The effect of digital leadership on the performance of businesses: the mediating role of organizational entrepreneurship

The digital age has led to significant changes in all aspects of human life, including the way businesses operate. It is expected that the digitalization process of this type of business will accelerate in the coming years, therefore the results of this research can have a great impact on increasing their productivity and economic growth. In this context, the current study aims to investigate the impact of digital leadership on the performance of businesses, with a particular focus on the mediating role of organizational entrepreneurship.

This research is applied in terms of research purpose and descriptive-survey method. The statistical population of this study consists of 601 employees and managers working in the printing and publishing industry in Tehran province. The sample size was determined using Cochran's formula, and a total of 235 individuals were selected using available sampling techniques. Data was collected using standard questionnaires, and SmartPLS4 software and structural equation modeling were utilized to analyze the data. This approach allows for the examination of the complex relationships between digital leadership, organizational entrepreneurship, and business performance in the publishing industry.

This research examines the fit of a model at three levels of measurement: structural, general, and combined reliability. The R2 (equal path squared) values for organizational entrepreneurship and the performance of printing and publishing businesses are 0.739 and 0.653, respectively, indicating a strong level of fit for the structural model. The t-statistic was used to check the assumed relationships between the variables, with seven sub-hypotheses used to measure the main hypothesis. The t-coefficients relevant to the seven existing relationships have been confirmed, supporting the main hypothesis.

Businesses that adopt digital leadership strategies are more likely to develop new digital facilities and make significant changes in their strategy-making processes and organizational culture. These findings emphasize the importance of digital leadership in the publishing industry and suggest that businesses that embrace digital leadership strategies are more likely to succeed in the digital age. The insights gained from this study can be used to develop effective digital leadership strategies to help publishing businesses thrive in an increasingly digital world.