THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION: THE CASE OF OMAN

THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION: THE CASE OF OMAN
Hussain Al Rashdi, Modern College of Business and Sciences, Oman

This study aims to explore – from the perspectives of university faculty at a higher education institution in the Sultanate of Oman - the extent to which transformational leadership (TL) improves digital transformation (DT). In addition to revealing how TL is perceived, the study reports on the relationship between TL and DT. The research is based on the assumption that TL increases DT. A positivist philosophy underpins the research design of the study. A quantitative case study approach involving surveys administered to 50 male and female university faculty at the case organization was used for data collection. The survey includes three sections with 15 questions, each section aiming to highlight viable data that substantiates the problem in the context of the research study, identify attitudes towards the impact of TL on DT and explore participants’ perceptions towards the improvements of DT. Descriptive statistics are used to analyze the collected data. The findings suggest that TL components have a significant positive effect on DT. The results also reveal the importance of TL in improving the implementation of DT in higher education settings in Oman. Significantly, although the sample is taken from one case study in a limited geographical area in Oman, which may jeopardize the generalizability of the findings, the study opens a new horizon of research in this area to validate the results in similar locations. The study provides insights, via the quantitative findings, into how TL impacts DT in Oman through the concept of transformational leadership theory (TLT). It highlights the importance of TL in advancing DT in the Omani HEIs. The insights gained from this study are useful for HEIs policymakers in Oman. It provides them with an understanding of the value of TL for the effective implementation of DT.