Digital Transformation in Public Higher Education Institutions: the experience of the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL)

Abstract

The digitalization initiated in the Third Industrial Revolution as a process of social transformation has been accelerated today by the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, thus emerging a new technological ecosystem characterized by innovation, process automation, agility, flexibility, connectivity and networking that some authors characterize as the Fourth Industrial Revolution; which has important consequences for both public and private organizations. This study describes the digital transformation process initiated in the Human Resources area of a public higher education institution in Ecuador, the Escuela Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL). The methodological approach is based on the case study, contrasting the findings with the literature review, making the analysis from a qualitative perspective. It is intended not only to describe the digitization process in the indicated area, but to demonstrate that this process goes beyond the incorporation of technology, it is about the cultural transformation of the organization.