An audit of leadership styles in e‐commerce

Inevitably the adoption of any new technology brings about change but e‐commerce is significantly different in that it completely shifts global business into a fast‐paced electronic environment. The old notions of management are totally ineffective and a new style, focused on “leadership”, is required – but what style of leadership? The findings of an audit on leadership styles indicate that organisations that have successfully integrated e‐commerce have exhibited a unique approach. Using a change management matrix, which determines the impact of change versus leadership style within an organisation, 182 Australian managers were audited and positioned within this matrix. It was found that within the most successful organisations, leaders had a distinctive style that facilitated the appropriate change and established a conducive e‐commerce environment.