{"title":"Explaining transformational leadership in the digital age: The example of Facebook group leaders","authors":"Tal Eitan, Tali Gazit","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102637","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The prominence of digital leadership in social networks has established this role as a crucial area of investigation, particularly because these networks serve as key sources of information, decision-making, and support for countless individuals. Consequently, the actions of digital leaders have far-reaching implications for millions of people's lives. This study investigates the phenomenon of digital leadership within social networks, focusing specifically on the case of Facebook group leaders. One hundred eighty-one Facebook group leaders participated in an online survey assessing their overall Transformational Leadership scores and leadership styles. The findings reveal that the leaders primarily employed an authority-based style while exhibiting Idealized Influence (Behavior) style the least frequently. Furthermore, several factors, such as interpersonal skills and digital literacy, were found to be highly significant in determining leadership styles. In contrast, variables such as information literacy, gender, age, education level, group size, and group-related income played a negligible role, if any, in shaping leadership styles. The research findings have implications for leaders in digital spaces and can be applied to enhance leadership skills and create better groups for members in both the business and private sectors.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":10.1000,"publicationDate":"2024-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Technology in Society","FirstCategoryId":"90","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160791X24001854","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"SOCIAL ISSUES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The prominence of digital leadership in social networks has established this role as a crucial area of investigation, particularly because these networks serve as key sources of information, decision-making, and support for countless individuals. Consequently, the actions of digital leaders have far-reaching implications for millions of people's lives. This study investigates the phenomenon of digital leadership within social networks, focusing specifically on the case of Facebook group leaders. One hundred eighty-one Facebook group leaders participated in an online survey assessing their overall Transformational Leadership scores and leadership styles. The findings reveal that the leaders primarily employed an authority-based style while exhibiting Idealized Influence (Behavior) style the least frequently. Furthermore, several factors, such as interpersonal skills and digital literacy, were found to be highly significant in determining leadership styles. In contrast, variables such as information literacy, gender, age, education level, group size, and group-related income played a negligible role, if any, in shaping leadership styles. The research findings have implications for leaders in digital spaces and can be applied to enhance leadership skills and create better groups for members in both the business and private sectors.
期刊介绍:
Technology in Society is a global journal dedicated to fostering discourse at the crossroads of technological change and the social, economic, business, and philosophical transformation of our world. The journal aims to provide scholarly contributions that empower decision-makers to thoughtfully and intentionally navigate the decisions shaping this dynamic landscape. A common thread across these fields is the role of technology in society, influencing economic, political, and cultural dynamics. Scholarly work in Technology in Society delves into the social forces shaping technological decisions and the societal choices regarding technology use. This encompasses scholarly and theoretical approaches (history and philosophy of science and technology, technology forecasting, economic growth, and policy, ethics), applied approaches (business innovation, technology management, legal and engineering), and developmental perspectives (technology transfer, technology assessment, and economic development). Detailed information about the journal's aims and scope on specific topics can be found in Technology in Society Briefings, accessible via our Special Issues and Article Collections.