Aligning Leadership Styles with the ADKAR Model: A Dual-Approach Framework for Sustainable Organizational Change

In an era of rapid digital transformation and sustainability imperatives, effective organizational change depends not only on technology adoption but also on the strategic alignment of leadership behaviors with employee transitions. This research examines the extent to which transactional and transformational leadership styles affect the execution of change across the five psychological stages delineated in the ADKAR model— Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement. Utilizing data obtained from 385 participants within SMEs that are experiencing change, the study employs a structural equation modeling framework to assess the stage-specific influence of leadership attributes. The results indicate that transformational leadership —specifically inspirational motivation, individualized consideration and idealized influence-exert significant influence during the initial phases, thereby promoting trust, establishing a vision, and enhancing emotional engagement. In contrast, the dimensions of transactional leadership, particularly contingent reward and management-by-exception demonstrate greater efficacy during the subsequent phases, thereby fortifying accountability and ensuring behavioral uniformity. The results support a stage-sensitive leadership framework that emphasizes the contextual deployment of leadership styles to maximize change success. This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge in sustainability and change management by presenting a comprehensive model designed to facilitate behavioral transformation in environments characterized by limited resources and rapid change. Implications are discussed for leadership development, sustainable organizational design, and future theoretical exploration.