Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik

Departemen Ilmu Hubungan Internasional

Program Pasca-Sarjana Hubungan Internasional
MA in Digital Transformation & Competitiveness

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY (DTS)

Syllabus/Course Outline/RPKPS*
August-December 2022

Code SPHI 211116

Credits 4 SKS
Schedule Mondays 13-15 WIB

Convenors/Instructors Dr. Riza Noer Arfani

Dr. Kuskridho Ambardi
Email Addresses rnarfani@ugm.ac.id
dody_ambardi@ugm.ac.id
Consultation Hours By appointment via email

Assistant/Tutor Reytasari Azura Putri, SIP

Email Address reytasariazura@mail.ugm.ac.id

Brief Description

The course is designed to comprehend concepts, practices and strategic issues of digital
transformation in the realms of international relations as it encounters with the lingering
ideas of global competitiveness and its political economic governance context. In terms of
its specific scope and methods of learning to be covered in the course, comprehension
touches upon the following phenomena: (1) digital economy and its transformation as
seen from specific socio-political economic contexts, such as particularly in the realms of
global socio-economic development (covering issues on growth, markets with its changing
patterns of production and consumption, finance with its shifting technologies in payment,
banking and other derivative services, jobs and working environment with its enduring
inequality issues, and digital data); (2) digitization/digitalization as it implicates to the needs
for businesses and industries to design their transition and/or transformation strategies in
the digital era (covering –but not limited to— practices on manufacturing and services
industrial linkages, ideas and initiatives on digital society, and new frontiers in job creation
and value creation stemming from such digitized/digitalized business transition/industrial
transformation); (3) comparative commodity chains, supply chains, production networks
and value chains across industries, regions/countries and societies (addressing notions of
industrial, social and environmental upgrading in policies relating –but not limited to—
Digital Talent, SMEs and Startups, Research and Development (R&D) and Innovation,
Collaborative “n-helix” Model, and Global Resilience & Post-Pandemic Recovery.

*
Rencana Program dan Kegiatan Pembelajaran Semester
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Objectives

The course aims at:

1. Comprehending socio-political economic contexts and existing understandings on

concepts, practices and strategic issues of digital transformation.

It is designed as part of deliberations on global competitiveness, i.e. particularly on

how various aspects of digital economy has transformed lingering socio-political
economic arena relevant to business transition/industrial transformation (along
with its societal changes) with specific reference to the Indonesian (or other
emerging economies/developing countries/societies) cases, i.e. to identify, address
and formulate digital transformation strategic issues, best practices and policies in
several key contexts/areas of global socio-economic development.

2. Offering empirical observation on phenomena relating to digital and industrial

transformations as the two relate to the Indonesian (or other Emerging Economies
or other Developing Countries/Societies) digital transformation strategy and
performance.

In so doing, students are encouraged to employ and develop relevant research

portfolios and academic articles, laboratory services, statistics and databases of
digital and industrial transformation.

3. Taking and exploring efforts initiated and conducted by relevant key players and
stakeholders within the Indonesian (or other Emerging Economies/Developing
Countries/Societies) digital transformation strategies.

It is designed as a way to have and prepare a Digital Transformation Portfolio

(DTP) project on selected digital and industrial transformation areas/topics.

Core Competence

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to devise themselves with:

1. Ability to describe concepts/conceptualization on various dimensions/aspects of

digital transformation (as it relates to its specific socio-political economic
governance), and explain its essentials/basic tenets in selected contexts, topical
issue areas of digital transformation strategy undertaken by various key players
and stakeholders in developing countries and societies.
2. Adeptness to available databases and research portfolios on digital transformation-
related issues and to familiarize themselves in its utilization.
3. Capacity to comprehend social setting, political economic logics and contexts of
various phenomena relating to digital and industrial transformation, particularly
through a DTP project as exhibited by an Indonesian (or other Emerging
Economies or Developing Countries) case in a selected topical area/issue.

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Activities and Assignments

Students are encouraged to take part actively in the course through reading, discussion
and presentation activities, both in-class online sessions (Mondays 13-15 WIB) and off-
class (through tutorial or other additional online/offline sessions). In addition to lecturing
activities, the course contains class discussion and series of assignments which include in-
class online individual/group presentation, individual/group assignments on tutorial/other
additional off-class (online or offline) sessions, and DTP projects on selected topics.

1. Individual/group assignments on core texts: presentations and discussions (Digital

Transformation Review/DTR).

Output: Short Paper/Essay Reviews and Presentation Materials

2. Individual assignments on research portfolio development/database rehearsals.

Output: Research Portfolios

3. Digital Transformation Portfolio (DTP) project: analytical capability to observe an

empirical case, to document and present it in the forms of academic papers, policy
briefs and other policy advocacy schemes, or business plan and/or commercial
scheme for developing certain development project and industrial
sectors/commodities (which could be in the forms of conventional papers, short
movies, photos and any other presentation methods/instruments).

Outputs: (1) DTP 1: Outline/Group Presentations, (2) DTP2: Final Group Reports
(3) DTP3: Individual/Group Manuscripts/Book Chapters

Off-Class Activities

Students are encouraged to utilize online resources and to join or participate in the
research projects, academic evens, social media outreach and other sessions organized by
relevant institutions, both within UGM or other external/outside ones, such as the Center
for World Trade Studies/Pusat Studi Perdagangan Dunia (CWTS/PSPD) UGM, the Center
for Digital Society (CfDS) FISIPOL UGM, the Institute of International Studies (IIS) of the
Department of International Relations, or any other relevant institutions.

Grading Policy

Students are assessed in accordance to their performance in:

1. DTR (Presentation and Discussion) [20%]

2. Mid-term Exam: Research Portfolio [20%]
3. DTP 1: outline group presentation [10%]
4. Final Exam – DTP 2: final project group report [20%]
5. Final Exam – DTP 3: individual/group manuscripts/book chapters [30%]

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Grades Rubric

Grades are ranged from A (excellent/very good performance/qualification as indicated in

the students’ original and creative works, deep analysis, comprehensive and coherence
presentation/elaboration of theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence, rich in data
demonstration with reliable references, and free of plagiarism), B (good performance or
qualification as indicated in the students’ decent efforts to develop ideas/arguments that
are based on comprehensive and coherence elaboration and presentation of theoretical
frameworks and empirical evidence, adequate data and reliable references, satisfactory
originality in their works and free of plagiarism, C (passable performance/qualification as
indicated in the students’ shallow analytical works, combined with weak argumentation,
minimum references and least evidence-based elaboration, and relatively free of
plagiarism), D (low performance/qualification as indicated in the students’ failure to
present relatively good arguments in their works, indications of plagiarism are quite
apparent), to E (failed performance/qualification as indicated in the students’ proven
plagiarism acts as she or he needs to retake the course).

Texts

Readings on Digital Transformation (DT) Contexts

• Zia Qureshi and Cheonsik Woo. “Overview: Digital Metamorphosis and

Economic Change” (Chapter 1) in Zia Qureshi and Cheonsik Woo (Eds). Shifting
Paradigms: Growth, Finance, Jobs, and Inequality in the Digital Economy. Brookings
Institution Press: 2022 [ZQ-CW]
• Meelis Kitsing. “Introduction” (Chapter 1) in Meelis Kitsing. The Political Economy
of Digital Ecosystems: Scenario Planning for Alternative Futures. Routledge: London &
NY, 2022 [MK]
• Katarzyna Śledziewska and Renata Włoch. The Economics of Digital Transformation:
The Disruption of Markets, Production, Consumption, and Work. Routledge: London
& NY, 2021[KS-RW]

Readings/Review Materials on DT Issues

Roles of Government, Companies and Other Key Players, and DT Policies

• Chun-Liang Chen, Yao-Chin Lin, Wei-Hung Chen, Cheng-Fu Chao and Henry
Pandia. “Role of Government to Enhance Digital Transformation in Small Service
Business.” Sustainability 13, 1028 (2021) [CLC et al]
• Alejandro Gonzalez, Guillem Casahuga, Ansgar Schlautmann and Mauricio
Romero. “Digital Transformation in Developing Countries: Promotion and
Adoption Should be the Main Actions for Companies and Government.” Arthur
D. Little 2017 [AG et al]
• EIT Digital-EU. DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF EUROPEAN INDUSTRY: A POLICY
PERSPECTIVE (2019) [EIT]

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 Industry 4.0 and Organizational Transformation

• Luis Miguel Fonseca. “Industry 4.0 and the Digital Society: Concepts, Dimensions
and Envisioned Benefits. Proceedings of the International Conference on Business
Excellence 12(1): 386-397 (May 2018) [LMF]
• Faisal Imran, Khuram Shahzad, Aurangzeab Butt & Jussi Kantola. “Digital
Transformation of Industrial Organizations: Toward an Integrated Framework.”
Journal of Change Management (May 2021) [FI et al]
• Antonella Petrillo, Fabio De Felice, Raffaele Cioffi and Federico Zomparelli.
“Fourth Industrial Revolution: Current Practices, Challenges, and
Opportunities.” in Antonella Petrillo, Raffaele Cioffi, Fabio De Felice (Eds). Digital
Transformation in Smart Manufacturing. IntechOpen: London, 2018 [AP et al]

Models of DT

• Maximilian Schroeck, Anne Kwan, Jon Kawamura, Cristina Stefanita, Deepak

Sharma. “Digital Industrial Transformation: Reinventing to Win in Industry 4.0.”
Deloitte Insights. Deloitte Development LLC (2019) [MS et al]
• Anna Danuso, Ferran Giones, Elias Ribeiro da Silva. “The Digital Transformation
of Industrial Players: A Guide.” Business Horizons (April 2021) [AD et al]
• World Economic Forum. Digital Transformation of Industries: Demystifying
Digital and Securing $100 Trillion for Society and Industry by 2025 (January
2016) [WEF]
Linkages of DT to Digital Data and Its Governance

• Barbara Prainsack. “The Political Economy of Digital Data: Introduction to the

Special Issue,” Policy Studies 41:5, 439-446 (2020) [BP]
• Dan Ciuriak and Maria Ptashkina. “Leveraging the Digital Transformation for
Development: A Global South Strategy for the Data-driven Economy.” Policy
Brief No. 148. Center for International Governance Innovation (April 2019)
[DC-MP]

Linkages of DT to Talent, Labour and Work Issues

• Bahjat El-Darwiche, Roman Friedrich, Alex Koster and Milind Singh. “Digitization
for Economic Growth and Job Creation: Regional and Industry Perspectives.”
Strategy& (formerly Booz and Company). 2013. [BED et al]
• CHEN Yubo, MA Yefeng, HUANG He, ZHAO Yishu. Digital Transformation of
Chinese Industries: A Digital Talent Perspective. Tsinghua SEM Center for Internet
Development and Governance (CIDG): October, 2019 [CY et al]

Linkages of DT to Global Commodity, Supply and Value Chains

• Vincent Fremont. “The Digital Transformation of the Manufacturing Industry:

Metamorphic Changes and Value Creation in the Industrial Network.” Digital
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 Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Science and
Technology 2058. Uppsala Universitet, 2021 [VF]
• Xiaolan Fu. “Digital Transformation of Global Value Chains and Sustainable Post-
Pandemic Recovery.” Transnational Corporations Vol. 27 No. 2 (2020) [XF]
• Emmanuelle Ganne and Kathryn Lundquist. “The Digital Economy, GVCs and
SMEs.” in Technological Innovation, Supply Chain Trade, and Workers In A Globalized
World. Global Value Chain Development Report 2019. WTO, IDE-JETRO,
OECD, UIBE, World Bank: 2019 [EG-KL]

Readings/Reference Materials on DT Comparative, Sectoral Cases

• Lena Broeckaert. Digital Transformation in Japan: Assessing Business Opportunities for

EU SMEs. EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation: Tokyo, February 2022
[LB]
• Turan Paksoy, Çiğdem Koçhan, Sadia Samar Ali. Eds. Logistics 4.0: Digital
Transformation of Supply Chain Management. CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group:
London & NY, 2021[TP et al]
• Tran Minh Anh. “Foundations for Digital Transformation: The Case of Vietnam.”
Advances in Economics, Business and Management Research, Vo196. Proceedings of
the International Conference on Emerging Challenges: Business Transformation
and Circular Economy (ICECH 2021) [TMA]

Additional Readings/Reference on DT Research Areas

• Sascha Kraus, Paul Jones, Norbert Kailer, Alexandra Weinmann, Nuria

Chaparro-Banegas, and Norat Roig-Tierno. “Digital Transformation: An
Overview of the Current State of the Art of Research.” SAGE Open (July-
September 2021) [SK et al]

Detailed Topics and Schedule

1. Overview: Scope and Learning Methods [Synchronous] – Aug 15

Outline on the Course Content (focusing on the notions of Digital Transformation/DT as

seen from the study of international relations and particularly its political economic
governance dimensions), Brief Description, Objectives, Students Activities and Assignment,
Grading Policy, Reading Materials, Detailed Topics and Schedule, etc.

Elaboration on the Learning Scope and Methods, Relevance of Students Interest

to the Proposed Scope, Topics and Agenda of the Course

Text: Syllabus
Methods: Lecture and Question & Answer (Q&A)

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 Online/Zoom Link: (to be arranged and informed by assistant/tutor or an assigned
student coordinator)

Next Assignment (for Meeting #2):

(1) Read ZQ-CW

(2) DT of Y(Our) Interests

Screen the following documentary movies: “Digital Transformation – A Documentary”

by Manuel Stagars https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6836116/?ref_=tt_mv_close
Or –alternatively— you may also refer to any relevant academic sources on DT and/or
to institutional online sources as listed in Off-Class Activities, then Identify 5
Keywords of Your Interest, Describe and Explain Why these 5 Keywords are Selected

PART I – THE CONTEXTS

2. DT Context #1 Shifting Paradigm [Synchronous/Asynchronous] – Aug 22

A. Lecturing Session: Basic Comprehension on DT Context/Scope #1Shifting Paradigm –

How Digital Metamorphosis Correlates with Economic Changes

Text: ZQ-CW

B. Assignment Session: DI of Y(Our) Interests (1)

Texts: Movie Screening, and other academic sources, including from Off-Class
Activities and/or other relevant materials proposed/identified by students

Methods: Class Discussion, Lecture/Debrief, Q&A

Next Assignment (for Meeting #3):

(1) Read MK
(2) DT of Y(Our) Interest (2)

3. DT Context #2 The New Ecosystem [Synchronous/Asynchronous] – Aug 29

A. Lecturing Session: Basic Comprehension on DT Context/Scope #2 The New

Ecosystem – How the Digital Ecosystems Affects Our Thinking and Understanding
of the Futures in the Global Political Economy Dynamic Changes

Text: MK

B. Assignment Session: DI of Y(Our) Interests (2)

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 Texts: Movie Screening, and other academic sources, including from Off-Class
Activities and/or other relevant materials proposed/identified by students

Methods: Class Discussion, Lecture/Debrief, Q&A

Next Assignment (for Meeting #4):

(1) Read KS-RW

(2) DT of Y(Our) Interest (3)

4. DI Contexts #3 The Disruption [Synchronous/Asynchronous] – Sep 5

A. Lecturing Session: Basic Comprehension on DT Context/Scope #3 The Disruption –

How Digital Economy and Its Transformation Disrupts Markets, Production,
Consumption and Work

Text: KS-RW

B. Assignment Session: DI of Y(Our) Interests (3)

Texts: Movie Screening, and other academic sources, including from Off-Class
Activities and/or other relevant materials proposed/identified by students

Methods: Class Discussion, Lecture/Debrief, Q&A

Next Assignment (for Meeting #5 – #10):

(1) Read Relevant Assigned Texts (based on Specific Issues)

(2) Prepare for DT Reviews (DTR) Activities

Students (in group setting) will need to read, review and prepare for a short
paper/essay review (1000-1500 words) and presentation materials on certain
assigned texts with specific issues, then present their work on an assigned
meeting date, to be discussed by other fellow students in class.

Groups assignment and google-drive or google docs platform are to be arranged

by assistant/tutor and student coordinator.

DTR I – Meeting #5 (Roles of Government, Companies and Other Key

Players, and DT Policies)
DTR 2 – Meeting #6 (Industry 4.0 and Organizational Transformation)
DTR 3 – Meeting #7 (Models of DT)
DTR 4 – Meeting #8 (Linkages of DT to Digital Data and Its Governance)
DTR 5 – Meeting #9 (Linkages of DT to Talent, Labor and Work Issues)
DTR 6 – Meeting #10 (Linkages of DT to Global Commodity, Supply and
Value Chains)
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 BREAK #1 – no class – Sep 12

OPTIONAL (during Break #1): Off Class Session

Methods: Independent Learning/Tutorial Session

PART 2 – THE ISSUES

5. DTR #1 [Synchronous/Asynchronous] – Sep 19

Roles of Government, Companies and Other Key Players, and DT Policies

A. Presentation and Discussion

Presentation by assigned group, Q&A

Texts: Short Paper/Essay Reviews and Presentation Materials
References: see Readings/Review Materials on DT Issues (respective to the
assigned issue, plus additional readings offered by presenting group)

B. Debrief & Recap

6. DTR #2 [Synchronous/Asynchronous] – Sep 26

Industry 4.0 and Organizational Transformation

A. Presentation and Discussion

Presentation by assigned group, Q&A

Texts: Short Paper/Essay Reviews and Presentation Materials
References: see Readings/Review Materials on DT Issues (respective to the
assigned issue, plus additional readings offered by presenting group)

B. Debrief & Recap

7. DTR #3 [Synchronous/Asynchronous] – Oct 3

Models of DT

A. Presentation and Discussion

Presentation by assigned group, Q&A

Texts: Short Paper/Essay Reviews and Presentation Materials

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 References: see Readings/Review Materials on DT Issues (respective to the
assigned issue, plus additional readings offered by presenting group)

B. Debrief & Recap

BREAK #2 – no class – Oct 10

OPTIONAL (during Break #2): Off Class Session

Methods: Independent Learning/Tutorial Session

Preparation for Mid-Term Exam Assignment/Research Portfolio (to be

conducted as a take home/off-class activity): refer to DTR and Off-class Activities
and then, in a short-form work (approximately 500-750 words or 2-3 pages), compose
an individual Research Portfolio (which present individual plan of research activities
relating to topics discussed during DTR sessions)

Sample of Research Portfolio Outputs are Available/to be Provided

Submission deadline: to be discussed (via Google Drive/Class, to be prepared and

informed by assistant/tutor/student coordinator)

8. DTR #4 [Synchronous/Asynchronous] – Oct 17

Linkages of DT to Digital Data and Its Governance

A. Presentation and Discussion

Presentation by assigned group, Q&A

Texts: Short Paper/Essay Reviews and Presentation Materials
References: see Readings/Review Materials on DT Issues (respective to the
assigned issue, plus additional readings offered by presenting group)

B. Debrief & Recap

9. DTR #5 [Synchronous/Asynchronous] – Oct 24

Linkages of DT to Talent, Labour and Work Issues

A. Presentation and Discussion

Presentation by assigned group, Q&A

Texts: Short Paper/Essay Reviews and Presentation Materials
References: see Readings/Review Materials on DT Issues (respective to the
assigned issue, plus additional readings offered by presenting group)

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 B. Debrief & Recap

10. DTR #6 [Synchronous/Asynchronous] – Oct 24

Linkages of DT to Global Commodity, Supply and Value Chains

A. Presentation and Discussion

Presentation by assigned group, Q&A

Texts: Short Paper/Essay Reviews and Presentation Materials
References: see Readings/Review Materials on DT Issues (respective to the
assigned issue, plus additional readings offered by presenting group)

B. Debrief & Recap

Next Assignment (for Meeting #11 – #13):

(1) Read Relevant Assigned Texts (based on Specific Areas)

(2) Prepare for DT Portfolio (DTP) Projects

Students (in group setting) will need to read and seek for relevant
readings/references and prepare for a case study paper/book chapter
manuscript (4500-5000 words) and presentation materials on a specific
assigned case, then present their work on an assigned meeting date, to be
discussed by other fellow students in class.

Groups assignment and google-drive or google docs platform are to be arranged

by assistant/tutor and student coordinator.

DTP Project I – Meeting #11 (Regional/Industrial Sectoral-Based DT)

DTP Project 2 – Meeting #12 (DT with Services Feature)
DTP Project 3 – Meeting #13 (DT with Manufacturing/Production Feature)
BREAK #3 – no class – Nov 7

PART 3 – THE CASES

11. DTP Project #1 [Synchronous/Asynchronous] – Nov 14

Regional/Industrial Sectoral-Based DT

A. Presentation and Discussion

Presentation by assigned group, Q&A

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 Texts: Outline/Group Presentation Materials
References: see Readings/Reference Materials on DT Comparative, Sectoral Cases
(respective to the assigned case, plus additional literatures offered by presenting
group)

B. Debrief & Recap

12. DTP Project #2 [Synchronous/Asynchronous] – Nov 21

DT with Services Feature

A. Presentation and Discussion

Presentation by assigned group, Q&A

Texts: Outline/Group Presentation Materials
References: see Readings/Reference Materials on DT Comparative, Sectoral Cases
(respective to the assigned case, plus additional literatures offered by presenting
group)

B. Debrief & Recap

13. DTP Project #3 [Synchronous/Asynchronous] – Nov 28

DT with Manufacturing/Production Feature

A. Presentation and Discussion

Presentation by assigned group, Q&A

Texts: Outline/Group Presentation Materials
References: see Readings/Reference Materials on DT Comparative, Sectoral Cases
(respective to the assigned case, plus additional literatures offered by presenting
group)

B. Debrief & Recap

14. Recap & Closing – Dec 5

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