Here, you can find an overview of my past, current, and forthcoming journal articles, conference proceedings, and other academic contributions.
Mai 2025
Facilitating Dynamic Capabilities for Digital Transformation in Small and Medium Enterprises through Higher Education Partnerships.
Wyczisk, A., Patalon, M., Wulfert, L.A. & Weber, P. (2025). Facilitating Dynamic Capabilities for Digital Transformation in Small and Medium Enterprises through Higher Education Partnerships. In T. Bastiaens (Ed.), Proceedings of EdMedia + Innovate Learning (pp. 858-867). Barcelona, Spain: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/226220/.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face major challenges in digital transformation due to limited resources, knowledge gaps, and employee resistance. This study explores how higher education institutions (HEIs) can support SMEs by enhancing their dynamic capabilities (DCs)-sensing, seizing, and transforming to face digital transformation. Using a qualitative group discussion with diverse stakeholders, the findings highlight three effective knowledge transfer formats: short learning modules, hands-on workshops, and blended learning. Key content areas include process automation, artificial intelligence, and change management. The study shows how HEIs can act as knowledge partners, helping SMEs overcome transformation barriers through targeted, low-threshold, and practice-oriented support.
März 2025
From catalogues to e-commerce: Understanding procurement in daycare centers.
Patalon, M., Paul, C., & Weber, P. (2025). From catalogues to e-commerce: Understanding procurement in daycare centers. In M. B. Nunes, P. Isaías, P. Powell, & P. Kommers (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Conferences IADIS Information Systems 2025 and e-Society 2025 (pp. 41–52). IADIS Press. ISBN 978-989-8704-65-8 
This study explores the organizational buying behavior (OBB) of daycare centers in Germany, focusing on how technological, organizational, and environmental factors shape procurement practices. Using the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework, it analyzes how daycare centers navigate digital procurement within regulatory constraints, limited resources, and mission-driven priorities. A quantitative survey of 857 daycare centers shows that, although digital tools like e-commerce platforms are gradually being adopted, many centers remain cautious due to concerns about trust, data security, and digital competencies. Traditional procurement methods, including in-store purchases, continue to be highly trusted. The findings indicate that daycare centers prioritize child safety, pedagogical quality, and regulatory compliance over cost-efficiency in procurement decisions. These results challenge traditional OBB models by underscoring the significance of non-economic factors in decision-making processes for smaller, resource-constrained entities. By applying the TOE framework, this study offers a nuanced understanding of the complexities surrounding digital adoption in daycare centers, contributing to both OBB and digital transformation literature. It also suggests practical measures, such as targeted digital literacy training and support programs, to encourage digital tool adoption in this sector. Future research should examine digital adoption’s long-term impacts, cross-national
differences, and barriers, offering insights for adaptive strategies and tailored support in daycare procurement.
September 2024
Mapping Digital Transformation of Municipalities through the Lens of Institutional Isomorphism.
Patalon, Marcel & Wyczisk, Anja. (2024): Mapping Digital Transformation of Municipalities through the Lens of Institutional Isomorphism. International Journal on Social and Education Sciences (IJonSES), 6(4), 600-635. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijonses.701
This paper examines the role of institutional isomorphism in influencing digital transformation (DT) within municipalities. It addresses the gap in understanding how coercive, mimetic, and normative pressures shape municipal strategies and operations as they adopt and implement digital technologies. Through a systematic literature review and thematic analysis, the study identifies key actors in municipal DT and maps out the domains of action in which institutional pressures are influential. The findings indicate that municipal DT can be seen as a bridging-issues field, where coercive pressures often stem from regulatory mandates requiring compliance with digital standards, where mimetic pressures arise from the need to emulate successful digital practices, and where normative pressures are related to professional standards and expectations within the administrative context. The study concludes that institutional pressures significantly dictate the pace and direction of digital innovation within municipalities. Understanding these pressures is crucial for municipal leaders to effectively manage and implement DT initiatives that are both compliant and innovative. Recommendations for future research include empirical studies to validate theoretical models and explore the variability in DT across different municipalities by considering their unique environments and challenges.
April 2024
From Ivory Towers to Rural Powers: Higher Education Institutions as Knowledge Partners in Digital Transformation
Weber, Peter.; Wyczisk, Anja.; Patalon, Marcel.; Borowicz, Ingo. (2024). From Ivory Towers to Rural Powers: Higher Education Institutions as Knowledge Partners in Digital Transformation. In: Luis Gómez Chova, Chelo González Martínez und Joanna Lees (Hg.): INTED2024 Proceedings. 18th International Technology, Education and Development Conference. Valencia, Spain, 06.03.2024 – 07.03.2024: IATED (INTED Proceedings), S. 1521–1530. https://doi.org/10.21125/inted.2024.0441
Resource constraints, perceived overburdening, and lack of orientation pose significant obstacles for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), a crucial economic factor in the rural region of South Westphalia, in dealing with digitization and digital transformation. Against this background, the Virtual Institute for Digital Business (VIDB) was established as part of the overarching project Digitalise_SWF. Its purpose is to accompany and support the digitization and transformation process in the region through knowledge transfer. The VIDB is a collaborative effort involving multiple educators and researchers from two Higher Education Institutions. Throughout the five-year project, the partners will develop and implement transfer offerings in a recursive process together with regional SMEs and support institutions. In the first project phase, alongside organizational challenges, the collaboration is particularly focused on delineating relevant content areas as well as developing suitable transfer activities and formats. This article thus presents the defined: 1) content areas /structured along the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) Framework), 2) transfer activities and objectives, 3) and transfer formats,and outlines how they were derived in a combined qualitative approach comprised of a literature analysis and focus group discussions with educators and multipliers. In doing so the paper answers the question: „How can Higher Education Institutions support SMEs in the process of digitization and digital transformation as knowledge partners?“
April 2023
Digitale Transformation der Hochschullehre durch digitale Kompetenzen als offenen Bildungsressourcen
Thesenpapier zur ORCA-Tagung -24. & 25. November 2022, Stand April 2023 von Geschäftsstelle des Landesportals ORCA.nrw, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, CC BY-SA 4.0. Contributers: Haage, Anna; Patalon, Marcel; Werner, Severin; Nitzsche, Sina; Gödecke, Svenja
This paper presents key findings and theses discussed during the ORCA conference held on November 24-25, 2022. The focus is on the development and promotion of digital competencies in higher education within North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany. It explores various strategies for implementing digital literacy and fostering digital learning environments in educational institutions. The authors emphasize the importance of collaboration between universities, educators, and policymakers to enhance digital education. The paper provides recommendations and outlines best practices for integrating digital competencies into university curricula.