Institutional Leadership and the Digital Transformation of Public Administration: A European Model for Increasing Performance and Reducing Administrative Risks
Keywords:
public leadership; digital transformation; European administration; good administration; risk management; digital governanceAbstract
The digital transformation of European public administration represents a major direction of institutional modernization, in which public leadership becomes a determining factor for the success of reforms. The article analyzes the relationship between institutional leadership, good administration and digitalization, through the lens of high-performing European models (Estonia, Denmark, Finland) and the difficulties encountered in states in administrative transition, such as Romania. The study highlights the strategic role of adaptive leadership in overcoming institutional resistance to change, in strengthening digital skills and in integrating the principles of good administration into digital processes. At the same time, the importance of resilience and risk management is analyzed in the context of increasing cyber and technological vulnerabilities specific to modern administration. The main contribution of the paper consists in formulating an integrated model of institutional leadership necessary for the modernization of Romanian public administration, based on interoperability, ethics, accountability and robust digital governance. The central conclusion is that digitalization cannot produce sustainable administrative modernization in the absence of strong, visionary leadership oriented towards performance and institutional resilience.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Cristian DUMITRESCU DUMITRESCU (Author)
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