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Abstract

The accelerating pace of digital transformation has intensified scholarly interest in understanding how leadership practices evolve in technology-driven organizational environments. This study provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of digital leadership research by examining 1,325 peer-reviewed articles indexed in the scopus database covering the period 2005–2025. Employing a dual analytical approach combining bibliographic coupling and co-word analysis using vosviewer, the study maps the intellectual structure and thematic evolution of the field. the bibliographic coupling analysis reveals four major research clusters: digital transformation and ai-driven leadership innovation; organizational behavior and workplace leadership dynamics; educational and distributed leadership systems; and digital collaboration and knowledge integration in complex organizational settings. the co-word analysis further identifies three dominant thematic streams: digital transformation and technological leadership ecosystems; agile organizational behavior and leadership practices; and educational leadership and instructional digital innovation. publication trends indicate a strong and sustained growth trajectory, particularly after 2015, reflecting the increasing recognition of digital leadership as a strategic organizational capability in the industry 4.0 era. building on prior fragmented studies in digital leadership and organizational transformation, this research provides a unified, dual-framework bibliometric map that clarifies the intellectual structure, dominant themes, and emerging research directions in the field. the findings contribute to both theory and practice by offering a comprehensive knowledge architecture for understanding how digital leadership enables organizational adaptation, innovation, and performance in digitally intensive environments.

Keywords

Digital Leadership Digital Transformation Artificial Intelligence Industry 4.0 Bibliometric Analysis Organizational Performance

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How to Cite
Nuralam, I. P., & Adelia, W. (2026). Digital leadership in the era of digital transformation: a bibliometric analysis of intellectual structure and thematic evolution (2005–2025) . International Journal of Educational Administration, Management, and Leadership, 6(2), 176-195. https://doi.org/10.51629/ijeamal.v6i2.321

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