Passion fuels creativity: effect of digital leadership and AI awareness on digital transformation of hotels

Purpose The increasing popularity of artificial intelligence (AI) accelerates digital transformation of hotels (DigiTrH), necessitating the collaboration of leaders and employees. Therefore, this study aims to delve into the dual mediating effects that job passion and employee creativity play between digital leadership and transformation, moderated by AI awareness. Design/methodology/approach This study surveyed employees of branded hotels undergoing digital transformation in China, obtaining 613 valid samples. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the influence mechanism of digital leadership on DigiTrH. Findings Harmonious passion sparks more radical creativity, while obsessive passion fuels more incremental creativity. Furthermore, digital leadership promotes DigiTrH through this chain effects. Interestingly, AI awareness suppresses harmonious passion stimulating creativity, particularly radical creativity, but promotes obsessive passion stimulating creativity, particularly incremental creativity. Originality/value Based on the input−mediator−output model, this study reveals the cross-level (organization-employee-organization) dynamic driving process of digital leadership on DigiTrH. Drawing on self-determination theory and regulatory focus theory, this study underscores the varied mediating effects of passion and creativity driven by employee motivation, particularly the double-edged sword effect of AI awareness. It provides new theoretical support and practical guidance on how to achieve DigiTrH in the AI era.