Manifestations of Dark Leadership under Digital Transformation

This PhD project explores how Dark Leadership (DL) traits emerge or are amplified within the context of Digital Transformation (DT) within organisational settings.

Traditional leadership research has largely focused on positive aspects, leaving a "heroic bias" that overlooks the impact of negative leadership behaviours (Alvesson, 2020; Tourish, 2013). Yet, DL—manifesting through toxic, narcissistic, and exploitative traits - can obstruct organisational progress, undermine ethical considerations, and harm employee engagement, particularly in DT settings where technology decisions directly impact societal well-being (Solberg et al., 2020; Ozdemir & Hekim, 2018).

To explore this complex dynamic, the study will employ a qualitative research approach, starting with in-depth, semi-structured interviews across various organisational contexts. These interviews will capture DL's varied experiences in DT and provide insights into how negative leadership traits manifest and affect DT processes. Following this phase, the research will expand with an open-ended survey distributed through an anonymous response platform like Qualtrics or Prolific, ensuring respondent confidentiality while encouraging candid insights into DL’s influence in the age of digitalisation and on DT initiatives.

This study presents an opportunity for pure, exploratory research to build foundational knowledge about DL in DT. Collaboration with industry stakeholders, particularly technology-focused organisations, will provide rich case studies and support the practical relevance of the findings. Candidates suited for this PhD will ideally have experience in leadership studies, organisational behaviour, and qualitative research methods. A background in critical analysis and an interest in the ethical and societal implications of digital transformation will support the project’s exploratory goals.

Brunel offers a number of funding options to research students that help cover the cost of their tuition fees, contribute to living expenses or both. See more information here: https://www.brunel.ac.uk/research/Research-degrees/Research-degree-funding. The UK Government is also offering Doctoral Student Loans for eligible students, and there is some funding available through the Research Councils. Many of our international students benefit from funding provided by their governments or employers. Brunel alumni enjoy tuition fee discounts of 15%.