EXAMINING THE ROLE OF TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP ON DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION INITIATIVES: A CASE STUDY OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN A PUBLIC LIBRARY IN QATAR

Abstract

The world is undergoing a digital disruption whereby many sectors of the economy are dependent on technological advancements to thrive. Therefore, many organizations are striving to move toward digital transformation in order to remain competitive. However, the success of digital transformation initiatives in an organization is highly dependent on the organization's leadership. Therefore, the main objective of the research study is to explore the effect of transformational leadership on the digital transformation of an organization. The following research study uses the context of AI initiatives in a public library in Qatar. The research study is based on the four dimensions of transformational leadership: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration. The researcher seeks to evaluate the effect of these four transformational leadership traits on the digital transformation of a public organization. To achieve this, the researcher adopts a qualitative research methodology. The researcher adopts a Thematic analysis. The researcher conducts interviews with employees working in the Library in Qatar to get their insights and perspectives on the research area. The data analysis process is done using the Qsr Nvivo software. The researcher establishes eight relevant themes. The researcher concludes that there is a positive relationship between each of the four transformational leadership traits and digital transformation in an organization. The first finding is that the idealized influence trait of transformational leadership positively and significantly influences digital transformation in an organization. The second finding of this research study is that a company's digital transformation is positively and significantly affected by the inspirational motivation trait of transformational leadership. The third finding is that transformational leadership's intellectual stimulation positively and strongly enhances digital transformation efforts. The study's fourth finding is that transformational leadership's individualized consideration positively and significantly influences digital transformation success. The findings of this research contribute significantly to the knowledge and literature in Qatar. The leaders in public organizations can adopt those traits of a transformative leader, which fosters a culture of creativity and innovation that can adapt to the digital age. This research can help library managers and policymakers learn successful leadership approaches that can positively impact digital transformation.