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The Ripple Effect Created by The Digital Leader: An In-Depth Analysis of Digital Transformation and Leadership from The Employee Perspective

Year 2025, Volume: 26 Issue: 3, 546 - 568
https://doi.org/10.37880/cumuiibf.1673176

Abstract

This study investigates how employees’ perceptions of digital leadership influence their perspectives on digital transformation within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Turkey. Building on the assumption that digital transformation unfolds through a "ripple effect" driven by employee perceptions, the study explores the formation of employee perception profiles regarding the transformation process. In addition, the different perception profiles that employees create within the organization in terms of their perceptions of digital leadership and digital transformation were analyzed. These analyses were conducted using SPSS, Lisrel and Jamovi software. The first key finding reveals that as employees' perception of their managers as digital leaders increases, their attitudes toward digital transformation become more positive. The second finding revealed that employees formed significant and contextually different latent classes according to their perceptions of digital leadership and transformation. These latent classes were named as the positive ripple effect creators, the change resistors, the undecided, and the negative ripple effect creators according to their content. The class of positive ripple effect creators consists of employees with high perceptions of digital leadership and digital transformation. The change resistors class consists of employees who have a high perception of digital leadership but a low perception of digital transformation. The undecided class includes employees with moderate perceptions of digital leadership and digital transformation. On the other hand, the negative ripple effect creators class includes employees with low perceptions of digital leadership and digital transformation. These results suggest that the transformation process does not manifest uniformly across the organization but rather follows a multilayered and dynamic structure shaped by perceptual differences. The study contributes to the literature in the direction of addressing digital leadership and transformation processes within the framework of employee-centered interactions by extending beyond managerial requirements.

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Dijital Liderin Yarattığı Dip Dalga: Dijital Dönüşüme ve Liderliğe Çalışan Perspektifinden Derinlemesine Bir Analiz

Year 2025, Volume: 26 Issue: 3, 546 - 568
https://doi.org/10.37880/cumuiibf.1673176

Abstract

Bu çalışma, Türkiye’deki küçük ve orta ölçekli işletmelerde çalışanların dijital liderlik algılarının, dijital dönüşüme yönelik bakış açılarını nasıl etkilediğini incelemektedir. Dijital dönüşümün, çalışan algıları vasıtasıyla örgüt içinde yayılan “dip dalga” etkisiyle şekillendiği varsayımından hareketle, çalışanların yöneticilerine ilişkin dijital liderlik algılarının dijital dönüşüm sürecine yönelik bakış açıları üzerindeki etki analiz edilmiştir. Ayrıca, çalışanların dijital liderlik ve dijital dönüşüm algıları itibariyle örgüt içinde oluşturdukları farklı algı profilleri analiz edilmiştir. Bu analizler, SPSS, Lisrel ve Jamovi yazılımları kullanılarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırmanın ilk bulgusu, çalışanların yöneticilerini dijital lider olarak algılama düzeyleri arttıkça, dijital dönüşüm sürecine yönelik olumlu tutumlarının da arttığını göstermektedir. İkinci bulgu ise, çalışanların dijital liderlik ve dönüşüm algılarına göre anlamlı ve içeriksel olarak farklı gizil sınıflar oluşturduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Bu sınıflar, içeriklerine göre olumlu dip dalga oluşturanlar, değişim karşıtları, kararsızlar, olumsuz dip dalga oluşturanlar şeklinde isimlendirilmiştir. Olumlu dip dalga oluşturanlar sınıfı, dijital liderlik ve dijital dönüşüm algıları yüksek olan çalışanlardan oluşmaktadır. Değişim karşıtları sınıfı, dijital liderlik algısı yüksek olmasına rağmen dijital dönüşüm algısı düşük olan çalışanlardan oluşmaktadır. Kararsızlar sınıfı, dijital liderlik ve dijital dönüşüm algıları orta düzeyde olan çalışanları kapsamaktadır. Olumsuz dip dalga oluşturanlar sınıfı ise, dijital liderlik ve dijital dönüşüm algıları düşük olan çalışanları kapsamaktadır. Bu bulgular, dönüşüm sürecinin örgüt içinde homojen değil, çok katmanlı ve dinamik bir yapı sergilediğini; algı farklılıklarının dönüşüm stratejileri üzerinde belirleyici alabileceğini göstermektedir. Çalışma, dijital liderlik ve dönüşüm süreçlerinin yönetsel gerekliliklerin ötesine uzanarak çalışan merkezli etkileşimler çerçevesinde de ele alınması yönünde alan yazına katkı sunmaktadır.

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  • Aksu M.V. & Taslak S. (2022). Dördüncü sanayi devrimi ve küçük ve orta büyüklükteki işletmelerin (KOBİ’lerin) dijital dönüşümü, Yeni Fikir Dergisi, 14 (29), 11-23. https://doi.org/10.57205/yenifikirjournal.1211439
  • Alabi, M. (2025). Technology acceptance and resistance: Understanding employee adaptation to digital tools. https://www.researchttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/388960193_Technology_Acceptance_and_Resistance_Understanding_Employee_Adaptation_to_Digital_Tools adresinden alındı
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Details

Primary Language Turkish
Subjects Business Systems in Context (Other)
Journal Section Makaleler
Authors

Nida Palabıyık 0000-0001-8567-3711

Early Pub Date July 19, 2025
Publication Date
Submission Date April 10, 2025
Acceptance Date July 15, 2025
Published in Issue Year 2025Volume: 26 Issue: 3

Cite

APA Palabıyık, N. (2025). Dijital Liderin Yarattığı Dip Dalga: Dijital Dönüşüme ve Liderliğe Çalışan Perspektifinden Derinlemesine Bir Analiz. Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi İktisadi Ve İdari Bilimler Dergisi, 26(3), 546-568. https://doi.org/10.37880/cumuiibf.1673176

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