SELF-LEADERSHIP, DIGITAL LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES, AND INNOVATIVE BEHAVIOUR: AN INTEGRATED ANALYSIS

This study examines the relationships among self-leadership, digital leadership competencies, and innovative behaviour. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 210 managers working in organisations undergoing digital transformation. Confirmatory factor analysis compared a correlated seven-factor model with a theoretically specified second-order model. The second-order model showed acceptable but marginal fit ([Formula: see text]; CFI [Formula: see text] 0.890; TLI [Formula: see text] 0.878; RMSEA [Formula: see text] 0.071) and did not fit significantly worse than the seven-factor model. In the theoretically specified model, self-leadership was strongly associated with innovative behaviour ([Formula: see text]), self-leadership was associated with digital leadership competencies ([Formula: see text]), and digital leadership competencies were associated with innovative behaviour ([Formula: see text]). Common-latent-factor analyses, however, showed that the latter two associations were sensitive to common method variance concentrated in the adapted digital competency measure. The findings therefore provide qualified evidence of association rather than mediation, moderation, or causality. The study contributes an integrated measurement assessment while identifying the need for independent validation and multi-source measurement of digital leadership competencies.