Acta Univ. Bohem. Merid. 2026, 29(1):73-87 | DOI: 10.32725/acta.2026.00544

Unveiling the Knowledge Structure of Digital Leadership and AI-Driven Transformation: Global Patterns and Future Directions

Shivani Bakshi Koshy1, Manpreet Kaur1, Vani Aggarwal1
1 SOIL School of Business Design, Gurugram, India

The rapid evolution of digital technologies and the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) have profoundly reshaped leadership paradigms, organizational strategies, and global innovation ecosystems. This study offers a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of 550 peer-reviewed, Scopus-indexed articles published between 2015 and 2025 to explore emerging trends, key contributors, and thematic developments in the field of digital leadership and transformation. Employing the PRISMA framework and Bibliometrix R-tool, the research identifies influential authors, journals, institutions, and countries, with India, the UK, China, and the USA leading in productivity and citation impact. The findings highlight how themes such as AI-driven decision-making, agile leadership, organizational learning, and ethical governance have gained prominence, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, which catalyzed a surge in digital transformation research. The study also uncovers notable regional imbalances and underrepresentation from Africa and Latin America, underscoring the need for more inclusive global collaboration. By mapping intellectual structures and co-word networks, the research provides a nuanced understanding of how digital leadership is evolving across disciplines and geographies. This review offers actionable insights for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers seeking to navigate the complex intersections of technology, leadership, and organizational change in the digital era.

Keywords: Digital transformation, Strategic Leadership, AI in leadership, Global research trends
JEL classification: M10, M14, M15

Received: June 30, 2026; Accepted: June 30, 2026; Prepublished online: June 30, 2026; Published: July 2, 2026  Show citation

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Koshy, S.B., Kaur, M., & Aggarwal, V. (2026). Unveiling the Knowledge Structure of Digital Leadership and AI-Driven Transformation: Global Patterns and Future Directions. Acta Universitatis Bohemiae Meridionalis, 29(1), 73-87. doi: 10.32725/acta.2026.005
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