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Journals / Alanya Akademik Bakış / 2026 / Cilt: 10 Sayı: 2

The Mediating Role of Work Engagement in the Relationship between Digital Leadership and Innovative Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Structural Equation Modeling

Dijital Liderliğin Yenilikçi Davranışa Etkisinde İşe Adanmışlığın Aracılık Rolüne İlişkin Meta-Analitik Yapısal Eşitlik Modellemesi

Zübeyir Özçelik(Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu)0000-0001-7027-7396
Hüseyin Çelik(CELÂL BAYAR ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0009-0001-6311-0560
Pages
553–568
Publication Date
2026-05-30
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

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

The findings indicate that digital leadership has a positive and significant effect on both innovative behavior and work engagement.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:This study conducts a comprehensive meta-analytic structural equation modeling (Meta-SEM) to examine the effect of digital leadership on employees’ innovative behavior and to determine the mediating role of work engagement in this relationship.
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Key Findings & Data:Within the scope of the study, the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases were systematically searched; at the initial stage, 55 articles from WoS and 41 articles from Scopus were identified.
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Conclusion & Impact:The findings indicate that digital leadership has a positive and significant effect on both innovative behavior and work engagement.
🔬Design:Modeling & Simulation
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Dijital Liderlik · Yenilikçi Davranış · İşe Adanmışlık

Abstract

This study conducts a comprehensive meta-analytic structural equation modeling (Meta-SEM) to examine the effect of digital leadership on employees’ innovative behavior and to determine the mediating role of work engagement in this relationship. Within the scope of the study, the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases were systematically searched; at the initial stage, 55 articles from WoS and 41 articles from Scopus were identified. Following the screening process conducted in accordance with the PRISMA protocol criteria, 15 studies that fully met the inclusion criteria were incorporated into the meta-analysis. The summary data obtained from these studies were analyzed using Python software, and the analyses were conducted through the Meta-SEM method. The findings indicate that digital leadership has a positive and significant effect on both innovative behavior and work engagement. The results of the structural equation modeling confirm that work engagement plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between digital leadership and innovative behavior. This result reveals that leaders in the digital transformation process indirectly support innovation outcomes by enhancing employee engagement. The study provides important evidence for practitioners seeking to improve organizational effectiveness in the digital era and for researchers aiming to address theoretical gaps in the literature.

Özet

Bu çalışmada, dijital liderliğin çalışanların yenilikçi davranışları üzerindeki etkisini ve bu ilişkide işe adanmışlığın aracılık rolünü belirlemeyi amaçlayan kapsamlı bir meta-analitik yapısal eşitlik modellemesi (Meta-SEM) gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırma kapsamında Web of Science (WoS) ve Scopus veri tabanları taranmış; başlangıç aşamasında WoS’tan 55, Scopus’tan ise 41 makaleye ulaşılmıştır. PRISMA protokolü kriterlerine göre gerçekleştirilen ayıklama süreci sonucunda, analiz kriterlerini tam olarak karşılayan 15 çalışma meta-analiz kapsamına dahil edilmiştir. Bu çalışmalardan elde edilen özet veriler Python yazılımı kullanılarak analiz edilmiş ve analizler Meta-SEM yöntemiyle yürütülmüştür. Araştırma bulguları, dijital liderliğin hem yenilikçi davranışı hem de işe adanmışlığı pozitif ve anlamlı düzeyde etkilediğini göstermektedir. Yapısal eşitlik modellemesi sonuçları, işe adanmışlığın, dijital liderlik ile yenilikçi davranış arasındaki ilişkide kısmi aracılık üstlendiğini doğrulamaktadır. Bu sonuç, dijital dönüşüm sürecindeki liderlerin çalışan bağlılığını artırarak inovasyon çıktılarını dolaylı yoldan da desteklediğini ortaya koymaktadır. Çalışma, dijital çağda örgütsel verimliliği artırmak isteyen uygulayıcılar ve literatürdeki teorik boşluğu doldurmak isteyen araştırmacılar için önemli kanıtlar sunmaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Özçelik, Z., Çelik, H. (2026). The Mediating Role of Work Engagement in the Relationship between Digital Leadership and Innovative Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Structural Equation Modeling. Alanya Akademik Bakış, Cilt: 10 Sayı: 2, 553–568. https://doi.org/10.29023/alanyaakademik.1882064

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