Technological orientation and organizational resilience to Covid-19: The mediating role of strategy's digital maturity

Grounded in dynamic capabilities theory, this study investigates the impact of firms' technological orientation (TO) on their resilience to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic (RTC). The mediating role of the maturity of their digital strategy (MDS) to this relationship is also considered. To do this, we conducted an online survey of 186 firms that operate in Germany and Italy and tested the study's hypotheses by applying the covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) and bootstrapped regression analysis. The results indicate that TO positively affects MDS, leading to higher RTC, whereas the relationship between TO and RTC is not significant. This study extends the knowledge about dynamic capabilities theory by providing empirical support for developing a mature digital strategy. Further, it highlights the importance for managers and policy makers to proactively respond to disruptive changes, such as those caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, thus contributing to organizational resilience literature that stresses the importance of ex ante initiatives to improve resiliency.