PENGARUH DIGITAL LEADERSHIP DAN AI READINESS TERHADAP KINERJA KARYAWAN DENGAN LITERASI DIGITAL SEBAGAI VARIABEL MEDIASI
Abstract
Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis pengaruh digital leadership dan AI readiness terhadap kinerja karyawan dengan literasi digital sebagai variabel mediasi pada startup berbasis teknologi dan divisi digital-intensif di Indonesia. Penelitian menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif dengan teknik purposive sampling terhadap 160 karyawan tetap yang telah bekerja minimal satu tahun, memiliki atasan langsung, dan aktif menggunakan aplikasi digital, sistem otomasi, data analytics, atau AI tools. Data dikumpulkan melalui kuesioner daring berskala Likert lima poin dan dianalisis menggunakan Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) melalui SmartPLS 3. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa seluruh konstruk memenuhi validitas dan reliabilitas. Digital leadership, AI readiness, dan literasi digital berpengaruh positif signifikan terhadap kinerja karyawan. Digital leadership dan AI readiness juga berpengaruh positif signifikan terhadap literasi digital. Selain itu, literasi digital terbukti memediasi pengaruh digital leadership dan AI readiness terhadap kinerja karyawan. Model mampu menjelaskan 58,2% variasi kinerja karyawan dan 45,4% variasi literasi digital. Temuan ini menegaskan bahwa peningkatan kinerja karyawan dalam ekosistem kerja digital tidak hanya ditentukan oleh ketersediaan teknologi, tetapi juga oleh kepemimpinan digital, kesiapan individu terhadap AI, dan penguatan literasi digital secara berkelanjutan.
References
Ahmed, F., Naqshbandi, M. M., Waheed, M., & Ain, N. U. (2024). Digital leadership and innovative work behavior: Impact of LMX, learning orientation and innovation capabilities. Management Decision, 62(11), 3607–3632. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-04-2023-0654
Anto, J., & Siratan, E. D. (2026). SMM dan brand image pada pembelian Kopi Kenangan: Mediasi emotional attachment. Business Management Journal, 22(1), 58–73. https://doi.org/10.30813/bmj.v22i1.9668
Aygün, S., & Uzunçarşili, Ü. (2025). The Impact Of Digital Leadership In The Airline Industry On Employee Performance: An Empirical Study. Journal of Defense Resources Management, 16(2), 123–140. https://doi.org/10.64404/jodrm.2025.2.08
Brunner, T. J. J., Schuster, T., & Lehmann, C. (2023). Leadership’s long arm: The positive influence of digital leadership on managing technology-driven change over a strengthened service innovation capacity. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.988808
Çallı, B. A., Özşahin, M., Coşkun, E., & Arık, A. R. (2022). Do Generative Leadership and Digital Literacy of Executive Management Help Flourishing Micro and Small Business Digital Maturity? International Journal of Organizational Leadership, 11(3), 307–332. https://doi.org/10.33844/ijol.2022.60332
Chiu, Y. T., Zhu, Y., & Corbett, J. (2021). In the hearts and minds of employees: A model of pre-adoptive appraisal toward artificial intelligence in organizations. International Journal of Information Management, 60, 102379–102379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2021.102379
Cortellazzo, L., Bruni, E., & Zampieri, R. (2019). The role of leadership in a digitalized world: A review. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, Article 1938. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01938
Dubey, S. K. S. P. C. A. (2024). A novel Conceptualization of AI Literacy and Empowering Employee Experience at Digital Workplace Using Generative AI and Augmented Analytics: A Survey. Journal of Electrical Systems, 20(2), 2582–2603. https://doi.org/10.52783/jes.2031
Farhan, M., Alhazmi, A. K., & Alsakkaf, N. (2025). A Model for AI-Driven Employee Performance Enhancement. Journal of Science and Technology, 30(2). https://doi.org/10.20428/jst.v30i2.2760
Fauzan, A. (2022). Pengaruh kompensasi terhadap kinerja karyawan yang dimediasi oleh kepuasan kerja dan motivasi karyawan di perusahaan manufaktur. JIMEA: Jurnal Ilmiah MEA (Manajemen, Ekonomi, dan Akuntansi), 6(2), 1860–1880.
Gayathri, G. (2025). AI And Employee Performance: Unravelling The Influence of AI Literacy, Innovation Capability, And Collaboration. International Journal of Environmental Sciences, 1696–1705. https://doi.org/10.64252/f7bj2361
Ghamrawi, N., & Tamim, R. (2022). A typology for digital leadership in higher education: the case of a large-scale mobile technology initiative (using tablets). Education and Information Technologies, 28(6), 7089–7110. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11483-w
Halim, E., Zahra, A., Maryani, M., Wulandhari, L. A., Fitrianah, D., & Puspita, V. (2024). Fostering Digital Innovation in Indonesia: The Role of STEM-AI Skills in Overcoming Talent Deficits and Gender Stereotypes. 2024 International Conference on Intelligent Cybernetics Technology & Applications (ICICyTA), 714–719. https://doi.org/10.1109/icicyta64807.2024.10912915
Hair, J. F., Jr., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., Sarstedt, M., & Danks, N. P. (2021). An introduction to structural equation modeling: Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using R: A workbook. Springer.
Hamouche, S., Bani-Melhem, S., Haj-Salem, N., Abdalla Mohamed Abdalla Alraeesi, A., & Bani-Melhem, A. J. (2026). Digital leadership and employee creativity: Exploring the role of digital literacy and learning orientation. Employee Relations: The International Journal, 48(1), 150–173. https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-02-2025-0094
Imran, F., Shahzad, K., Butt, A., & Kantola, J. (2020). Leadership competencies for digital transformation: Evidence from multiple cases. Advances in Human Factors, Business Management and Leadership (pp. 81–87). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50791-6_11
Ingsih, K., Astuti, S. D., & Riyanto, F. (2024). The role of digital competence in improving service quality and employee performance. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 22, Article a2689. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajhrm.v22i0.2689
Jameson, J., Rumyantseva, N. L., Cai, M., Markowski, M., Essex, R., & McNay, I. (2022). A systematic review and framework for digital leadership research maturity in higher education. ResearchSPAce (Bath Spa University), 3, 100115–100115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeo.2022.100115
Juhaeni, U. (2025). Are We Ready for the Future of Work? HR Strategies for AI Literacy and Digital Competency Development. RIGGS Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Business, 4(3), 1204–1213. https://doi.org/10.31004/riggs.v4i3.2122
Kassa, B. Y., & Worku, E. K. (2025). The impact of artificial intelligence on organizational performance: The mediating role of employee productivity. Journal of Open Innovation Technology Market and Complexity, 11(1), 100474–100474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joitmc.2025.100474
Khaira, N. (2024). Peran Literasi Digital dan Kepemimpinan Digital terhadap Kinerja Karyawan: Studi Kasus Generasi Millenial dan Z di GoTo Group. INOBIS Jurnal Inovasi Bisnis Dan Manajemen Indonesia, 7(2), 135–147. https://doi.org/10.31842/jurnalinobis.v7i2.314
Kostarian, R. P., Soegoto, E. S., & Modjo, S. W. K. (2026). Pengaruh Intensitas Penggunaan Generative AI terhadap Niat Berwirausaha Digital: Studi pada Digital Product Manager di Indonesia. Jurnal Manajemen Bisnis Dan Kewirausahaan, 6(1), 223–238. https://doi.org/10.55606/jumbiku.v6i1.6676
Li, Z., Yang, C., Yang, Z., & Zhao, Y. (2024). The impact of middle managers’ digital leadership on employee work engagement. Frontiers in Psychology, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1368442
Long, D., & Magerko, B. (2020). What is AI literacy? Competencies and design considerations. Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1–16. Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/3313831.3376727
Madyoningrum, A. W., & Manalu, G. (2026). The Evolution Of Digital Leadership Research: A Systematic Literature Review On Employee Performance. Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen Dan Akuntansi, 3(1), 269–276. https://doi.org/10.69714/8eck3e44
Mamdouh, A., Adel, R., Khourshed, N., & Ragheb, M. A. (2025). Impact of Digital Leadership on Employee Performance with Mediation Roles of Digital Self-Efficacy and Employee Motivation. Business Ethics and Leadership, 9(3), 109–129. https://doi.org/10.61093/bel.9(3).109-129.2025
Marsh, E. (2018). Understanding the Effect of Digital Literacy on Employees’ Digital Workplace Continuance Intentions and Individual Performance. International Journal of Digital Literacy and Digital Competence, 9(2), 15–33. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijdldc.2018040102
Maulana, M., Ismail, G. D., (Efi), N. A. S., Sudaryo, Y., & Aryanti, A. N. (2026). The Effect Of Digital Competence On Employee Performance Through Artificial Intelligence Adaptation As An Intervening Variable. Eduvest - Journal Of Universal Studies, 6(2), 1427–1432. https://doi.org/10.59188/eduvest.v6i2.52588
Muis, I., Sumardiono, S., Manurung, H., & Melia. (2024). Exploring The Influence Of Digital Leadership On Organizational Performance: The Role Of Digital Culture And Digital Literacy. International Journal of Social Sciences and Management Review, 7(4), 82–99. https://doi.org/10.37602/ijssmr.2024.7408
Mujtahidin, M., Zulkifli, Z., & Hudaeri, H. (2025). Hubungan antara Penguasaan Literasi Digital dan Pemanfaatan AI dengan Kinerja Karyawan di Industri Ekonomi. Primary Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 1(1), 6–10. https://doi.org/10.70716/pjmr.v1i1.92
Ng, D. T. K., Leung, J. K. L., Chu, S. K. W., & Qiao, M. S. (2021). Conceptualizing AI literacy: An exploratory review. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 2, Article 100041. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2021.100041
Niam, A., Insani, M. R., Sukmawati, S., & Hike, F. (2025). The Role of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Literacy in Enhancing Employee Effectiveness and Efficiency in the Economic Sector. ECOMA Journal of Economics and Management, 3(1), 15–20. https://doi.org/10.70716/ecoma.v3i1.134
Novitasari, D., Anshori, M. Y., & Shiela, F. J. H. (2025). The Effect of Digital Leadership on Performance through Task-Technology Fit and AI Literacy in Creative Industries. Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen Kesatuan, 13(6), 5417–5428. https://doi.org/10.37641/jimkes.v13i6.3832
Obeng, H. A., Gyamfi, B. A., Mensah, L., Arhinful, R., & Sarwar, A. (2026). Employees’ behavioral intention to use AI and organizational efficiency in an emerging economy: The serial mediating roles of technology readiness and digital culture. Discover Artificial Intelligence, 6, Article 251. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44163-026-01015-7
Porfírio, J. A., Carrilho, T., Felício, J. A., & Jardim, J. (2021). Leadership characteristics and digital transformation. Journal of Business Research, 124, 610–619. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.10.058
Prasetio, T. (2024). Pengaruh Artificial Intelligence dan Literasi Digital Terhadap Kinerja Karyawan di Bidang Ekonomi. Jurnal Ecodemica Jurnal Ekonomi Manajemen Dan Bisnis, 8(2). https://doi.org/10.31294/eco.v8i2
Priyadarsini, M. K., & Bashir, F. (2025). Impact of Artificial Intelligence Readiness on Employee Experience in IT Sector. 6th International Conference on Mobile Computing and Sustainable Informatics (ICMCSI), 1847–1852. https://doi.org/10.1109/icmcsi64620.2025.10883252
Purwaamijaya, B., Wijaya, A., & Shadani, S. (2021). Perceptions and Prospective Analysis of Artificial Intelligence and its impact on Human Resources in the Indonesian Industry 4.0. Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Sustainable Management and Innovation, ICoSMI 2020, EAI. https://doi.org/10.4108/eai.14-9-2020.2304637
Putra, I., Syahrul, L., & Yulihasri. (2023). The effect of digital literacy and transformational leadership on employee performance mediated by innovative work behavior at the Padang city population and civil registration service. Enrichment: Journal of Management, 12(6), 5014–5022. https://doi.org/10.35335/enrichment.v12i6.1124
Qiao, G., Li, Y., & Hong, A. (2024). The Strategic Role of Digital Transformation: Leveraging Digital Leadership to Enhance Employee Performance and Organizational Commitment in the Digital Era. Systems, 12(11), 457–457. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems12110457
Rumapea, E. O., Aprinawati, A., Siboro, I. P., Manurung, K., Khairunnisa, K., Silitonga, T. P., & Ovianti, W. (2024). Digital Leadership in Improving Organizational Employee Performance. Holistic Science, 4(3), 454–460. https://doi.org/10.56495/hs.v4i3.768
Saadia, H., & Naveed, M. A. (2024). Effect of information literacy on lifelong learning, creativity, and work performance among journalists. Online Information Review, 48(2), 257–276. https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-06-2022-0345
Salju, S., Junaidi, J., & Goso, G. (2023). The effect of digitalization, work-family conflict, and organizational factors on employee performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Problems and Perspectives in Management. Business Perspectives, 21(1), 107–119. https://doi.org/10.21511/ppm.21(1).2023.10
Santoso, H., Abdinagoro, S. B., & Arief, M. (2019). The role of digital literacy in supporting performance through innovative work behavior: The case of Indonesia’s telecommunications industry. International Journal of Technology, 10(8), 1558–1566. https://doi.org/10.14716/ijtech.v10i8.3432
Siratan, E. D., Susanto, P., Susilo, S. R., Jessica, & Lotandy, K. (2026). Pengaruh gaya kepemimpinan terhadap intention to stay melalui komitmen organisasi dan kepuasan kerja. JIIP (Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Pendidikan), 9(5), 5118–5125. http://jiip.stkipyapisdompu.ac.id
Siratan, E. D., Yulita, H., Clarissa, & Michelle. (2024). Kepuasan merek terhadap loyalitas merek melalui keterikatan emosional merek dan cinta merek sebagai variabel mediasi. Jurnal E-Bis: Ekonomi Bisnis, 8(1), 300–309. https://doi.org/10.37339/e-bis.v8i1.1639
Supriyono, B. N. (2021). Pengaruh kepemimpinan dan kompensasi terhadap kinerja karyawan melalui motivasi kerja. JIMEA: Jurnal Ilmiah MEA (Manajemen, Ekonomi, dan Akuntansi), 5(3), 2261–2281.
Suryadi, S., Muslim, Abd. Q., & Setyono, L. (2023). Exploring the Nexus of Digital Leadership and Digital Literacy on Higher Education Performance: The Role of Digital Innovation. European Journal of Educational Research, 207–218. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.13.1.207
Suyoso, Y. A., & Zahro, Y. (2026). Digital Leadership in the AI Era: A Systematic Literature Review of Transformation Strategies in Indonesian Enterprises (2020-2024). ICoBITS, 1, 852–860. https://doi.org/10.32664/icobits.v1.90
Weritz, P., Wache, H., & Hönigsberg, S. (2024). How digital readiness relates to the intention to use generative AI in workplace service systems. In 30th Americas Conference on Information Systems, AMCIS 2024. Association for Information Systems. https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2024/incl_sustain/incl_sustain/5/
Wulandari, W., Hermanu, D. H., & Bernarto, I. (2020). Pengaruh gaya kepemimpinan dan optimisme karyawan terhadap employee performance. JIMEA: Jurnal Ilmiah MEA (Manajemen, Ekonomi, dan Akuntansi), 4(3), 1685–1710.
Zhao, L., He, Q., Guo, L., & Sarpong, D. (2023). Organizational Digital Literacy and Enterprise Digital Transformation: Evidence From Chinese Listed Companies. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 71, 11884–11897. https://doi.org/10.1109/tem.2023.3241411
Copyright (c) 2026 Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen, Ekonomi, & Akuntansi (MEA)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

