Digital Mindset Management as a Foundation of Digital Transformation in Military Organization: Evidence from the Indonesia Army

Abstract

Digital transformation in military organizations cannot be understood merely as the adoption of digital technologies, but rather as a complex organizational change that requires fundamental shifts in mindset, culture, and management practices. This study aims to examine how digital mindset management serves as a foundational element of digital transformation within a military organization. Using a qualitative research approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews, observations, and document analysis involving key, main, and supporting informants within an Indonesian Army regional command. Data were analyzed using source triangulation to ensure credibility and analytical rigor. The findings reveal that digital mindset plays a critical role in enabling technology to be meaningfully integrated into organizational practices. Digital mindset is managed not as an individual attribute, but as a collective and managerial process shaped through leadership, organizational culture, and daily work practices. The analysis further shows that the functions of Planning, Organizing, Actuating, and Controlling (POAC) remain relevant in managing digital mindset, although they operate in adaptive and non-linear ways consistent with the hierarchical and security-oriented nature of military organizations. This study contributes to the literature on digital transformation by demonstrating that digital mindset management constitutes a strategic foundation for sustainable digital transformation in military contexts, while also highlighting the importance of contextualizing transformation models to institutional characteristics and values.