Leadership behaviours to promote organisational performance in private sector digital transformation – A systematic literature review

Abstract

Research on digital transformation leadership is growing rapidly, yet its behavioural foundations and performance effects remain unclear. This study conducts a systematic literature review from a micro-level behavioural perspective, while detaching the context from established leadership patterns. A comprehensive search was conducted across major academic databases, including Scopus and Web of Science, resulting in 65 studies that met the inclusion criteria. A total of 65 peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2024 were analysed to identify how leadership behaviours influence organisational performance in digital transformation. Most studies were published between 2021 and 2024, reflecting the novelty and rising interest in the topic. Leadership behaviours were classified into task-, relation-, change-, and externaloriented behaviours. These behaviours were linked to four performance dimensions: effective leadership, digital acceptance, digital competence, and digital innovation. Simultaneous use of diverse behaviours is essential, as different behaviours affect different outcomes. Emotional intelligence supports behavioural balance, and behavioural variance is key due to the synergistic nature of performance dimensions. The review applies Vial's (2019) digital transformation framework to structure the synthesis. The findings aim to operationalize leadership practices that precede the dynamic system outlined in the framework. The study concludes with 15 propositions for future research.