Digital Leadership and Organizational Resilience in the Post-Pandemic Era in South Sulawesi

Abstract

This study examines how digital leadership shapes organizational resilience in the post-pandemic era across South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Drawing on dynamic capabilities and socio-technical systems theory, we conceptualize digital leadership as a multi-dimensional construct—strategic vision, data-driven decision-making, employee empowerment, and agile governance—and resilience as adaptive capacity, learning orientation, resource redundancy, and network capital. Using a mixed-methods design, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of managers and supervisors from micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), higher-education institutions, and public agencies (n ≈ 300), complemented by semi-structured interviews with organizational leaders (≈ 10–20). Partial least squares–SEM tested the structural model, while thematic analysis illuminated mechanisms and contextual nuances.

Results indicate that digital leadership has a significant positive effect on organizational resilience, both directly and indirectly through two mediators: digital maturity (process digitization, cloud use, analytics adoption) and an innovation climate (psychological safety, experimentation norms). Environmental uncertainty strengthens the leadership→resilience link, suggesting organizations benefit more from digital leadership under volatile conditions typical of post-COVID recovery. Qualitative insights highlight uneven digital infrastructure outside urban centers (e.g., Makassar), skills gaps among frontline staff, and the importance of inter-organizational collaboration with local government and universities. The study contributes region-specific evidence from Eastern Indonesia and offers actionable guidance: invest in leadership development focused on data literacy and agile routines, prioritize secure cloud platforms and interoperable systems, and embed continuous learning loops into standard operating procedures. Policy implications include targeted broadband expansion and MSME-oriented digital upskilling programs