DIGITAL LEADERSHIP AS CULTURAL PRACTICE: RECONSTRUCTING INNOVATION AND AUTHORITY IN INDONESIAN SCHOOLS

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18623/rvd.v22.n7.4083

Keywords:

Digital Leadership, Cultural Practice, Teacher Professionalism, Organizational Commitment, School Innovation

Abstract

The acceleration of digital transformation and the socio-cultural dynamics following the COVID-19 pandemic have redefined the role of school culture not merely as a teaching institution, but as a symbolic space where negotiations of innovation and authority values take place. In this context, digital leadership is understood not only as a technical competence but also as a cultural practice that shapes organizational values, identity, and behavior. This study examines how organizational commitment and teacher professionalism contribute to the development of digital leadership, and how this leadership practice functions as a mediating force in shaping an innovative school culture in Indonesian secondary education. Using an explanatory quantitative design, data were collected from 315 junior high school principals in Lampung Province and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). The results indicate that teacher professionalism has a significant effect on digital leadership, whereas organizational commitment does not. Digital leadership directly influences innovative school culture and mediates the relationship between teacher professionalism and innovation, but not between organizational commitment and innovation. By positioning leadership as a cultural act, this study enriches the understanding of how symbolic and professional resources shape institutional change. The study asserts that digital leadership serves as a cultural bridge between human capital and innovation, particularly in developing countries. Practically, school innovation is better understood as the result of cultural interactions between leadership, professionalism, and institutional commitment, rather than merely structural reforms.

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Published

2025-12-26

How to Cite

Hasanudin, Sowiyah, Rini, R., Rahman, B., & Handoko. (2025). DIGITAL LEADERSHIP AS CULTURAL PRACTICE: RECONSTRUCTING INNOVATION AND AUTHORITY IN INDONESIAN SCHOOLS. Veredas Do Direito, 22(7), e224083. https://doi.org/10.18623/rvd.v22.n7.4083

Issue

Vol. 22 No. 7 (2025): Veredas do Direito, v. 22, n. 7 2025

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