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Open AccessArticle
Towards Sustainable Organizations: The Interplay of Digital Transformation, Leadership, and Organizational Culture: Evidence from Greek Firms
by
Konstantinos Georgios Kanakoglou
Konstantinos Georgios Kanakoglou *
and
Dimitrios Kafetzopoulos
Dimitrios Kafetzopoulos
Dr. Dimitrios Kafetzopoulos is an Associate Professor of Management in the Department of Business [...]
Dr. Dimitrios Kafetzopoulos is an Associate Professor of Management in the Department of Business Administration at the University of Macedonia and the Hellenic Open University. He received a Ph.D. in Management from the University of Ioannina, Greece. He was a Postdoc Researcher in the Department of Food Science & Nutrition at the University of the Aegean and also in the Department of Business Administration at the University of Macedonia. He has published over 100 journal and conference papers. He has dealt with issues of management, and his research interests include leadership, innovation management, ambidexterity, quality management, organizational change, human resource management, and production and operational management.
Department in Business Administration, University of Macedonia, Egnatia Street, 156, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Systems 2026, 14(1), 35; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems14010035 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 11 November 2025
/
Revised: 21 December 2025
/
Accepted: 26 December 2025
/
Published: 27 December 2025
Abstract
This study attempts to examine the interconnections between digital transformation, leadership, organizational culture, and organizational sustainability among Greek enterprises in the Industry 4.0 context. A quantitative research design was utilized to attain this objective, employing survey data gathered from 412 managerial-level participants across several industries. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were performed to validate the measurement model, followed by Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to examine the proposed correlations among the constructs. The findings reveal that digital transformation, leadership, and organizational culture each have a substantial positive influence on organizational sustainability, with digital transformation exhibiting the most pronounced benefit. Furthermore, their alignment has a synergistic effect that amplifies the economic, social, and environmental aspects of sustainability. These findings validate the multifaceted character of sustainability within the Industry 4.0 framework and underscore the interrelation of technological, human, and cultural competencies. The research contributes to the field of theory by offering a comprehensive framework for sustainable organizational transformation and practical implications for managers and policymakers who are in the process of developing strategies that are oriented towards sustainability, innovation, and resilience in digitally evolving environments.
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MDPI and ACS Style
Kanakoglou, K.G.; Kafetzopoulos, D.
Towards Sustainable Organizations: The Interplay of Digital Transformation, Leadership, and Organizational Culture: Evidence from Greek Firms. Systems 2026, 14, 35.
https://doi.org/10.3390/systems14010035
AMA Style
Kanakoglou KG, Kafetzopoulos D.
Towards Sustainable Organizations: The Interplay of Digital Transformation, Leadership, and Organizational Culture: Evidence from Greek Firms. Systems. 2026; 14(1):35.
https://doi.org/10.3390/systems14010035
Chicago/Turabian Style
Kanakoglou, Konstantinos Georgios, and Dimitrios Kafetzopoulos.
2026. "Towards Sustainable Organizations: The Interplay of Digital Transformation, Leadership, and Organizational Culture: Evidence from Greek Firms" Systems 14, no. 1: 35.
https://doi.org/10.3390/systems14010035
APA Style
Kanakoglou, K. G., & Kafetzopoulos, D.
(2026). Towards Sustainable Organizations: The Interplay of Digital Transformation, Leadership, and Organizational Culture: Evidence from Greek Firms. Systems, 14(1), 35.
https://doi.org/10.3390/systems14010035
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