Influence of Getting on the Balcony Behavior on Digital Transformation of Insurance Firms in Kenya

Abstract

This paper examines the influence of getting on the balcony behavior on digital transformation of insurance firms in Kenya within the framework of adaptive leadership theory. The study acknowledges the pivotal role of adaptive leadership behavior in fostering leader-organization value-congruence, perspective-taking, and self-awareness. A positivist approach and a descriptive research design were employed; targeting a population of 392 supervisors from the 56 registered insurance firms listed by the Insurance Regulatory Authority. Using a stratified random sampling technique, a final sample of 127 respondents was obtained, representing a response rate of 63% from the initial study sample of 198. Getting on the balcony behavior was operationalized through value congruence, perspective taking, and self-awareness dimensions. At the same time, digital transformation was assessed using digital innovation, customer experience, and returns on assets capabilities metrics. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, including means, standard deviation, correlation analysis, chi-square test, one-way ANOVA, and ordinal logistic regression, were employed to analyze the research data and to test the study hypothesis. The ordinal logistic regression analysis findings, represented by the Nagelkerke Pseudo R-square coefficient, indicated that getting on the balcony behavior explains 37.2% of the variance in digital transformation (Nagelkerke Pseudo R² = .372). Furthermore, the parameter estimates derived from the ordinal regression analysis revealed that getting on the balcony behavior predicted digital transformation, with a significant beta coefficient of -4.100, p≤.05. In conclusion, this study establishes a substantial connection between "getting on the balcony" behavior, encompassing value congruence, perspective taking, and self-awareness, and the digital transformation of insurance firms in Kenya. Specifically, when leaders actively pursue value congruence through perspective-taking and self-awareness practices, this adaptive leadership behavior significantly and positively influences digital transformation. Consequently, the study recommends insurance leaders to proactively embrace getting on the balcony behavior by implementing policies and practices that promote value congruence, enhance perspective-taking, and establish self-awareness. Further, the adaptive leadership framework should be evaluated in broader financial services sector and other industries and regions.