The Impact of Digital Transformation Job Autonomy on Lawyers’ Support for Law Firms’ Digital Initiatives: The Mediating Role of Cognitive Adjustment and the Moderating Effect of Leaders’ Empathy
Digital transformation has reshaped knowledge creation patterns, business models, and practices within the legal industry. However, many organizations have struggled to realize the anticipated benefits of digital transformation due to individual adaptation barriers. Drawing on the Job Demands–Resour...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Administrative Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/15/7/260 |
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| author | Bowei Liu Shuang Cheng Qiwei Zhou Xueting Shi |
| author_facet | Bowei Liu Shuang Cheng Qiwei Zhou Xueting Shi |
| author_sort | Bowei Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Digital transformation has reshaped knowledge creation patterns, business models, and practices within the legal industry. However, many organizations have struggled to realize the anticipated benefits of digital transformation due to individual adaptation barriers. Drawing on the Job Demands–Resources model, this study employs both regression analysis and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to investigate the mechanisms and the boundary conditions through which digital transformation job autonomy affects lawyers’ supportive behaviors toward digital change in law firms. The regression analysis of multi-wave survey data from 423 lawyers demonstrates that digital transformation job autonomy not only has a direct positive effect on lawyers’ digital transformation-supportive behaviors, but also indirectly promotes such behaviors through lawyers’ cognitive adjustment in the workplace. Furthermore, leader empathy enhances the relationship between digital transformation job autonomy and supportive behaviors. The fsQCA results identify multiple pathways leading to high and low levels of digital transformation-supportive behaviors among lawyers. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how organizations foster individual support for digital transformation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e6001cc34b2440b6bb7db3f1802ded4e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-3387 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Administrative Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-e6001cc34b2440b6bb7db3f1802ded4e2025-08-20T03:55:48ZengMDPI AGAdministrative Sciences2076-33872025-07-0115726010.3390/admsci15070260The Impact of Digital Transformation Job Autonomy on Lawyers’ Support for Law Firms’ Digital Initiatives: The Mediating Role of Cognitive Adjustment and the Moderating Effect of Leaders’ EmpathyBowei Liu0Shuang Cheng1Qiwei Zhou2Xueting Shi3Law School, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, ChinaCollege of Management, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, ChinaCollege of Management, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, ChinaCollege of Management, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, ChinaDigital transformation has reshaped knowledge creation patterns, business models, and practices within the legal industry. However, many organizations have struggled to realize the anticipated benefits of digital transformation due to individual adaptation barriers. Drawing on the Job Demands–Resources model, this study employs both regression analysis and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to investigate the mechanisms and the boundary conditions through which digital transformation job autonomy affects lawyers’ supportive behaviors toward digital change in law firms. The regression analysis of multi-wave survey data from 423 lawyers demonstrates that digital transformation job autonomy not only has a direct positive effect on lawyers’ digital transformation-supportive behaviors, but also indirectly promotes such behaviors through lawyers’ cognitive adjustment in the workplace. Furthermore, leader empathy enhances the relationship between digital transformation job autonomy and supportive behaviors. The fsQCA results identify multiple pathways leading to high and low levels of digital transformation-supportive behaviors among lawyers. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how organizations foster individual support for digital transformation.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/15/7/260digital transformationjob autonomycognitive adjustment in the workplaceleader empathylawyer |
| spellingShingle | Bowei Liu Shuang Cheng Qiwei Zhou Xueting Shi The Impact of Digital Transformation Job Autonomy on Lawyers’ Support for Law Firms’ Digital Initiatives: The Mediating Role of Cognitive Adjustment and the Moderating Effect of Leaders’ Empathy Administrative Sciences digital transformation job autonomy cognitive adjustment in the workplace leader empathy lawyer |
| title | The Impact of Digital Transformation Job Autonomy on Lawyers’ Support for Law Firms’ Digital Initiatives: The Mediating Role of Cognitive Adjustment and the Moderating Effect of Leaders’ Empathy |
| title_full | The Impact of Digital Transformation Job Autonomy on Lawyers’ Support for Law Firms’ Digital Initiatives: The Mediating Role of Cognitive Adjustment and the Moderating Effect of Leaders’ Empathy |
| title_fullStr | The Impact of Digital Transformation Job Autonomy on Lawyers’ Support for Law Firms’ Digital Initiatives: The Mediating Role of Cognitive Adjustment and the Moderating Effect of Leaders’ Empathy |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Impact of Digital Transformation Job Autonomy on Lawyers’ Support for Law Firms’ Digital Initiatives: The Mediating Role of Cognitive Adjustment and the Moderating Effect of Leaders’ Empathy |
| title_short | The Impact of Digital Transformation Job Autonomy on Lawyers’ Support for Law Firms’ Digital Initiatives: The Mediating Role of Cognitive Adjustment and the Moderating Effect of Leaders’ Empathy |
| title_sort | impact of digital transformation job autonomy on lawyers support for law firms digital initiatives the mediating role of cognitive adjustment and the moderating effect of leaders empathy |
| topic | digital transformation job autonomy cognitive adjustment in the workplace leader empathy lawyer |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/15/7/260 |
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