The Impact of Digital Transformation on Managerial Capacity and Performance Management in Moroccan Public Organizations

Abstract

This study examines the impact of digital transformation on managerial capacity and performance management within Moroccan public organizations. As Moroccan public administrations progressively engage in the digitalization of their processes and services, empirical research on the effects of this transformation on managerial practices and performance management mechanisms remains limited, particularly in the Moroccan institutional context. This study therefore aims to better understand the mechanisms through which digital transformation influences management practices and performance management, with particular attention to the role of managerial capacity.

The study adopts a qualitative approach based on seven semi-structured interviews conducted with managers from seven Moroccan public institutions. The institutions were selected according to a principle of institutional diversification, covering different administrative levels and sectors, including territorial and central administrations as well as decentralized public services. One manager directly involved in digital transformation, management, and performance management processes was selected from each institution. Data collection was conducted until thematic saturation was reached, as the seventh interview confirmed the recurrence of previously identified information and did not generate significant new themes. The collected data was subjected to a cross-sectional thematic analysis structured around there main dimensions: digital transformation, managerial capacity, and performance management.

This study emphasizes that digital transformation cannot be reduced to the introduction of new technologies. It constitutes an organizational and managerial process whose effects on public performance depend on the capacity of managers to mobilize digital tools, support organizational change, and integrate them into performance-management practices.

JEL Classification : H83; O33; M15.

Paper type : Empirical Research