
E-leadership with digital communication
Research group
The project investigates e-leading with digital communication focusing on top managers in the IT industry. E-leadership strategies, practices, and digital communication competences are explored in two culturally diverse settings: in Finland and Japan. The project leader is Associate Professor Jonna Koponen from the University of Eastern Finland (UEF). In Japan, we collaborate with J.F. Oberlin University, and in particular with Vice-President, Professor Kiyoshi Hori and Professor Akiko Asai. In the United States, we collaborate with San Diego State University, and in particular with Professor Brian Spitzberg. In Finland, we collaborate with Professor Saara Julkunen (UEF), Professor Pekka Isotalus (Tampere University), Senior Researcher Sanna Herkama (University of Turku), Adjunct Professor Anne Laajalahti (University of Vaasa), Senior lecturer Esa Hiltunen (UEF) and Junior researcher Lotta Salin (UEF).
Funder(s)
Main funder
Academy of Finland

The project investigates e-leading with digital communication focusing on top managers in the IT industry. First, e-leadership strategies,
practices, and digital communication competences are explored in two culturally diverse settings: in Finland and Japan. Research data
are collected via expert interviews, focus group interviews, and participant observation in large IT companies in both countries. Second,
by triangulating the country-specific qualitative datasets, the project can build a more culture-general theoretical foundation of the eleaders’ digital communication competence (DICO), produce a conceptualisation of it, and further operationalise the construct. Third, in
the quantitative phase of the research project, the aim is to test a measure of e-leaders’ DICO with empirical data from an international
IT company. Furthermore, whether e-leaders’ DICO has a positive impact on employee motivation, satisfaction, commitment, and
performance in the IT company is investigated.
Keywords
Time period
Group members - UEF
-
Jonna Koponen Academy Research Fellow , Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies, Business School
-
Lotta Salin Early Stage Researcher
-
Saara Julkunen Professor , Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies, Business School
-
Esa Hiltunen University Lecturer , Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies, Business School
-
Lotta Salin Early Stage Researcher
Leader(s)
Doctoral Researchers
Others
Cooperation partners
Links
-
Tiedote etäjohtamisen tutkimusprojektistamme
-
Jonna Koponen Twitterissä
-
Jonna Koponen LinkedIn
-
Etäjohtamisen ja digitaalisen viestinnän blogi
Publications
-
Digitaalinen asiakaskokemus on tärkeää juuri nyt Salin, Lotta; Koponen, Jonna. 2021. Digitaalinen asiakaskokemus on tärkeää juuri nyt Etäjohtaminen ja viestintä -blogi 30.9.2021: -. 2021
-
Miksi etäjohtamista tutkitaan juuri nyt? Koponen, Jonna; Salin, Lotta. 2021. Miksi etäjohtamista tutkitaan juuri nyt? Etäjohtaminen ja viestintä -blogi 14.9.2021: -. 2021
-
Verkkovuorovaikutus vaatii uutta osaamista Koponen, Jonna; Isotalus, Pekka. 2020. Verkkovuorovaikutus vaatii uutta osaamista Viestintäproffan blogi 30.3.2020: -. 2020