Chapter 3: Overview of Managing Digital Agility Among South Asian Family Business Firms During the Ongoing Economic Crisis

Despite increasing scholarly attention to managing digital agility amid the current economic crisis, attention to specific organizational forms, particularly family business firms, is still scarce. A better understanding of how family business firms manage digital agility in a crisis is crucial for their future survival. This qualitative inquiry addresses this void by providing an overview of how family business firms in the South Asian region manage digital agility during the economic crisis. A qualitative, exploratory study was conducted using 26 semi-structured interviews with family business owners and managers from four South Asian countries to collect data. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The findings reveal that fostering and managing digital agility in family business firms primarily relies on a digital-first mindset and long-term orientation. Four success pillars related to distinctive family business firm characteristics that can collectively strengthen digital agility were identified: resource orchestration capabilities, workforce transformation, technology orientation and digital risk strategy. A framework for fostering and managing digital agility in family business firms, leveraging these insights, was proposed. This study offers actionable recommendations for South Asian family business owners and managers to foster and manage digital agility during the ongoing economic crisis.