# Digital Infrastructure as a New Organizational Digital Climate Dimension
###### Abstract  
This study investigates the influence of digital infrastructure on creating an organizational climate conducive to digital transformation. It highlights the critical role of data lakes, network connectivity, and a shared digital language in cultivating an environment that aligns managerial objectives with employee engagement in digital initiatives. Through grounded theory methodology, the research uncovers how robust digital infrastructure can bridge the gap between leadership's digital aspirations and employees' practical use of digital tools, promoting data-driven decision-making and improving organizational performance. The findings suggest that a well-developed digital infrastructure is essential for fostering a digital climate that supports strategic business goals and enhances competitive advantage. organizational digital climate; digital infrastructure; data lake; digital language; digital transformation +
Footnote †: journal: Applied sciences  
0000-0002-4300-3300]Ziv Avtalion  
0000-0002-3300-3300]I. Itzhak Aviv  
0000-0002-3300-3300-33000]I. Itzhak Aviv  
0000-0002-3300-3300-330  
volatility demands more agile responses, companies are increasingly turning to digital transformation strategies to bolster business agility and modify employee behavior [6]. This shift is underscored by the erosion of viability for corporations slow to integrate digital foundations into their operational ethos. Digital infrastructure plays a crucial role in the emergence of organizational climate related to the digital ecosystems of an organization, which in turn influences users' perceptions and experiences with digital tools and technologies [7; 8]. Digital infrastructure comprises not only the physical hardware and software, but also the policies, procedures, and cultural norms that govern how these tools must be utilized [9]. A robust, dependable, and user-friendly digital infrastructure can foster the desired users' perceptions of digital tools, resulting in greater digital literacy, higher productivity, and more innovative technology use [10; 11]. The research gap is identified in the insufficient exploration and understanding of the organizational climate in the context of the digital ecosystem, namely, how employees' shared perceptions and meanings attributed to digital policies, practices, and procedures develop and influence digital usage. Following the identified gaps, we reveal the need to define the 'digital climate' concept. There is a need for detailed investigations into how various components of digital infrastructure act as enablers, shaping and fostering a conducive digital climate, and thereby influencing users' perceptions, digital literacy, and innovative technology use within an organizational context. In response to the observed research need, we formulated the following research question. RQ1: What components of digital infrastructure contribute to the formation of organizational digital climate? Addressing this gap, our study embarks on a pioneering exploration of the digital climate as an emergent organizational climate dimension, necessitated by the digital transformation era. Recognizing the pivotal role of digital infrastructure--encompassing not only technological tools but also encompassing policies, practices, and cultural norms--this research illuminates the intricate ways in which these elements foster or hinder a positive digital climate. Distinctly, our work delineates the specific components of digital infrastructure, such as data lakes, connectivity, and digital languages, and examines their collective impact on shaping organizational digital climate perceptions. Drawing upon an extensive review of literature and empirical evidence, this study makes several significant contributions to the field. First, it conceptualizes the organizational digital climate as a distinct dimension, encompassing the perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors of employees towards digital technologies within the workplace.