Managers’ readiness toward digital business transformation: the role of the universities

Digital transformation refers to an organization’s or company’s shift to digital management techniques, which alter organizational behavior and corporate culture and need the introduction of new digital management tools. By the opinion of the author, the gap between present management education that based on the traditional schemes of organizations, cultures are constrained in vertical silos, and the needs of the new digital ecosystems, mainly horizontal, clients’ needs-driven, internationally, and interculturally integrated, is growing and should be rapidly changed. Digital transformation is changing the way how organizations interact with customers, suppliers, and partners. The article presents the author’s viewpoint on the interpretation and analysis of the approaches used in the field of business management education. Preparation of a new generation of leaders requires restructuring of business management education, considering the growing importance of information technologies and implementation of integrated and multidisciplinary approaches to management education and training programs. In this context, the author proposes a conceptual approach to the designing of a university curriculum in the field of business management education and training, which is aimed at meeting the needs of modern managers in knowledge and competencies toward the process of digital transformation.