Digital divide and innovation in European enterprises: a multi-method analysis of firm and sectoral dynamics

This cumulative dissertation examines the digital divide among enterprises, an underexplored dimension of digitalisation research that extends beyond simple asymmetries in technology diffusion and adoption to reveal deeper organisational inequalities. It comprises four interconnected chapters. Chapter 1 introduces the research problem, outlining its motivation, conceptual underpinnings, and methodological approach, and concludes by highlighting the study’s contributions, limitations, and avenues for further inquiry. Chapter 2 conducts a bibliometric analysis of European scholarship on the digital divide, revealing the persistent underrepresentation of firm-level perspectives. Chapter 3 develops the Resources and Technology Integration Framework (RTIF), an adaptation of van Dijk’s Resources and Appropriation Theory, to capture the organisational dynamics of access, skills, and usage of digital technologies. Chapter 4 applies this framework empirically to Italian enterprises using ICT usage survey data and factor analysis to assess disparities in access, skills, and usage. The findings indicate that while policy measures have significantly reduced access gaps, inequalities in digital skills and technology usage remain particularly pronounced among SMEs and in southern regions. Collectively, the chapters provide conceptual, methodological, and empirical insights that advance the understanding of organisational digital inequalities and offer evidence to inform more inclusive and targeted digital transformation policies.