Interdepartmental collaboration for digital transformation: Decoding mediating mechanisms with a contingency perspective

Abstract

The Digital Morocco 2030 strategy, launched by the Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform, positions Morocco as a regional digital leader through two strategic axes—e-government and a vibrant digital economy—and three cross-cutting catalysts: digital inclusion, nationwide connectivity, and artificial intelligence. Despite these ambitious goals, the private sector, predominantly composed of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), continues to face persistent structural obstacles: outdated technological infrastructure, widespread digital literacy deficits among employees, and acute financial limitations that severely restrict investment in innovation, digital training, and modern systems. In this resource-scarce, high power distance, and collectivist cultural environment, successful digital transformation requires more than technology adoption; it demands coordinated organizational mechanisms capable of overcoming silos and resistance to change. This research addresses these challenges by examining how interdepartmental collaborative engagement drives digital transformation success (DTS) in Moroccan firms, focusing on the mediating influence of technology integration and financial resource allocation and on the mediating effect of transformational leadership. Using structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) with data collected from 370 firms across banking, industry, telecommunications, and other key sectors, our findings reveal a significant total effect of interdepartmental collaboration on DTS (β = 0.583, p = 0.006), fully mediated by technology integration, financial resource allocation, and transformational leadership. Our study challenges Western-centric digital transformation models by demonstrating that, in emerging markets, collaborative engagement achieves impact primarily through resource-driven pathways rather than direct leadership moderation. For practitioners, we highlight the necessity of prioritizing strategic technology investments, optimized budget allocation across departments, and leadership development programs that foster shared vision and intellectual stimulation. These findings provide a context-specific, empirically validated framework for Moroccan enterprises and comparable emerging market settings, advocating for culturally sensitive, collaborative, and resource-focused strategies to achieve sustainable digital transformation.