Impact of Smart Governance on Institutional Sustainability: Empirical Evidence from Higher Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46328/ijtes.8128Keywords:
Smart governance, institutional sustainability, higher education, Saudi Arabia, digital transformationAbstract
The objective of this study is to examine the impact of smart governance on institutional sustainability in Saudi higher education. The study employs a quantitative cross-sectional survey design and a stratified random sample of 611 faculty members. In particular, the study estimates a linear model of institutional sustainability where smart governance in conjunction with the contextual variables of ICT and institutional culture are exogenous, and that the impact of smart governance on institutional sustainability is mediated through institutional performance. The results show that smart governance has a significant positive impact on institutional sustainability in Saudi higher education institutions. This supports the growing body of literature suggesting that digital transformation and participatory governance enhance organizational effectiveness and long-term sustainability. The study also finds that institutional performance mediates this relationship, indicating that smart governance tends to augment sustainability indirectly by enhancing efficiency, innovation, and responsiveness. Furthermore, the results of the study are consistent with the claim that Institutions with strong technological capabilities and supportive cultures are better positioned to leverage smart governance for sustainability. Toward this end, the study contributes to the extant literature on the subject by stretching smart governance literature into the Saudi higher education context, integrating governance, performance, and sustainability into a single framework, and documenting empirical evidence supporting the mediation mechanism of institutional performance and contextual effects of information technology integration and institutional culture.
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