Advanced information technologies are transforming the modern workplace, resulting in positive and innovative outcomes in educational institutions. Growing awareness and exposure to technology and lifestyle changes empower women leaders to move beyond traditional domestic roles and succeed professionally and personally. Thus, this study aims to investigate the role of women in electronic leadership (e-leadership) in creating a healthy work-life balance (WLB), which promotes innovative work behaviour (IWB) grounded in the conservation of resource theory (COR). Furthermore, it examines self-efficacy as a potential moderator in the relationship between e-leadership and WLB.
This quantitative study used an electronic questionnaire to collect data from female leaders working in private universities in Punjab, Pakistan. Participants were selected by purposive sampling. The research model was validated through partial least squares structural equation modelling, a method of variance-based analysis.
The findings of this study show a positive relationship between women's e-leadership, WLB and IWB. WLB acts as a partial mediator between women's e-leadership and IWB relationships. Furthermore, self-efficacy moderates the relationship between women's e-leadership and WLB.
This study contributes to previous research by providing a more detailed perspective on these relationships, especially concerning women leaders, a significant aspect of achieving gender equality in developing countries. Moreover, this study examines the role of self-efficacy as a moderator between women's e-leadership and WLB, an area with limited evidence. This research contributes to COR theory and provides practical insights for academic leaders, policymakers and educational institutions on cultivating an innovative environment.
