The Role of Digital Leaders in Shaping Innovative Work Behavior

Year 2024, Volume: 8 Issue: 1, 27 - 45, 31.03.2024

Almula Umay Karamanlıoğlu , Gülten Şenkul

Abstract

Purpose: This study has aimed to reveal the role of digital leadership in creating and maintaining innovative work behavior.
Methodology: The research was conducted with a convenience sample of 15 experts working in information and communication technology (ICT) companies. This qualitative study employed a phenomenological research design. The data obtained were analyzed using content analysis with QDA Miner 6 software within the scope of qualitative research.
Findings: This study has uncovered innovative and supportive codes related to managers' adeptness in digital leadership. Additionally, it has been revealed that the primary drivers of innovative business conduct include idea generation, idea advocacy, and idea implementation. The research has revealed a set of codes demonstrating the relationship between innovative work behavior and the skills of digital leaders, encompassing creativity, generating new ideas, digital skills, technology utilization, diversity management, fostering an innovative team and environment, adaptability to change, risk-taking, efficiency, openness to innovations, and adaptability.
Implications: According to the results of the study, innovative and supportive codes have emerged regarding managers' digital leadership skills. However, it has been revealed that the most significant factors triggering innovative work behavior are idea generation, idea advocacy, and idea implementation. By demonstrating the relationship between innovative work behavior and digital leaders' skills, this research highlights the importance of codes such as creativity, developing new ideas, digital competencies, technology usage, diversity management, creating an innovative team, fostering a supportive environment, adapting to change, taking risks, productivity, openness to innovations, and adaptability. As this study is conducted within the scope of qualitative research methodology, it may provide significant insights for organizations' plans, challenges, and opportunities regarding digital leadership and innovative work behavior, and offer guidance in understanding changing trends. Therefore, this research may be considered to contribute to demonstrating how existing concepts are reflected in practice and to revealing leaders' strategies for improving their own business processes and achieving success.
Limitations: The fact that this research is limited to Ankara province and focuses on a certain sector and cultural context can be seen among the limitations of the research. For more generalizable results, it is recommended to conduct studies in different sectors and provinces.

Keywords

Digital Leadership, Innovative Work Behavior, Leadership

Yenilikçi İş Davranışını Şekillendirmede Dijital Liderlerin Rolü

Abstract

Özet
Amaç: Bu çalışma ile dijital liderliğin yenilikçi iş davranışını oluşturma ve sürdürmedeki rolü ortaya çıkarılmak istenmiştir.

Yöntem: Araştırma kolayda örneklem ile belirlenmiş bilgi ve iletişim teknolojileri firmalarında çalışan 15 uzman üzerinde gerçekleştirilmiştir. Elde edilen veriler nitel araştırma kapsamında içerik analizi ile analiz edilmiştir.

Bulgular: Araştırmanın sonucuna göre yöneticilerin dijital liderlik becerileri ile ilgili yenilikçi ve destekleyici olma kodları ortaya çıkmıştır. Ayrıca, yenilikçi iş davranışını harekete geçiren unsurlar arasında en çok fikir yaratma, fikir savunma ve fikrin uygulama olduğu ortaya çıkmıştır. Araştırmanın yenilikçi iş davranışı ve dijital liderlerin becerileri ilişkisini gösteren sonucunda yaratıcılık, yeni fikirler dijital beceriler, teknoloji kullanımı, çeşitliliği yönetme, yenilikçi bir ekip ve çevre, değişime uyum, risk alma, verimlilik, yeniliklere açık olma ve uyum sağlama kodları çıkmıştır.

Sonuç ve Katkılar: Bu çalışma nitel araştırma yöntemi kapsamında ele alınarak dijital liderlik ve yenilikçi iş davranışı ile ilgili örgütlerin geleceğe yönelik planları, zorlukları ve fırsatlara hazırlamak için önemli öngörüler sağlayabilir ve değişen trendleri anlamada rehberlik sunabilir. Bu anlamda bu araştırma ile mevcut kavramların pratiğe nasıl yansıdığını göstermede ve liderlerin kendi iş süreçlerini geliştirmelerine ve başarıya ulaşma stratejilerini açığa çıkarmada katkı sağlayacağı düşünülebilir.

Keywords

Dijital Liderlik, Yenilikçi İş Davranışı, Liderlik

References

• Abbas, G., Iqbal, J., Waheed, A., & Naveed Riaz, M. (2012). Relationship between transformational leadership style and innovative work behavior in educational institutions. Journal of Behavioural Sciences, 22(3).
• Ahmad, H., Maram, A., Raed, H., Alamajali, D., & Hajij, M. (2022). The effect of information system on organizational performance and entrepreneurship management in a zain telecommunication firm. Journal of Southwest Jiaotong University, 57(6).
• Bharadwaj, A., El Sawy, O.A., Pavlou, P.A. and Venkatraman, N. (2013). Digital business strategy toward a next generation of insights, MIS Quarterly, Vol. 37 No. 2, pp. 471-482.
• Bhatta, N. (2021). Emerging ethical challenges of leadership in the digital era: a multi-vocal literature review. Electronic Journal of Business Ethics and Organization Studies, 26(1).
• Bolte, S., Dehmer, J., & Niemann, J. (2018). DIGITAL LEADERSHIP 4.0. Acta Technica Napocensis-Series: Applied Mathematics, Mechanics, And Engineering, 61(4).
• Bos-Nehles, A., Renkema, M., & Janssen, M. (2017). HRM and innovative work behaviour: A systematic literature review. Personnel review, 46(7), 1228-1253.
• Ceruzzi, P.E. (2012), Computing: a concise history, Massachusetts: The MIT Pres
• De Araujo, L. M., Priadana, S., Paramarta, V., & Sunarsi, D. (2021). Digital leadership in business organizations. International Journal of Educational Administration. Management, and Leadership, 45-56.
• De Jong, J., & Den Hartog, D. (2010). Measuring innovative work behaviour. Creativity and innovation management, 19(1), 23-36
• De Spiegelaere, S., Van Gyes, G., De Witte, H., Niesen, W., & Van Hootegem, G. (2014). On the relation of job insecurity, job autonomy, innovative work behaviour and the mediating effect of work engagement. Creativity and innovation management, 23(3), 318-330.
• Elo, S., & Kyngäs, H. (2008). The qualitative content analysis process. Journal of advanced nursing, 62(1), 107-115.
• Erhan, T., Uzunbacak, H. H., & Aydin, E. (2022). From conventional to digital leadership: exploring digitalization of leadership and innovative work behavior. Management Research Review, 45(11), 1524-1543.
• Getz, I., & Robinson, A. G. (2003). Innovate or die: is that a fact?. Creativity and innovation management, 12(3), 130-136.
• Goethals, R., Sorenson, G., & MacGregor Burns, J. (2002). Leadership in the digital age. In encyclopedia of Leadership.
• Graen, G. B. & Uhl-Bien, M. (1995). Relationship-based approach to leadership: Development of leader-member exchange (LMX) theory of leadership over 25 years: Applying a multi-level multi-domain perspective. The Leadership Quarterly, 6(2), 219– 247.
• Haque, A. U., & Yamoah, F. A. (2021). The role of ethical leadership in managing occupational stress to promote innovative work behaviour: A cross-cultural management perspective. Sustainability, 13(17), 9608.
• Huang, K., Wu, J., Lu, S. & Lin, Y. (2016). Innovation and technology creation effects on organizational performance. Journal of Business Research, 69(6), 2187-2192
• Janssen, O. (2000). Job demands, perceptions of effort-rewards fairness, and innovative work behavior. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 73, 287–302.
• Jolliffe, I. T., Allen, O. B., & Christie, B. R. (1989). Comparison of variety means using cluster analysis and dendrograms. Experimental Agriculture, 25(2), 259-269.
• Kang, J. H., Matusik, J. G., Kim, T.-Y., & Phillips, J. M. (2016). Interactive effects of multiple organizational climates on employee innovative behavior in entrepreneurial firms: A cross-level investigation. Journal of Business Venturing, 31(6), 628–642.
• Kanter, R.M. (1988) When a Thousand Flowers Bloom: Structural, Collective and Social Conditions for Innovation in Organization. Research in Organizational Behavior, 10, 169–211.
• Karafakioglu, E., & Afacan Findikli, M. (2024). The Mediating Role of Work Engagement in the Relationship Between Digital Leadership and Innovative Behavior and Organizational Agility. International Journal of Organizational Leadership, 1-21.
• Khan, M. J., Aslam, N., & Riaz, M. N. (2012). Leadership styles as predictors of innovative work behavior. Pakistan Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 9(2), 17-22.
• Kohli, R., and Johnson, S. (2011). Digital transformation in latecomer industries: CIO and CEO leadership lessons from Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. MIS Q Exec. 10, 141–156.
• Larjovuori, R. L., Bordi, L., Mäkiniemi, J. P., & Heikkilä-Tammi, K. (2016). The role of leadership and employee well-being in organizational digitalization. Tiziana Russo-Spenaand Cristina Mele, 1159.
• Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic Inquiry. SAGE Publications.
• Lu, V.N.; Wirtz, J.; Kunz, W.H.; Paluch, S.; Gruber, T.; Martins, A.; Patterson, P.G. Service robots, customers, and service employees: What can we learn from the academic literature and where are the gaps? J. Serv. Theory Pract. 2020, 1–47
• Mazzei, M. J., and Noble, D. (2017). Big data dreams: a framework for corporate strategy. Bus. Horiz. 60, 405–414.
• Mihardjo, L. W. W., & Rukmana, R. A. N. (2018). Does digital leadership impact directly or indirectly on dynamic capability: Case on Indonesia telecommunication industry in digital transformation? The Journal of Social Sciences Research, 2, 832–841.
• Mihardjo, L., Sasmoko, S., Alamsjah, F., and Elidjen, E. (2019). Digital leadership role in developing business model innovation and customer experience orientation in industry 4.0. Manag. Sci. Lett. 9, 1749–1762.
• Montani, F., Torres, C., Ferreira, M. C., Mendonça, H., Silva, A. J., Courcy, F., & Dagenais-Desmarais, V. (2021). Self-image goals, compassionate goals and innovative work behavior: The role of organizational support for innovation across countries. Journal of Business Research, 137, 588–600.
• Morris, M., Schindehutte, M., & Allen, J. (2005). The entrepreneur's business model: toward a unified perspective. Journal of Business Research, 58(6), 726-735.
• Morse, J. M. (2015). Critical Analysis of Strategies for Determining Rigor in Qualitative Inquiry. Qualitative Health Research, 25(9), 1212–1222.
• Mumford, M. D. (2000). Managing creative people: Strategies and tactics for innovation. Human Resource Management Review, 10, 313–351.
• Muniroh, M., Hamidah, H., & Abdullah, T. (2022). Managerial implications on the relation of digital leadership, digital culture, organizational learning, and innovation of the employee performance (case study of PT. Telkom digital and next business department). Management and Entrepreneurship: Trends of Development, 1(19), 58-75.
• Oberer, B., & Erkollar, A. (2018). Leadership 4.0: Digital leaders in the age of industry 4.0. International journal of organizational leadership.
• Özsungur, F. (2019). The impact of ethical leadership on service innovation behavior: The mediating role of psychological capital. Asia Pacific Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 13(1), 73-88.
• Promsri, C. (2019). The developing model of digital leadership for a successful digital transformation. GPH-International Journal of Business Management, 2(08), 01-08.
• Renko, M., El Tarabishy, A., Carsrud, A. L., & Brännback, M. (2015). Understanding and measuring entrepreneurial leadership style. Journal of Small Business Management, 53(1), 54–74.
• Royakkers, L., Timmer, J., Kool, L. et al. (2018). Societal and ethical issues of digitization. Ethics Inf Technol, Vol. 20, pp. 127-142.
• Sagbas, M., Oktaysoy, O., Topcuoglu, E., Kaygin, E., & Erdogan, F. A. (2023). The mediating role of innovative behavior on the effect of digital leadership on intrapreneurship intention and job performance. Behavioral Sciences, 13(10), 874.
• Sahut, J. M., Iandoli, L., & Teulon, F. (2021). The age of digital entrepreneurship. Small Business Economics, 56, 1159-1169.
• Scott, S. U., & Bruce, R. A. (1994). Determinants of innovative behavior: A path model of individual innovation in the workplace. Academy of Management Journal, 37, 580-607.
• Sethibe, T. & Steyn, R. (2016). Organizational climate, innovation and performance: A systematic review. Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, 2(2), 161-174.
• Sığrı, Ü. (2021). Nitel Araştırma Yöntemleri. Beta Basım Yayın. ‘2. Baskı.
• Stock, Ruth Maria. 2014. Is boreout a threat to frontline employees’ innovative work behavior? Journal of Product Innovation Management 32: 574–92.
• Tracy, S. J. (2010). Qualitative quality: Eight “big-tent” criteria for excellent qualitative research. Qualitative Inquiry, 16(10), 837-851.
• Tulungen, E. E., Tewal, B., & Pandowo, M. (2022). The role of digital leadership mediated by digital skill in improving organizational performance. Journal of Accounting Research, Organization and Economics, 5(2), 156-171.
• Uhl-Bien, M. (2006). Relational Leadership Theory: Exploring the social processes of leadership and organizing. Leadership Quarterly, 17(6), 654–676.
• Van der Vegt, G.S., Van de Vliert, E., Huang, X., 2005. Location-level links between diversity and innovative climate depend on national power distance. Acad. Manag. J. 48, 1171–1182.
• Waal, B. D., van Outvorst, F., and Ravesteyn, P. (2016). Digital leadership: the objective-subjective dichotomy of technology revisited. Eur. Conf. Manag. Leadersh. Gov., 52–61
• Wang, T., Lin, X., & Sheng, F. (2022). Digital leadership and exploratory innovation: From the dual perspectives of strategic orientation and organizational culture. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 902693.
• Wasono, L. W., & Furinto, A. (2018). The effect of digital leadership and innovation management for incumbent telecommunication company in the digital disruptive era. International Journal of Engineering and Technology, 7(2.29), 125-130.
• Westerman, G., Bonnet, D., & McAfee, A. (2014). Leading digital: Turning technology into business transformation. Boston: Harvard Business Review Press.
• Zhu, P. (2015). Digital Master: Debunk the Myths of Enterprise Digital Maturirity. Lulu Publishing Services.