Everyone is somehow familiar with the term “leader”. Due to technological progress, the transition of the economy has created an opportunity window for a new term, e-leader.
E-leadership refers to people conducting all their leadership tasks and activities through electronic channels. Therefore, the main difference between the traditional leader and the e-leader is the environment in which each one operates.
The COVID-19 pandemic has played an important role in the observed shift to remote working and the rise of e-business. Although e-leadership exists almost 20 years now, the need to examine more this perspective is constantly increasing.
Information Technology has affected and supported the formation of e-leadership in terms of communication among team members, organizational tasks, dissemination activities. The acceptance and impact of e-leadership are positive, according to research. There are no indications that an e-leader lacks skills and values compared to the traditional one.
However, the critical differences are the physical presence and the instant reach, affecting communication and commitment. The data collected clearly imply that traditional leadership impacts the employees’ commitment level compared to e-leadership. Research of charismatic leadership has consistently found significant relationships with follower trust, effort, and commitment (Howell and Frost, 1989; Lowe et al. 1996). When an employee cannot interact and communicate verbally with the leader, feelings of trust, and assurance decrease.
The eLead Project
eLead project understood the need to provide a clear definition of e-leadership and to identify the competencies of an e-leader. It is an Erasmus+ project that focuses on the creation of educational material for VET professionals. Especially, those involved in training processes for managers and workers in high-tech/digital companies, to implement and promote training paths for the acquisition of e-leadership skills.
If you are interested in the project and want to stay informed, please visit us here.
