TEM Journal | 2026
Authors: Siaj R.; Ajouz M.; Zeer I.A.; Salahat M.
DOI: 10.18421/TEM151-43
Journal: TEM Journal
Year: 2026
Publisher: UIKTEN - Association for Information Communication Technology Education and Science
Document Type: Article
Open Access: All Open Access; Gold Open Access
Cited by: 0
– The fast-paced advancement of digital technologies has been changing organizational environments considerably; the education sector is no exception. While it has the potential to revolutionize education practice, university digitalization is an area that is less researched from an emerging economy perspective. The study explores the role of education management for digital transformation, considering the mediating effects of change management, strategic thinking and strategic innovation. Data was gathered from higher education administrators through a structured survey and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to visualize the associations between the constructs. The findings reveal that education management significantly influences digital transformation directly and indirectly through the mediator constructs. Change management encourages ordered changes by managing resistance while developing institutional flexibility; strategic thinking ensures that the objectives of digital projects are aligned with long-term goals. On one hand, strategic innovation enables an institution to adopt innovative solutions that ensure competitiveness and efficiency of operations. Collectively, these mediators facilitate the direct effects of education management, showing complementary roles toward impactful and sustainable digital changes. This study adds to existing knowledge by offering an integrated model that describes how educational strategic practices create digital transformation and by providing practical implications for the institutional leaders and policy-makers. © (2026), (UIKTEN - Association for Information Communication Technology Education and Science). All rights reserved.
change management; digital transformation; Education management; higher education sector; strategic innovation; strategic thinking