E-Leadership Is Un(usual): Multi-Criteria Analysis of Critical Success Factors for the Transition from Leadership to E-Leadership

Leadership helps to build strong organizations with resilient cultures. It is established that leadership needs a transition powered by digital technologies to tackle the shift from workplace culture to remote work, which is being practiced even after the pandemic to reduce operational costs and improve flexibility. The transition from leadership to e-leadership requires a profound understanding of the critical success factors (CSFs). The primary objective of this study is to identify the critical success factors of e-leadership using a systematic literature review and questionnaire survey technique. The identified CSFs are grouped under (i) Technology Management, (ii) E-Motivation and well-being, and (iii) E-change management categories. The Fuzzy Delphi technique is used to find the relevant CSFs and the relative dominance of each CSF category; the CSFs are then analyzed using the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process. The results suggest that employee engagement using digital technologies is the most critical success factor, while role clarity has relatively the least significance for the transition to take place. The findings of this study facilitate the smooth transition from leadership to e-leadership.