LEADERSHIP ADAPTABILITY AND EMPLOYEE READINESS FOR ORGANIZATIONAL DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Abstract

Background: Technology programs often move faster than role clarity, skill development, psychological safety, and the capacity of supervisors to manage transition. Aim: This conceptual inquiry explains how the relationship between the focal practices and employee readiness for digital transformation operates in participating bodies introducing digital workflows, analytics, automation, and new forms of cross-functional coordination. Method: A structured narrative review integrates peer-reviewed research and authoritative institutional sources. The empirical record is coded by mechanism, boundary condition, delivery risk, and practical implication. Results: The synthesis identifies six linked mechanisms: sensemaking and strategic communication, participative change design, psychological safety, role-specific capability development, fair workload transition, feedback and adaptive leadership. The empirical record assessment indicates that outcomes depend less on nominal adoption than on delivery quality, governance, learning, and fit with local capacity. Conclusion: Decision makers should define the expected outcome, assign responsibility, establish a small set of auditable indicators, and revise the intervention when empirical record contradicts its assumptions. Contribution: The analysis provides a conditional framework without claiming primary data that were not collected.