Digital challenge in higher education: a human and organizational paradigm in latin america
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70452/scientiaiter12.6Keywords:
Digital transformation, Higher education, Strategic management, Resistance to change, Digital competenciesAbstract
This mixed-methods study explores the digital transformation in Venezuelan higher education, identifying key challenges and opportunities. Adopting a post-positivist approach, the research combined descriptive statistics from surveys of 200 university staff members and thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with 15 administrators and faculty. Quantitative results revealed a perceived weakness in digital strategic management (mean scores between 2.5 and 2.9 on a 5-point Likert scale), high resistance to change (mean of 4.0), and a significant gap in advanced digital competencies (mean of 2.4 for AI/AR/VR), with training programs perceived as inadequate. These quantitative findings were complemented by qualitative insights highlighting the absence of a clear digital vision, bureaucracy, cultural inertia, and the impact on professional identity. Critical challenges identified include strategic fragmentation, ineffective leadership, insufficient training, and underestimated ethical risks in the use of emerging technologies like AI. Practical implications for the region suggest an urgent need for a coherent digital roadmap, transformative leadership, strategic investment in human capital through contextualized training programs, infrastructure strengthening to reduce the digital divide, and the establishment of ethical and data governance frameworks. The study concludes that true digital transformation in Latin American higher education demands a cultural and leadership revolution that prioritizes human and ethical dimensions over purely technological aspects, to develop competent professionals and contribute to sustainable societal development.
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