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Identifying Leadership Skills Required in the Digital Age

Author

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  • Milan Frederik Klus
  • Julia Müller
Abstract
How should executives lead organisations and their employees in an increasingly digitalized business environment and what skills are needed to succeed? Although the evolution of digital technologies considerably changes working environments in organisations and creates new challenges for executives, only little research has been conducted on how these challenges and technology-driven changes are associated with requirements for the skill set needed by executives. In this paper, we bridge that gap by applying a three-stage research design. First, we develop a conceptual framework in which we categorise leadership skills included in the existing literature and associate them with tasks, management level, and leadership experience. To identify skills that are particularly relevant in the context of digitalisation, we conduct semi-structured interviews with executives and systematically investigate job advertisements for management positions. By triangulating the findings, we contribute new insights to the leadership literature and derive practical implications.

Suggested Citation

  • Milan Frederik Klus & Julia Müller, 2020. "Identifying Leadership Skills Required in the Digital Age," CESifo Working Paper Series 8180, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_8180
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Mohammad Alam Tareque & Nazrul Islam, 2021. "Digital Leadership: The Perspectives of the Apparel Manufacturing," International Business Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 14(2), pages 124-124, February.
    2. Milan Frederik Klus & Julia Müller, 2021. "The digital leader: what one needs to master today’s organisational challenges," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 91(8), pages 1189-1223, October.
    3. Yinan Wang & Yingchong Wang, 2022. "Developing Creative Leadership in the Use of Digital Communication Tools: A Psychological Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-20, September.
    4. Elena-Mădălina Vătămănescu & Elena Dinu & Mădălina-Elena Stratone & Roxana-Maria Stăneiu & Florina Vintilă, 2022. "Adding Knowledge to Virtual Teams in the New Normal: From Leader-Team Communication towards the Satisfaction with Teamwork," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-17, May.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    conceptual framework; digitalization; explorative study; leadership skills;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M12 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Personnel Management; Executives; Executive Compensation
    • M15 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - IT Management
    • M51 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Firm Employment Decisions; Promotions
    • M54 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Labor Management
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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