Designing a Digital Leadership Maturity Model for Organizational Transformation
Keywords:
digital leadership, maturity model, organizational transformation, digital transformation, qualitative research, NVivo, leadership capabilities.Abstract
This study aimed to design a digital leadership maturity model for explaining how organizational leaders develop the strategic, cultural, technological, and governance capabilities required for successful organizational transformation. This qualitative study was conducted using an interpretive exploratory design. Participants were selected through purposive sampling from senior managers, digital transformation specialists, information technology executives, human resource managers, and organizational development consultants working in Tehran-based public and private organizations. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews until theoretical saturation was achieved. A total of 24 participants were interviewed, and the interviews lasted between 45 and 75 minutes. The interview protocol focused on leadership roles in digital transformation, digital decision-making, cultural readiness, data-driven management, employee capability development, governance mechanisms, and maturity indicators. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis supported by NVivo software. To enhance trustworthiness, member checking, peer debriefing, code comparison, prolonged engagement with the data, and an audit trail were used. The analysis produced five main categories: digital strategic orientation, data-driven and AI-enabled decision governance, cultural and capability readiness, agile transformation orchestration, and ecosystem-based value creation. Based on these categories, a five-level maturity model was developed: digital awareness, fragmented experimentation, coordinated digital integration, adaptive digital leadership, and transformative digital ecosystem leadership. The findings showed that mature digital leadership is not limited to technology adoption but involves the alignment of leadership vision, organizational culture, decision architecture, learning systems, ethical governance, and external collaboration. The proposed model provides a qualitative framework for assessing and developing digital leadership maturity in organizations undergoing transformation. It can help managers identify leadership gaps, prioritize capability-building initiatives, and move from isolated digital projects toward integrated, adaptive, and value-oriented organizational transformation
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