International competitiveness and organizational change drivers anticipated by Estonian managers in the context of European integration

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the way Estonian enterprises adapt strategically to European union membership. The research question is: what are the main patterns of internationally competitive business development and related organizational change and learning drivers for managers in a transitional country in the European integration process? Design/methodology/approach – This explorative research combines a questionnaire survey and follow‐up interviews of managers from 87 enterprises in food processing, transportation and logistics, wood and furniture, information technology, mechanical engineering, textiles and professional services. The timing of the survey and follow‐up interviews brings longitudinal features to the research design. Findings – The paper offers insights into managerial visions of future competitive advantage and links to changes induced by European integration. Respondents most often pointed out flexibility and competent staff as the key element of their competitiveness vision. Three clusters of organizational change drivers were identified: “subcontracting efficiency boosters”, “diversified internationalization opportunity users”, and “international value chain members”. Research limitations/implications – The research focuses on industries directly influenced by EU accession, but does not build a representative sample of all enterprises operating in Estonia. Comparing the questionnaire survey and interview results with secondary information about enterprises involved in the research supports a triangulation of data sources, but the main focus of this research is to explore future change visions, rather than tracking the strategies that have already been implemented. Practical implications – The research highlights differences in managerial perceptions of changes in the strategic environment and strategic choices in order to attain sustainable competitiveness on European markets. That information can be used as input for organizational development and learning programmes and for identifying the challenges in implementing policy initiatives supporting innovation. Originality/value – The paper differentiates types of enterprises in a transitional country that can be described using different patterns of organizational change drivers in the context of European integration.