THE INFLUENCE OF DIGITAL LEADERSHIP ON DIGITAL COMPETENCIES AMONG HEALTHCARE WORKERS AT PUBLIC REFERRAL HOSPITALS

Abstract

The global healthcare sector is undergoing a rapid digital transformation, yet its success in resource-constrained settings like Tanzania is hindered by significant gaps in the digital competencies of healthcare workers. This study assessed the influence of digital leadership on digital competencies among healthcare workers at Benjamin Mkapa Zonal Hospital and Dodoma Regional Referral Hospital in Tanzania. Guided by Hensellek's Digital Leadership Framework and Transformational Leadership Theory, the research employed a pragmatic, convergent parallel mixed-methods design. Data was collected from 93 participants (79 surveys and 14 in-depth interviews) and analyzed using simple linear regression and thematic analysis. The study found that strategic vision setting was the strongest statistically significant predictor of digital competencies (β = 0.380, p < 0.001), explaining 14.4% of the variance. However, qualitative data revealed a critical "implementation gap," where top-down, compliance-oriented communication undermined staff ownership. Resource allocation did not show a significant direct relationship with competencies (p = 0.108), not due to irrelevance, but because of systemic dysfunction in governance, including donor dependency and reactive allocation, which nullified its variable power. Continuous learning promotion was a significant but secondary predictor (β = 0.313, p = 0.006), yet its potential was unrealized due to a heavy, unsupported reliance on informal peer-learning networks like WhatsApp groups, as formal training was inadequate. The study concludes that digital leadership effectiveness in this context depends not on excellence in any single dimension, but on the synergistic alignment of a co-created strategic vision, strategically governed resources, and institutionalized continuous learning. It contributes to knowledge by empirically validating and contextualizing Hensellek's framework, revealing that the interdependencies between its dimensions are the primary drivers of digital competency development in resource constrained healthcare environments. The findings offer actionable recommendations for policy, management practice, and future research to strengthen Tanzania's digital health ecosystem.