabilities, innovation, productivity, and resilience, although differences emerged across countries, firm sizes, and sectoral contexts. The findings suggested that technology generated greater benefits when accompanied by organizational learning, leadership, financing, and process reconfiguration. It was concluded that digital transformation depended less on the isolated acquisition of technologies and more on their strategic integration into sustainable organizational capabilities.
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