A Taxonomy of Digital Leadership in the Construction Industry

Businesses in the construction industry are experiencing pressure to modernise by embracing digital technologies. Like any other change initiative, digital transformation requires that leaders are at the forefront of their organisations’ pursuit for digital innovation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the different leadership approaches exhibited by construction industry leaders in influencing their organisations’ digital paths. Qualitative data collected from 41 construction industry professionals were analysed using an inductive thematic analysis approach. The main finding was a taxonomy of digital leadership types characterised under six themes: proactive and forward-thinking; supportive; uncoordinated; cautious; resistant and visionless & undriven leaders. These themes provide an insight into how leaders influence the digital transformation paths in organisations. As far as the authors are aware, this study is the first that developed a taxonomy of digital leadership approaches in the construction industry. This is a valuable step in understanding leaders' influence in driving digital transformation in the construction industry. Thus, the taxonomy of digital leadership can be used to evaluate leadership styles and attitude towards digitalisation. The findings are also a platform for further studies on digital leadership in construction.