SavedAdd your journal

Journals / Yaşar Üniversitesi E-Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 21 Sayı: Special Issue on 24th International Business Congress Özel Sayı

The Role Of Transformational Leadership In Promoting Innovative Work Behavior During The Digital Transformation Process

Dijital Dönüşüm Sürecinde Yenilikçi İş Davranışı: Dönüştürücü Liderliğin Teşvik Edici Rolü

Gülcan Olçum Selek(İZMİR KATİP ÇELEBİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ, SOSYAL BİLİMLER ENSTİTÜSÜ)0000-0003-2226-8326
Zehra Nuray Nişancı(İZMİR KATİP ÇELEBİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0003-1782-237X
Pages
248–264
Publication Date
2026-03-27
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The findings reveal that transformational leadership significantly enhances employees’ innovative work behavior, thereby facilitating the digital transformation process.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:In today’s competitive business environment, digital transformation has become a critical factor for organizations to achieve sustainable success.
📊
Key Findings & Data:The findings reveal that transformational leadership significantly enhances employees’ innovative work behavior, thereby facilitating the digital transformation process.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:The findings highlight the critical role of leadership approaches in digital transformation processes and provide strategic recommendations for organizations to strengthen their innovation strategies.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Dönüştürücü Liderlik · Yenilikçi İş Davranışı · Dijital Dönüşüm

Abstract

In today’s competitive business environment, digital transformation has become a critical factor for organizations to achieve sustainable success. In this process, employees' engagement in innovative work behaviors and the role of leaders in fostering these behaviors are essential for the effectiveness of digital transformation. Transformational leadership, as a leadership style that enhances employee motivation and supports innovation, plays a crucial role in this transformation. The primary objective of this study is to examine how transformational leadership influences employees' innovative work behaviors and how this effect contributes to the digital transformation process from a qualitative perspective. The research is designed using a qualitative research method and adopts a phenomenological approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with employees and managers from various sectors who have experienced digital transformation. The collected data were analyzed using content analysis with the MaxQDA qualitative analysis software, and emerging themes were identified. The findings reveal that transformational leadership significantly enhances employees’ innovative work behavior, thereby facilitating the digital transformation process. Specifically, inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation emerge as key factors encouraging employees to think innovatively and adapt to technological changes. Furthermore, individualized consideration by leaders accelerates employees' adaptation to transformation. The findings highlight the critical role of leadership approaches in digital transformation processes and provide strategic recommendations for organizations to strengthen their innovation strategies.

Özet

Günümüz rekabetçi iş ortamında dijital dönüşüm, işletmelerin sürdürülebilir başarı elde edebilmesi için kritik bir unsur haline gelmiştir. Bu süreçte, çalışanların yenilikçi iş davranışları sergilemesi ve liderlerin bu davranışları teşvik etmesi dönüşüm sürecinin etkinliği açısından büyük önem taşımaktadır. Dönüştürücü liderlik, çalışanların motivasyonunu artırarak yenilikçi iş davranışlarını destekleyen bir liderlik tarzı olup, dijital dönüşüm sürecinde kritik bir rol oynamaktadır. Bu araştırmanın temel amacı, işletmelerin dijital dönüşüm sürecinde dönüştürücü liderliğin, çalışanların yenilikçi iş davranışlarına teşvik edilmesinde üstlendiği rolü ortaya çıkarmaktır. Araştırma nitel araştırma yöntemi ile tasarlanmış olup, fenomenolojik yaklaşım benimsenmiştir. Dijital dönüşüm sürecini deneyimlemiş farklı sektörlerden çalışanlar ve yöneticilerle yarı yapılandırılmış mülakatlar gerçekleştirilmiştir. Toplanan veriler, MaxQDA programı kullanılarak içerik analizi yöntemiyle incelenmiş ve temalar oluşturulmuştur. Analiz bulguları, dönüştürücü liderliğin çalışanların yenilikçi iş davranışlarını teşvik ederek dijital dönüşüm sürecine katkı sağladığını ortaya koymaktadır. Özellikle ilham veren motivasyon ve zihinsel uyarım boyutları, çalışanların yenilikçi düşünmelerini ve teknolojiye uyum sağlamalarını destekleyen temel faktörler olarak öne çıkmaktadır. Ayrıca, liderlerin bireyselleştirilmiş ilgisi, çalışanların değişime daha hızlı adapte olmalarını sağlamaktadır. Araştırma, işletmelerin dijital dönüşüm süreçlerinde dönüştürücü liderliğin kritik önemini vurgulamakta ve inovasyon stratejilerini güçlendirmelerine yönelik öneriler sunmaktadır.

🔖

Cite This Article

Selek, G. O., Nişancı, Z. N., *, G. O. S. (2026). The Role Of Transformational Leadership In Promoting Innovative Work Behavior During The Digital Transformation Process. Yaşar Üniversitesi E-Dergisi, Cilt: 21 Sayı: Special Issue on 24th International Business Congress Özel Sayı, 248–264. https://doi.org/10.19168/jyasar.1761065

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (44)

  1. Afsar, B., Badir, Y. ve Bin Saeed, B. 2014. Transformational leadership and innovative work behavior. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 114(8), 1270–1300. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-05-2014-0152
  2. Afsar, B., Masood, M. ve Umrani, W. A. 2019. The role of job crafting and knowledge sharing on the effect of transformational leadership on innovative work behavior. Personnel Review, 48(5), 1186–1208. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-04-2018-0133
  3. Avolio, B. J. ve Yammarino, F. J. 2013. Transformational and charismatic leadership: The road ahead (2. bs.). Emerald Group Publishing.
  4. Avolio, B. J. ve Bass, B. M. 1995. Individual consideration viewed at multiple levels of analysis: A multi-level framework for examining the diffusion of transformational leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 6(2), 199–218. https://doi.org/10.1016/1048-9843(95)90035-7
  5. Bass, B. M. 1990. From transactional to transformational leadership: Learning to share the vision. Organizational Dynamics, 18(3), 19–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/0090-2616(90)90061-S
  6. Bass, B. M. ve Riggio, R. E. 2006. Transformational leadership (2. bs.). Psychology Press.
  7. Bass, B. M. ve Avolio, B. J. 1993. Transformational leadership and organizational culture. Public Administration Quarterly, 17(1), 112–121.
  8. Basu, R. ve Green, S. G. 1997. Leader–member exchange and transformational leadership: An empirical examination of innovative behaviors in leader–member dyads. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 27(6), 477–499. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1997.tb00643.x
  9. Bennis, W. ve Nanus, B. 1985. Leaders: Strategies for taking charge. New York, NY: Harper & Row.
  10. Bin Saeed, B., Afsar, B., Shahjehan, A. ve Imad Shah, S. Z. A. 2019. Integrating transformational leadership with innovative work behavior through meaningful work and work engagement. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(13), 2356. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16132356
  11. Burns, J. M. 1978. Leadership. Harper & Row.
  12. Creswell, J. W. 2013. Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
  13. Daft, R. L. 2014. The leadership experience (6th ed.). Cengage Learning.
  14. Damanpour, F. 1991. Organizational innovation: A meta-analysis of effects of determinants and moderators. Academy of Management Journal, 34(3), 555–590. https://doi.org/10.5465/256406
  15. De Jong, J. P. J. ve Den Hartog, D. N. 2010. Measuring innovative work behavior. Creativity and Innovation Management, 19(1), 23–36. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8691.2010.00547.x
  16. Feng, C., Fan, D. ve Yang, W. 2016. How does transformational leadership influence organizational innovation? The roles of environmental uncertainty and innovation orientation. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 37(2), 202–218. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-06-2014-0105
  17. Gumusluoglu, L. ve Ilsev, A. 2009. Transformational leadership, creativity, and organizational innovation. Journal of Business Research, 62(4), 461–473. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2007.07.032
  18. Gün, G. 2022. Dönüştürücü liderlik, yenilikçi iş davranışı ve grup uyumu. EKEV Akademi Dergisi, (90), 225–246. Hess, T., Matt, C., Benlian, A. ve Wiesböck, F. 2016. Options for formulating a digital transformation strategy. MIS Quarterly Executive, 15(2), 123–139. https://aisel.aisnet.org/misqe/vol15/iss2/6/
  19. Jaiswal, N. K. ve Dhar, R. L. 2015. Transformational leadership, innovation climate, creative self-efficacy and employee creativity: A multilevel study. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 28(3), 432–455. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-03-2014-0055
  20. Janssen, O. 2000. Job demands, perceptions of effort-reward fairness and innovative work behavior. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 73(3), 287–302. https://doi.org/10.1348/096317900167038
  21. Jung, D. I., Chow, C. ve Wu, A. 2003. The role of transformational leadership in enhancing organizational innovation: Hypotheses and some preliminary findings. The Leadership Quarterly, 14(4–5), 525–544. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1048-9843(03)00050-X
  22. Kane, G. C., Palmer, D., Phillips, A. N., Kiron, D. ve Buckley, N. 2015. Strategy, not technology, drives digital transformation. MIT Sloan Management Review and Deloitte University Press. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/projects/strategy-drives-digital-transformation/
  23. Karimi, S., Rezvani, A. ve Khosravizadeh, O. 2023. The effect of transformational leadership on innovative work behavior: The mediating role of psychological capital. Sustainability, 15(2), 1267. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021267
  24. Lincoln, Y. S. ve Guba, E. G. 1985. Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE Publications.
  25. Lucas, H. C., Agarwal, R., Clemons, E. K., El Sawy, O. A. ve Weber, B. 2013. Impactful research on transformational information technology: An opportunity to inform new audiences. MIS Quarterly, 37(2), 371–382.
  26. Merriam, S. B. 2009. Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. Jossey-Bass.
  27. Michaelis, B., Stegmaier, R. ve Sonntag, K. 2010. Shedding light on followers’ innovation behavior: The role of transformational leadership, commitment to change, and climate for initiative. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 25(4), 408–429. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683941011035304
  28. Miles, M. B. ve Huberman, A. M. 1994. Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
  29. Morakanyane, R., Grace, A. A. ve O’Reilly, P. 2017. Conceptualizing digital transformation in business organizations: A systematic review of literature. In Proceedings of the 30th Bled eConference, 427–443.
  30. Mumford, M. D., Scott, G. M., Gaddis, B. ve Strange, J. M. 2002. Leading creative people: Orchestrating expertise and relationships. The Leadership Quarterly, 13(6), 705–750. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1048-9843(02)00158-3
  31. Odugbesan, J. A., Ikpefan, O. A., Adetunji, R. ve Aregbeshola, R. A. 2023. Leadership, digital transformation, and innovative work behavior among IT employees: Empirical evidence from developing economies. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1134555. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1134555
  32. Patton, M. Q. 2002. Qualitative research and evaluation methods (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications. Porter, M. E. 1990. The competitive advantage of nations. Free Press.
  33. Rosing, K., Frese, M. ve Bausch, A. 2011. Explaining the heterogeneity of the leadership–innovation relationship: Ambidextrous leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 22(5), 956–974. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2011.07.014 Schumpeter, J. A. 1934. The theory of economic development: An inquiry into profits, capital, credit, interest, and the business cycle. Harvard University Press.
  34. Scott, S. G. ve Bruce, R. A. 1994. Determinants of innovative behavior: A path model of individual innovation in the workplace. Academy of Management Journal, 37(3), 580–607. https://doi.org/10.2307/256701
  35. Sharma, P. N. ve Kirkman, B. L. 2015. Leveraging leaders: A literature review and future lines of inquiry for transformational leadership research. Group & Organization Management, 40(2), 193–237. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059601115574906
  36. Sia, S. K., Soh, C. ve Weill, P. 2016. How DBS Bank pursued a digital business transformation. MIS Quarterly Executive, 15(2), 105–121.
  37. Tarba, S., Ahammad, M. F. ve Glaister, K. W. 2019. The role of leadership in executing mergers and acquisitions strategy: A review of empirical studies. Journal of Business Research, 104, 200–217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039
  38. Tarba, S., Ahammad, M. F. ve Glaister, K. W. 2019. The role of leadership in digital transformation: A review and research agenda. Journal of Business Research, 125, 100–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.04.003
  39. Thomas, D. R. 2006. A general inductive approach for analyzing qualitative evaluation data. American Journal of Evaluation, 27(2), 237–246. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098214005283748
  40. Vial, G. 2019. Understanding digital transformation: A review and a research agenda. The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 28(2), 118–144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsis.2019.01.003
  41. West, M. A. ve Farr, J. L. 1990. Innovation and creativity at work: Psychological and organizational strategies. Wiley.
  42. Yukl, G. 2009. Leadership in organizations (7th ed.). Pearson.
  43. Zhu, Y., You, X. ve Xu, S. 2022. How transformational leadership promotes employees' innovative behavior: The mediating effect of digital transformation. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 897338. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.897338
  44. Zuraik, A. ve Kelly, L. 2019. The role of CEO transformational leadership and innovation climate in exploration and exploitation. European Journal of Innovation Management, 22(1), 84–104. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-10-2017-0142