Strategic Leadership, E-Service Quality, and Customer Retention: A Theoretical Framework for Digital Transformation

Abstract

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, strategic leadership plays a crucial role in driving digital transformation across industries, particularly in telecommunications. This paper proposes a theoretical framework that explores the relationship between strategic leadership, e-service quality, and customer retention, with a focus on how leadership-driven digital initiatives can enhance service quality and foster customer loyalty. E-service quality, defined by factors such as user-friendliness, reliability, personalization, and security, serves as a critical mediator between leadership and retention, influencing customer experiences and satisfaction. Despite the recognized importance of these elements, there is a gap in understanding how strategic leadership directly impacts e-service quality and how this, in turn, affects customer retention. The proposed framework addresses these gaps by highlighting the integral role of leadership in promoting continuous innovation and service excellence. Through this model, telecommunications companies, such as Saudi Telecom Company (STC), can better align leadership strategies with e-service improvements to meet the evolving demands of digital customers, ensuring long-term loyalty. The study emphasizes the need for further empirical research to validate the proposed relationships and explore additional factors, such as customer engagement and the role of emerging technologies like AI, that may influence the dynamics between e-service quality and retention in the digital era.