Exploring Employees’ Lived Experiences of Transformational Leadership and Motivation in the Digital Era: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

Transformational leadership is a well-established concept in organizational studies, with a significant focus on its impact on employee motivation and performance. However, limited research has explored the subjective experiences of employees under transformational leadership, particularly in the context of digital transformation. This study addresses this gap by exploring how transformational leadership affects employee motivation in a digitalized work environment. Using a phenomenological approach, this research delves into the lived experiences of employees to better understand how leadership influences motivation when face-to-face interactions are limited. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 12 employees who were purposively selected based on their direct experience working under transformational leaders in organizations undergoing digital transformation. Participants represented diverse industry sectors, including technology, finance, education, healthcare, and service-based organizations, allowing the study to capture variations in employee experiences across different digitalized work contexts., Thematic analysis was employed to identify key themes, supported by analytical trustworthiness procedures such as interview transcription verification, iterative coding, peer debriefing, and the use of participant excerpts to strengthen credibility and confirmability.. The findings reveal that transformational leadership significantly enhances employee motivation through trust, vision, and personalized attention, even in virtual settings, emphasizing the importance of leaders adapting to the digital landscape. These results contribute to our understanding of leadership in the digital age and offer insights into how organizations can maintain employee engagement and motivation despite technological changes. The implications of this study suggest that future research should further explore the long-term effects of transformational leadership in digital environments and the role of cultural factors in shaping employee experiences.