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The present reliance on different technologies, systems, and platforms is changing the global economy from the industrial era to a new economic era. Traditional businesses are fading away and are being replaced by digital businesses. Organizations need to undergo this situation with the use of their existing resources and tools (Osmundsen et al., 2018) and inevitably attempt to transform the organizational ecology to be in line with the new age. This process involves a new business structure, implementation processes, consumers’ experiences, personnel, organizational culture, infrastructures, and technologies that assist in streamlining interaction of people in the organization (Richards, 2018). Many organizations have become aware of the importance of such changes so that they can compete and adjust themselves in time with the digital-age development, notwithstanding whether it is the operational process or transforming the thoughts of personnel that requires urgent action (Osmundsen et al., 2018).
Universities are another sector affected by technologies and digital tools. Traditional concepts on the teacher-centered approach have changed to a learner-centered approach; therefore, learning and teaching strategies and approaches have also changed (Taraghi et al., 2010). Former or traditional instructional forms may no longer meet the learners’ needs. Instructors who used to be university lecturers may become specialized personnel in small institutions, whereas entrepreneurs in the private sector may become instructors who can provide learners with new experiences. The former mode of instruction in which learners attend the lesson in the classroom will turn to online learning that is available at any place and time (Tapscott, 2014; Logically, 2018; Numnonda, 2020). This evidence of change demonstrates that the present digital technology development has effected impacts on the teaching and learning approaches. If universities do not take any action to transform their organizations, then they risk the condition known as digital disruption.
Recently, Thai universities have been working hard to transform into a complete digital organization until this effort becomes the trend in university development. The urge comes from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESRI). MHESRI has outlined the policy and plans to implement works in the line of digital technology, along the same direction and in accordance with the national developmental strategies. The goal is for the university to be an organization that operates proficiently with digital technology (MHESRI, 2019). In addition, the CIO Digital University Forum of Thai universities has been established as a venue for university administrators to discuss, learn, and share experiences among themselves and propose common guidelines for organizational digital transformation (CIO Digital University Forum, 2018).