DigiFuehr 2.0: novel insights for digital leadership from an observational study

Background: Against the background of e-government, it is discussed whether self-organization represents an independent component of digital leadership. Addressing this research question, the instrument "DigiFuehr" is being expanded to include the aspects of self-determination and coordination. The aim is to test the model quality of three adapted scales against the already established support-focusing version. Methods Based on an online survey of n = 422 employees at visual display unit workstations in German municipal administrations in April 2022, the original version of DigiFuehr as well as one reduced and two extended versions were validated considering their local and global model fit. Results All four scales show a good local fit with regard to internal consistency (Cronbach's α), discriminatory power and dimensionality. Only the scale extended by two items also offers a sufficient global fit and is thus most suitable as a predictor for psychological stress, work satisfaction and satisfaction with the professional exchange during homeworking. Conclusions With "DigiFuehr 2.0", an improved version of the original scale is available. Self-organization is not a component independent of the support dimension, but a further important indicator of a latent digital leadership culture. Neither should come at the expense of the other.