Cover
Volume 7, Special Issue 6 (2026)

Published: October 25, 2026

Pages: 37-49

Research Article

Digital leadership and its reflection on the adoption of digital business strategy: An analytical study of the opinions of a sample of faculty members at the University of Kufa

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to highlight how digital leadership, as an explanatory variable, plays a fundamental and decisive role in the success of digital business strategy as a response variable. It is not possible to formulate or implement an effective digital strategy without leadership that possesses a clear digital vision and the ability to direct resources toward digital transformation. The research problem is represented by answering the following question: How can digital leadership at the University of Kufa contribute to the adoption of a digital business strategy? Based on this question, the study gains significant importance by examining the role of digital business strategy and organizational capabilities in achieving successful digital transformation in organizations, particularly in the education sector (with the University of Kufa as the field of study). This study relies on the descriptive-analytical approach. The descriptive method was used to describe the data collected from respondents, while the analytical method was used to analyze it. The study reached several findings, the most important of which is that the University of Kufa shows interest in adopting a digital business strategy, as it is a critical requirement for institutional effectiveness and for achieving an effective transformation toward providing high-quality services focused on the educational environment.

References

  1. Adika, Dan, (2022). What is a digital business strategy?, walkme, artical on: https://www.walkme.com/glossary/digital-business-strategy/
  2. Bach, C., & Sulíková, R. (2021). Leadership in the Context of a NewWorld: Digital Leadership and Industry 4.0. Managing Global Transitions, 19(3), 209–226. https://doi.org/10.26493/1854-6935.19.209-226
  3. Benitez, J., Arenas, A., Castillo, A., & Esteves, J. (2022). Impact of digital leadership capability on innovation performance: The role of platform digitization capability. Information and Management, 59(2), 103590. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2022.103590
  4. D'cruz, m., timbrell, g., & watson, j. (2016). Strategy in a digital world. Arxiv preprint arxiv:1606.03530.
  5. Dewi, R.; Sjabadhymi, B. Digital Leadership as a Resource to Enhance Managers’ Psychological Well-Being in COVID-19 Pandemic Situation in Indonesia. S. East Asian J. Manag. 2021, 15, 154–168.
  6. 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. https://doi.org/10.1108/MRR-05-2021-0338
  7. Hambrick, D. C., and Mason, P. A. (1984). Upper echelons: the organization as a reflection of its top managers. Acad. Manag. Rev. 9, 193–206. doi: 10.5465/AMR.1984.4277628
  8. Hanelt, A., Bohnsack, R., Marz, D., & Antunes Marante, C. (2021). A Systematic Review of the Literature on Digital Transformation: Insights and Implications for Strategy and Organizational Change. Journal of Management Studies, 58(5), 1159–1197. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12639
  9. Hyper island. (2022). Digital strategy, artical on: https://www.hyperisland.com/digital-strategy
  10. Kahre, c., hoffmann, d., & ahlemann, f. (2017). Beyond business-it alignment-digital business strategies as a paradigmatic shift: a review and research agenda.
  11. Khaw, T. Y., Teoh, A. P., Abdul Khalid, S. N., & Letchmunan, S. (2022). The impact of digital leadership on sustainable performance: A systematic literature review. Journal of Management Development, 41(9–10), 514–534. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMD-03-2022-0070
  12. Kollmann, T. (2020). Digital Leadership. Wiesbaden: Springer Gabler.
  13. Kong, D., & Liu, B. (2023). Digital Technology and Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence from China. Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, 59(9), 2967–2993. https://doi.org/10.1080/1540496X.2023.2199122
  14. Mihardjo, L. W. W., Sasmoko, S., Alamsyah, F., and Djap, E. (2019a). The influence of digital leadership on innovation management based on dynamic capability: market orientation as a moderator. Manag. Sci. Lett. 9, 1059–1070. doi: 10.5267/j.msl.2019.3.018
  15. Mihardjo, L., Sasmoko, S., Alamsjah, F., and Elidjen, E. (2019b). Digital leadership impacts on developing dynamic capability and strategic alliance based on market orientation. Pol. J. Manag. Stud. 19, 285–297. doi: 10.17512/pjms.2019.19.2.24.
  16. Mubako, a. T. (2017). The case for a practical digital business strategy model for customer centric industry in south africa. Journal of management & administration, 2017(2), 54-76.
  17. Nadeem, a., abedin, b., cerpa, n., & chew, e. (2018). Digital transformation & digital business strategy in electronic commerce-the role of organizational capabilities. Journal of theoretical and applied electronic commerce research, 13(2), 1-8.
  18. Peng, B. (2022). Digital leadership: State governance in the era of digital technology. Cultures of Science, 5(4), 210–225. https://doi.org/10.1177/2096608321989835
  19. Priyamedha, Hastya & Wayan Gede Supartha & Gusti Ayu Manuati Dewi, (2025), "Mediate of digital organizational culture: Digital leadership on organizational performance", World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2025, 25(02), 1072-1084.
  20. Roman AV, Van Wart M, Wang X, Liu C, Kim S, McCarthy A. Defining e-leadership as competence in ICT-mediated communications: an exploratory assessment. Public Admin Rev. 2019; 79:853–66.
  21. 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. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13100874
  22. Sawy, O. E., Kraemmergaard, P., Amsinck, H., and Vinther, A. L. (2016). How LEGO built the foundations and enterprise capabilities for digital leadership. MIS Q. Exec. 15, 141–166. doi: 10.4324/9780429286797-8
  23. Shin, J., Mollah, M. A., & Choi, J. (2023). Sustainability and Organizational Performance In South Korea: The Effect Of Digital Leadership On Digital Culture And Employees’ Digital Capabilities. Sustainability (Switzerland), 15(3), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032027.
  24. Sia, S. K., Weill, P., and Zhang, N. (2021). Designing a future-ready enterprise: The digital transformation of DBS bank. California Management Review, 63(3), 35-57.
  25. Smith, h. A., & mckeen, j. D. (2016). Developing a digital strategy, the it forum.
  26. Turuk, m. (2020). Digital strategy. International journal of contemporary business and entrepreneurship, 1(1), 62-76.
  27. 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.
  28. Wang, T., Lin, X., Sheng, F. (2022). Digital leadership and exploratory innovation: From the dual perspectives of strategic orientation and organizational culture. In Frontiers in Psychology (Vol. 13). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.902693
  29. Wang, z., rafait mahmood, m., ullah, h., hanif, i., abbas, q., & mohsin, m. (2020). Multidimensional perspective of firms’ it capability between digital business strategy and firms’ efficiency: a case of chinese smes. Sage open, 10(4), 2158244020970564.
  30. Weber, E., Büttgen, M., & Bartsch, S. (2022). How to take employees on the digital transformation journey: An experimental study on complementary leadership behaviors in managing organizational change. Journal of Business Research, 143, 225–238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.01.036
  31. Zeike, S., Bradbury, K., Lindert, L., & Pfaff, H. (2019). Digital leadership skills and associations with psychological well-being. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(14), 26-28. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16142628
  32. Zhu, P. (2015). Digital Master: Debunk the Myths of Enterprise Digital Maturity. Morrisville, NC: Lulu Publishing Services.