Fostering Change Championing Behavior in Public Institutions: The Interplay of Digital Leadership, Transactional Leadership, and Agile Organizational Culture

Abstract

Digital transformation and increasingly complex external environmental dynamics are driving public institutions, including the police, to adopt adaptive and strategic leadership approaches. This study aims to examine the direct and indirect effects of Digital Leadership and Transactional Leadership on Change Championing Behaviour, with Agile Organisational Culture as a mediating variable. Using a descriptive and exploratory quantitative approach, primary data were collected from 118 police personnel from Indonesia through structured questionnaires and analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with the assistance of SmartPLS 3.3.3. The results revealed that both leadership styles have a significant influence on champion behaviour towards change, with Digital Leadership showing a stronger influence in shaping an agile organisational culture. Additionally, Agile Organizational Culture was found to partially mediate the relationship between the two leadership styles and Change Championing Behaviour, with mediation values of 47.55% and 38.45%, respectively. These findings confirm that the success of organisational transformation in the public sector heavily depends on the synergy between strategic leadership and adaptive work culture. This study provides practical implications for policymakers to design leadership development programmes and organisational culture revitalisation initiatives to enhance the responsiveness and readiness of public institutions in facing disruptions in the digital era.