Exploring the cultural foundations of digital innovation in tourism: a conceptual framework

Diaconescu, V., Țigu, G., & Malaia, C.-M. (2025). Exploring the cultural foundations of digital innovation in tourism: a conceptual framework. CACTUS Tourism Journal, 31 (1). doi.org/10.24818/CTS/7/2025/1.05

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Abstract

The digital transformation of the tourism industry presents both significant opportunities and complex challenges for companies seeking to enhance competitiveness. This study explores the role of organizational culture in shaping how tourism firms adopt and implement digital innovation. A conceptual framework is proposed, grounded in the Competing Values Framework (CVF), which categorizes organizational cultures into Clan, Adhocracy, Market, and Hierarchy types. The framework highlights how these cultural dimensions affect the integration of digital tools, market adaptability, and organizational performance. Drawing on a theoretical synthesis of the literature on culture and innovation in tourism, the study conducts an exploratory analysis of ten tourism companies. The findings suggest that organizational culture is a key enabler of digital transformation, although the small sample prevents statistical generalization. Companies with adhocracy-oriented cultures showed the highest digitalization scores, while hierarchical cultures lagged behind. Moreover, people-oriented leadership emerged as a positive moderator of digital innovation adoption, whereas task-oriented leadership had no significant influence. These preliminary results underscore the importance of aligning culture and leadership style with digital transformation goals. The paper offers both theoretical contributions and practical implications by linking cultural attributes with technology-driven strategic development. For tourism managers, understanding these dynamics can inform more effective digital strategies. The study also opens new avenues for future empirical research to validate and refine the proposed model across broader samples and diverse tourism contexts. Overall, it provides a foundation for further inquiry into how organizational culture and leadership styles can support digital modernization in tourism.

Keywords

organizational culture, digitalization, tourism industry, Competing Values Framework, organizational leadership

JEL Classification

M14, L83, O14

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