Digital Transformational Leadership: Integration of Technological Competence, Innovation Climate, and Employee Adaptive Performance – A Systematic Literature Review
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Abstract
This article aims to develop a conceptual model that integrates Digital Transformational Leadership, Technological Competence, Innovation Climate, and Employee Adaptive Performance in the context of organizational digital transformation. The main objective is to map the relationships between variables and formulate interaction patterns as a basis for empirical research. Using a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach, this study identifies patterns of findings and relationships between variables in indexed literature from 2010 to 2025, analysing 82 articles thematically using PRISMA. The findings show that Digital Transformational Leadership acts as the main driver in improving Technological Competence and creating a supportive Innovation Climate. These two variables are important prerequisites for improving Employee Adaptive Performance in a digital environment. The integration of these three variables strengthens the role of digital leaders in steering organizations toward agility, innovation, and adaptive readiness. These findings confirm that digital transformational leadership not only changes work processes but also changes the psychological, cognitive, and competency structures of the workforce. This article offers a new conceptual model that links Digital Transformational Leadership with Employee Adaptive Performance through Technological Competence and Innovation Climate, providing a theoretical contribution by combining dynamic capability, innovation climate theory, and transformational leadership in a comprehensive framework, as well as providing a basis for empirical research on future organizational digital transformation.
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