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Leadership in the Context of a New World: Digital Leadership and Industry 4.0

Author

Listed:
  • Christoph Bach

    (Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovak Republic)

  • Rozália Sulíková

    (Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovak Republic)

Abstract

This paper attempts to address and critically examine a current concept of leadership in business studies: digital leadership. Researchers often say that this is a new leadership style and that there is a necessity for such a new style because the entrepreneurial environment has changed considerably with digitisation, but also with Industry 4.0, which to a certain extent coincides with digitisation, and the concept of a so-called VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Com-plex and Ambiguous) world. The conclusion drawn here could be summarised as follows: a changed business environment forces companies to react, namely with a new way of leading – digital leadership. This study will show that such a concept is by no means new, as research claims, but rather has been in existence for more than 150 years.What many researchers understand by digital leadership, apart from the demand for driving forward digitisation, coincides with the leadership principle introduced by Prussian General Moltke, known as ‘mission-type tactics.’ One of the aims of this paper is to demonstrate this. It will also be shown that digital leadership, in contrast to transformational leadership, can be acquired and that digital leadership cannot be classified in the opposition to transformational or transactional leadership, but is rather to be held and understood as a third variant. Only a prescriptive method based on understanding seems to be a suitable method.

Suggested Citation

  • Christoph Bach & Rozália Sulíková, 2021. "Leadership in the Context of a New World: Digital Leadership and Industry 4.0," Managing Global Transitions, University of Primorska, Faculty of Management Koper, vol. 19(3 (Fall)), pages 209-226.
    • Handle: RePEc:mgt:youmgt:v:19:y:2021:i:3:p:209-226
    DOI: 10.26493/1854-6935.19.209-226
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Erich R. Unkrig, 2020. "Mandate der Führung 4.0," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-3-658-28492-3, September.
    2. Ralf T. Kreutzer & Tim Neugebauer & Annette Pattloch, 2017. "Digital Business Leadership," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-3-658-11914-0, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    digital leadership; industry 4.0; smart factory; digitisation; VUCA; transactional leadership; transformational leadership; mission-type tactic; ambidexterity; competence;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D23 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Organizational Behavior; Transaction Costs; Property Rights
    • J81 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Working Conditions
    • L20 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - General
    • M12 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Personnel Management; Executives; Executive Compensation
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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