Navigating Digital-Era Governance Disruptions: Lived Experiences and Meaning-Making of Chief Executive Officers

Abstract

In the digital era, corporate governance is increasingly shaped by instantaneous public scrutiny, heightened ethical expectations, and reputational volatility. This study examines how chief executive officers (CEOs) experience and interpret governance disruptions in contexts where digital visibility intensifies both strategic challenges and personal accountability. Using an interpretative phenomenological approach, six CEOs from diverse sectors shared in-depth narratives of navigating crises such as data breaches, social media backlash, and reputational threats. The thematic analysis identified four central dimensions: the burden of digital exposure, ethical decision-making under ambiguity, the emotional isolation of strategic accountability, and adaptive meaning-making in unstructured scenarios. Findings reveal that leadership during governance disruptions is not a linear or purely procedural exercise but a deeply reflective process shaped by moral reasoning, emotional resilience, and situational adaptation. Rather than relying solely on established governance protocols, CEOs engaged in dynamic sense-making that redefined their leadership identity. The study contributes to corporate governance scholarship by integrating the human-centered, experiential dimensions of crisis leadership into existing frameworks. Practical implications include the development of executive support systems that address emotional strain and ethical complexity, equipping leaders to navigate governance challenges in fast-paced, digitally mediated environments.