Enhancing stakeholder management in construction: The role of digital leadership skills

The construction industry has been slow to adopt innovative technologies, particularly in digitalisation. This study examines the impact of digital leadership on stakeholder management in the UK construction industry, focusing on communication, leadership theories, and organisational factors. Through a literature review and a survey of 112 construction professionals, this research investigates the efficiency of digital leadership capabilities in stakeholder management and identifies factors enhancing or hindering its performance. The results demonstrate that digital leadership significantly enhances stakeholder management processes, though challenges like ineffective collaboration platforms and authoritarian leadership approaches can impede its efficiency. The study reveals that informed and innovative leaders are crucial for leveraging digital leadership to improve productivity. A conceptual framework is proposed to help organisations optimise digital leadership processes and address current challenges in stakeholder management by combining skills such as adaptability, feedback loops, innovative leadership, and effective use of digital tools. This research contributes to understanding how digital leadership can transform stakeholder management in construction. The insights provided offer industry practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and the construction industry with a framework to promote resilience by integrating adaptable digital leadership skills and strategies, enhancing stakeholder management, and overcoming organisational challenges to boost productivity and project success.