The digital age has brought about significant changes to both innovative and more traditional sectors, leading many firms to develop digital business models to leverage new digital technologies to improve their value creation and capture mechanisms (Baden-Fuller and Haefliger, 2013; Volberda et al., 2021). In this perspective, SMEs have been particularly challenged to adapt to the digital age, as they often face size-related disadvantages such as lack of resources and expertise (Eggers, 2020). Achieving enhanced digital alignment, the joint support of strategic decision-making and operational activities, can help SMEs overcome these challenges and improve their business model efficiency (Pati et al., 2018; Tai et al., 2018).
