The role of organizational agility in the impact of digital leadership on innovation performance

The purpose of this study is to examine the mediating role of organizational agility in the effect of digital leadership characteristics of management-level personnel working in small and medium-sized enterprises on innovation performance. While there are various studies in the literature focusing on the relationship between digital leadership and innovation performance, the limited number of studies addressing the mediating role of organizational agility in this relationship increases the originality of the research and its potential contribution to the literature. In the study, data collected through a survey were analyzed using statistical analysis programs, and hypothesis tests were conducted using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Surveys were sent to 453 companies selected using simple random sampling; the data from 428 surveys that were returned and found to be suitable for analysis were evaluated using statistical analysis software. The analysis results revealed significant and strong relationships between digital leadership, organizational agility, and innovation performance. The findings obtained from the four hypotheses tested in the study can be summarized as follows: Digital leadership directly and significantly affects innovation performance. It has been observed that digital leaders improve organizations' innovation processes by developing innovative strategies. Digital leadership positively affects organizational agility; agile structures can develop faster and more effective decision-making processes under the guidance of digital leaders. Organizational agility significantly affects innovation performance; agile organizations can increase their innovation capacity by quickly adapting to changing environmental conditions. Organizational agility plays a full mediating role in the relationship between digital leadership and innovation performance. This indicates that the impact of digital leadership is strengthened depending on the level of agility. In conclusion, addressing the dynamics of digital leadership and organizational agility together is of strategic importance for businesses to increase their innovation performance and gain a sustainable competitive advantage. This study highlights the need for a holistic approach to evaluating the concepts of leadership and agility in digital transformation processes; it contributes to the literature theoretically while also developing recommendations that serve as a guide for practitioners. Future research could enable a more in-depth examination of these relationships across different sectors and organizational structures, thereby facilitating new strategic developments in the areas of digital leadership and agility. Keywords: Digital Leadership, Innovation Performance, Organizational Agility.