A study on the relationship between digital leadership, digital self-efficacy, and work engagement: the moderating role of technostress

Introduction: With the rapid development of emerging technologies, organizations are experiencing a profound digital transformation. However, in this high-pressure context, employees frequently experience technostress, which may diminish the positive influence of leadership. Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study constructs a mediation model linking digital leadership, digital self-efficacy, and work engagement, while incorporating technostress as a moderating variable. Methods: Using a two-wave time-lagged design, this study collected survey data from 352 employees across multiple companies in China. Results: (1) digital leadership significantly enhances employee work engagement, (2) digital self-efficacy partially mediates this association, and (3) the positive influence of digital leadership on digital self-efficacy is substantially weakened under high technostress. Discussion: These findings extend the applicability of COR theory to digital contexts and highlight the boundary role of technostress.