sme-transformation-TOE-fit
TOE Framework의 비선형 확장: T x E 적합도가 교육효과를 결정하는가?
sme-transformation-TOE-fit
Beyond Linear TOE: How Technology–Environment Congruence Shapes Digital Transformation Training Effectiveness in Korean SMEs
This site is the open research notebook for the TOE-Fit study. It documents the research problem, theoretical framework, methodology, and analytical procedure. It is a process record, not a results repository — see Products for the disclosure policy on findings.
Project Details
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Owner | Chungil (Chad) Chae — Wenzhou-Kean University |
| Co-authors | Dong-Yeol Jeong, Tae Hee Na — Korea University of Technology and Education |
| Type | Research (quantitative, mixed-method) |
| Status | Revision pending — Draft v1 complete, internal peer review returned Major Revision |
| Created | 2026-04-11 |
| Last site update | 2026-08-21 |
Research Problem
The Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) framework is conventionally applied as a linear additive model: Technology, Organization, and Environment each contribute independently to an adoption or performance outcome. This study asks whether that specification is adequate for explaining digital transformation (DT) training effectiveness in manufacturing SMEs — and whether a nonlinear, congruence-based reading of TOE explains what the linear model cannot.
The proposed reinterpretation borrows from Person–Environment (P-E) Fit theory: what matters is not the level of Technology or the level of Environment taken separately, but the fit between them. Where a firm’s DT awareness (T) and its smart-system infrastructure (E) are misaligned in either direction, training is expected to convert poorly into capability.
Research Questions
| RQ | Question |
|---|---|
| RQ1 | Does a linear additive TOE model predict DT training effectiveness? |
| RQ2 | Does a Technology × Environment interaction provide incremental validity over linear main effects? |
| RQ3 | What is the shape of the T×E response surface, and where does it reach its optimum? |
| RQ4 | How does organizational size moderate the T×E relationship? |
PICO
| Element | Specification |
|---|---|
| P | Korean manufacturing SMEs (1–300 employees) participating in K-Hitech DT training, n=244 |
| I | T×E congruence — simultaneously high DT awareness and smart-system infrastructure, modelled as an RSM second-order interaction |
| C | Linear additive TOE path model with T, O, E as independent predictors |
| O | Change in DT competency from pre- to post-training |
How this site is organized
- Research Logs — chronological record of the study, the analysis pipeline, and draft versions
- Research Note — working ideas, open questions, and the procedures actually followed
- Theoretical Framework — the four theories combined and the hypotheses derived from them
- Methodology and Method — research design, model specifications, data collection, and sample
- Literature Review — search strategy, research gap, and the verified reference base
- Products — manuscript status, publication plan, and disclosure policy