Author: Tanwangini Sahani
DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.70798/Bijmrd/04030023
Abstract: Hybrid work has moved from an emergency response to a durable organizing model, but the leadership literature has lagged behind the practice shift. This secondary research paper synthesizes recent peerreviewed literature on digital leadership in hybrid work settings with a focus on three objectives: (1) tracing how digital leadership has evolved post-pandemic, (2) evaluating its influence on employees’ sense of belonging, and (3) identifying gaps related to social isolation, inclusion, and team cohesion. Using a targeted narrative review of recent reviews and empirical studies, the paper finds that digital leadership has broadened from technology-mediated communication to a more comprehensive capability set combining strategy, delivery, empowerment, trust, and interpersonal coordination. The hybrid work concept is itself becoming more precise, now commonly framed through modality, location, and temporality. Across the literature, belonging is shaped by both remote and onsite experiences: remote work can enhance autonomy and control, while onsite work strengthens human connection and information exchange. At the same time, the evidence base remains thin on how leaders prevent social isolation, minimize inclusion gaps between remote and co-located workers, and sustain team cohesion across mixed-mode teams. The paper concludes that future research should be more longitudinal, cross-cultural, and multi-level, while also examining technology use as a relational as well as operational leadership issue.
Keywords: Digital Leadership, Hybrid Work, Belonging, Place Identity, Inclusion, Team Cohesion, Secondary Research.
Page No: 170-178