The Impact of Digital Leadership on Talent Retention: The Mediating Role of Digital Emotional Intelligence among Academic Staff in Iraqi Public Universities

Sajr Salih Abdulah

Авторы

Sajr Salih Abdulah Assistant Dean for Administrative and Financial Affairs College of Engineering, University of Kirkuk, Iraq

Ключевые слова:

Digital Leadership, Digital Emotional Intelligence, Talent Retention, Higher Education, PLS-SEM

Аннотация

This study aims to explore the relationship between Digital Leadership and Talent Retention and explore the mediating role of Digital Emotional Intelligence between academic staff in Iraqi public universities. The quantitative cross-sectional design was used, and the data for this study were collected from 146 questionnaires obtained from four public universities in Iraq. The proposed model was tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS 4, employing a two-stage approach for the higher-order constructs. The results indicate that Digital Leadership positively and significantly predicts Digital Emotional Intelligence (β = 0.581, p < 0.001) and Talent Retention (β = 0.442, p < 0.001), while Digital Emotional Intelligence also positively predicts Talent Retention (β = 0.304, p = 0.010). Digital Emotional Intelligence also partially mediated between Digital Leadership and Talent Retention with an indirect effect β = 0.176, p = 0.019. 33.8% of the variance in Digital Emotional Intelligence was explained by Digital Leadership, and 44.4% of the variance in Talent Retention was explained by Digital Leadership and Digital Emotional Intelligence together. These findings highlight Digital Emotional Intelligence as an important mechanism through which Digital Leadership contributes to Talent Retention, emphasizing the need for university leaders to integrate digital leadership capabilities with employees’ emotional competencies in digitally mediated work environments.

Библиографические ссылки

J. F. Hair, G. T. M. Hult, C. M. Ringle, and M. Sarstedt, A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), 3rd edn. SAGE Publications, 2022.

M. K. Nasrun, H. Susilo, and T. W. Afrianty, ‘Accelerating digital transformation through digital leadership: Strategies for innovation, sustainability, and organisational performance enhancement’, BISMA (Bisnis dan Manajemen), vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 264–291, 2025, doi: 10.26740/bisma.v17n2.p264-291.

H. Antonopoulou, C. Halkiopoulos, O. Barlou, and G. N. Beligiannis, ‘Associations between traditional and digital leadership in academic environment: During the COVID-19 pandemic’, Emerging Science Journal, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 405–428, 2021, doi: 10.28991/esj-2021-01286.

S. Bonesso, E. Bruni, and F. Gerli, Behavioral Competencies of Digital Professionals: Understanding the Role of Emotional Intelligence. Palgrave Macmillan, 2020. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-33578-6.

L. T. Hu and P. M. Bentler, ‘Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives’, Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 1–55, 1999, doi: 10.1080/10705519909540118.

M. E. Gómez-Vallarta, E. E. García-Salirrosas, and M. Sánchez-Trujillo, ‘Development and validation of a digital emotional intelligence scale’, Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 16, p. 1358241, 2025, doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1358241.

N. Kashive and B. Raina, ‘Digital leadership competencies and emotional intelligence for digital well-being: Examining through PLS-SEM and NCA’, International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 2025, doi: 10.1108/IJOA-03-2025-5330.

S. Anwar and U. N. Saraih, ‘Digital leadership in the digital era of education: Enhancing knowledge sharing and emotional intelligence’, International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 38, no. 6, pp. 1581–1611, 2024, doi: 10.1108/IJEM-11-2023-0540.

S. Zeike, K. Bradbury, L. Lindert, and H. Pfaff, ‘Digital leadership skills and associations with psychological well-being’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 16, no. 14, p. 2628, 2019, doi: 10.3390/ijerph16142628.

A. M. Mohammad, A. M. S. B. Awain, A. S. Jaboob, I. Mkheimer, and M. Menhat, ‘Digital transformation capability and employee turnover intentions: The role of knowledge management capability and digital leadership’, Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. 17, no. 5, pp. 2254–2268, 2025, doi: 10.1108/JARHE-06-2024-0292.

C. Audrin and B. Audrin, ‘Emotional intelligence in digital interactions – A call for renewed assessments’, Personality and Individual Differences, vol. 223, p. 112613, 2024.

Q. Ali and S. Amin, ‘Empowering sustainable performance: How digital leadership, knowledge sharing, and digital readiness drive success in higher education’, Pakistan Social Sciences Review, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 471–485, 2025.

M. F. Mather and N. E. Bam, ‘Factors influencing academic staff satisfaction and retention in higher education: A literature review’, European Journal of Education, vol. 60, no. 1, p. e70025, 2025.

D. G. Collings, K. Mellahi, and W. F. Cascio, ‘Global talent management and performance in multinational enterprises: A multilevel perspective’, Journal of Management, vol. 45, no. 2, pp. 540–566, 2019, doi: 10.1177/0149206318757018.

Z. S. Younis and S. Shaaban, ‘Investigating job satisfaction as a mediator in the relationship between digital transformational leadership and employee retention in public sector organizations’, MSA-Management Sciences Journal, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 114–146, 2025, doi: 10.21608/msamsj.2025.404937.

International Society for Technology in Education, ‘ISTE Standards for Administrators’, International Society for Technology in Education, 2009.

B. K. AlNuaimi, S. K. Singh, S. Ren, P. Budhwar, and D. Vorobyev, ‘Mastering digital transformation: The nexus between leadership, agility, and digital strategy’, Journal of Business Research, vol. 145, pp. 636–648, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.03.038.

C. Audrin and B. Audrin, ‘More than just emotional intelligence online: Introducing digital emotional intelligence’, Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 14, p. 1154355, 2023, doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1154355.

M. Van Wart, A. Roman, X. Wang, and C. Liu, ‘Operationalizing the definition of e-leadership: Identifying the elements of e-leadership’, International Review of Administrative Sciences, vol. 85, no. 1, pp. 80–97, 2019, doi: 10.1177/0020852316681446.

R. T. Leeuw and N. Joseph, ‘Reciprocal influence between digital emotional intelligence and agile mindset in an agile environment’, Administrative Sciences, 2023.

R. E. El Mountasser and D. Sahraoui, ‘Retaining talents: Unraveling employee retention factors in Moroccan private academic institutions’, Frontiers in Education, vol. 10, 2025, doi: 10.3389/feduc.2025.1662644.

J. Cohen, Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences, 2nd edn. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1988.

D. G. Collings and K. Mellahi, ‘Strategic talent management: A review and research agenda’, Human Resource Management Review, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 304–313, 2009, doi: 10.1016/j.hrmr.2009.04.001.

V. Vaiman, H. Scullion, and D. Collings, ‘Talent management decision making’, Management Decision, vol. 50, no. 5, pp. 925–941, 2012, doi: 10.1108/00251741211227663.

M. K. AlAjmi, ‘The impact of digital leadership on teachers’ technology integration in higher education’, Educational Technology Research and Development, vol. 70, no. 3, pp. 843–862, 2022, doi: 10.1007/s11423-022-10112-0.

J. M. Montero Guerra, I. Danvila-del-Valle, and M. Méndez-Suárez, ‘The impact of digital transformation on talent management’, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, vol. 188, p. 122291, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.techfore.2022.122291.

M. Mousa, H. K. Massoud, R. M. Ayoubi, and G. Murtaza, ‘Why him not ME? Inclusive/exclusive talent identification in academic public context’, International Journal of Public Administration, vol. 45, no. 10, pp. 747–759, 2022, doi: 10.1080/01900692.2021.1887217.