Leveraging leadership and digital transformation for sustainable development: Insights from Cambodia's public sector

Abstract

This study examines the influence of transformational leadership on digital transformation and sustainable development outcomes in Cambodian public organizations. Utilizing data from 297 public employees and analyzed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the results reveal that transformational leadership significantly impacts digital transformation and sustainable development outcomes. Additionally, digital transformation not only mediates the connection between transformational leadership and sustainable development outcomes but also amplifies the effects of leadership on sustainability. These findings highlight the crucial role of digital transformation in enhancing the impact of leadership on sustainability, offering valuable insights for public sector leaders and policymakers focused on achieving development objectives. This research makes a unique contribution by exploring the intersection of leadership, digitalization, and sustainability in the public sector of a developing country, an area that has received limited attention.

Keywords

• Transformational leadership
• Digital transformation
• Sustainable development
• Public sector
• PLS-SEM