The Role of Electronic Leadership in Crisis Management Practices of National Companies: A Research into Virtual, E-Commerce, Industrial Businesses and Public Sector

The global, financial and economic crises are the cases where the events suddenly and unexpectedly taking place at the international level lead to results that have crucial effects on country?s economy and hence on the businesses. Business organizations equipped with computer technology and internet networks in the age of globalization more often carry out activities such as procurement, import and export, marketing and human resources using such means of information and communication technology. The leaders of such organizations have started to benefit more from these electronic channels during interaction which gave rise to the concept of “Electronic Leadership”. In this paper, necessary research were made regarding problems faced by companies during crisis, the policies they implement in crisis management and traditional and contemporary leadership characteristics in an attempt to put forward the role of electronic leadership practice in crisis management. As a result of the data obtained, we have tried to show whether Electronic Leaders place more importance, than traditional leaders, on leadership characteristics, behaviours and skills such as confidence, creativity, empathy, risk-taking, flexibility, global thinking, knowledge sharing and setting a vision; and whether they exhibit more compatible leadership characteristics with the characteristics of risk management.