The Conceptual Framework of Digital Transformation Based on Electronic Leadership in the Higher Education System (Study of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq)

According to the available evidence, higher education is one of the leading systems in the global digital transformation and plays a central role in the promotion and development of digital tools. But the digital transformation for the higher education system of developing countries and under unstable environmental conditions has delays and shortcomings. Knowing and analyzing these factors by considering their background conditions can expand the knowledge of digital transformation management for developing countries. Iraq is one of these developing countries whose universities and higher education have recently started to focus on electronic education and digital transformation, however, they still face many uncertainties in this field and need specialized frameworks for analysis and planning. The purpose of this research was to present the conceptual framework of digital transformation based on electronic leadership in the higher education system of the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

The qualitative research method was chosen with thematic analysis approach. The participants included scientific experts (professors and researchers) and executives (managers and expert experts) knowledgeable and proficient in the subject of research in higher education institutions and universities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The number of samples was estimated to reach theoretical saturation of 19 people. Sampling was done by judgment method (with emphasis on knowledge and experience). The research tool included semi-directed interview with two face-to-face methods and online discussion.

The findings showed that the network of extracted themes includes 96 concepts, 25 sub-themes, 9 main themes, and 4 general themes. The general themes included environmental drivers, leadership of the higher education system, facilitation and foundation, and the functions of digital transformation in the higher education of the Kurdistan Region. A network of research themes was drawn from the aggregation of general, main and sub-themes.

Based on the extracted and drawn conceptual framework, it can be said that the digital transformation in the higher education of the Kurdistan Region should be considered a multidimensional and multilevel process, and to plan, lead and evaluate its advancement, it is necessary to recognize and control the effects of factors such as the model has been drawn. As a result, it is suggested to the management of higher education in Kurdistan region to use the framework presented in this research to study and plan digital transformation in the system in question.