Experiences of E-Leadership: A Qualitative Study
Date
2023-04
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Abstract
Many leaders’ daily work entails practicing leadership in the virtual sphere, yet our understanding of how leadership is enacted in technologically-mediated environments (i.e., e-leadership) is limited. By exploring both leaders’ and employees’ experiences of e-leadership, this study seeks to acquire a deeper understanding of e-leadership. To achieve this, the research utilised a hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative research approach. The sample for the research comprised of employees and leaders, and a snowball sampling strategy was used to recruit the participants. The interviews used a self-developed questionnaire based on the literature, centred on the participant’s subjective meanings, understandings and experiences regarding e-leadership. After the interviews were transcribed, Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was employed to analyse the data. Overall, the key findings indicated that e-leaders need to exert greater effort than traditional leaders in a number of areas, including, establishing and maintaining connection, communication, exposure to knowledge share, trust, engagement and motivation, as well as humanising the work experience (Hertel et al., 2005; Savolainen, 2014; Liu et al., 2018; Van Wart et al., 2017; DasGupta, 2011; Hart & Mcleod, 2003; Kayworth & Leidner 2001). Consequently, merely translating traditional leadership practices into the virtual realm as an e-leader does not suffice.
Description
A research project submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of a Master of Arts in Organisational Psychology in the field of Psychology, to the School of Human and Community Development, in the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in 2023.
Keywords
e-leadership, Virtual teams, Digitalisation, Remote work, UCTD
Citation
Gilchrist, Chloe. (2023). Experiences of E-Leadership: A Qualitative Study. [Master's dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg]. WIReDSpace. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/39895