Digital transformation strategy and corporate sustainable longevity: A case of selected companies in the Philippine fitness industry

• Main Authors: Gueco, Eunice Jireh C., Nubla, Esther Mikaela D., Mayormita, Sarah P.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2022
• Subjects: Physical fitness centers—Technological innovations—Philippines; Technology and Innovation
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdb_dsi/63; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etdb_dsi/article/1080/viewcontent/Digital_Transformation_Strategy_and_Corporate_Sustainable_Longevi2_Redacted.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

Digital alternatives are becoming a more familiar substitute to the traditional way of doing fitness due to the pandemic where online fitness, along with the new trends and new consumer habits and demands in the fitness industry, has built new opportunities for firms to leverage the budding new home fitness market (Dhawan, 2021). Therefore, companies must be able to reassess their value propositions and then develop, implement, and commit to a strategy while considering customers’ preferences during and after the pandemic (Ardvin et al., 2021). To precisely approach the digital transformation of companies in developing their own strategies, the four essential elements or the classifications of digital transformation strategies will be analyzed specifically, use of technologies, changes in value creation, structural changes, and financial aspects (Matt et al., 2015). Moreover, in order for fitness companies to ensure that they will survive and remain competitive in the industry, the fitness firm’s longevity is analyzed following the corporate sustainable longevity framework in relation to their digital transformation process. Given the novelty of the concept, there has been very narrow research on the idea of the Philippine context’s digital transition and how the four dimensions’ analysis presented in the framework could aid and guide companies in attaining corporate sustainable longevity. Thus, this study addresses the knowledge gap that fitness companies in the Philippines, would greatly benefit from. In this study, the researchers have utilized a qualitative approach to data gathering and analysis. Hence, the researchers applied both exploratory and descriptive techniques in refining and analyzing derived findings. Furthermore, the researchers have selected only three companies in the Philippine fitness industry that have coursed through the predetermined criteria they have set. The descriptive approach then assessed how these companies analyzed and operationalized the four dimensions within the digital transformation framework (DTF) in constructing organization-specific digital transformation strategies that ultimately drive the company towards corporate sustainable longevity (CSL). Each company’s CEOs, employees, and customers participated in the study through interviews and Focus Group Discussions. An expert in digital transformation was also interviewed by the researchers to gain a better understanding of the overall process. The study found similarities and differences among the three selected companies’ use of technologies. For instance, they all utilize the “Mind Body Application” and have a user-friendly website where customers can find everything they need. In line with this, their business process became more efficient and enabled them to set the price of their services balanced with the quality of services, teachers, and students, which brought value to the customers. On the other hand, all companies have acquired expertise and knowledge from outside the company. Additionally, the companies differed in the creation of separate departments since some just integrated the use of digital technology into their existing entities. Lastly, all three companies experienced high financial pressure and had to source funds through internal funding. With that being said, these dimensions have been analyzed and further configured by the companies as they underwent a digital transformation that ultimately led them in attaining corporate sustainable longevity. Therefore, all the propositions of this study were validated.