The Effect of Transformational Leadership, Change Communication, and Digital Transformation on Student Readiness
Keywords:
Transformational Leadership; Change Communication; Digital Transformation; Student Readiness; AcademicAbstract
This study aims to gain a comprehensive understanding of the role of transformational leadership, change communication, and the digital transformation process in shaping students’ readiness to face a technology-based academic system at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Tadulako University. The research used a quantitative approach by distributing a Likert-scale questionnaire developed based on relevant theoretical foundations so that each variable could be measured accurately. A total of 41 active students from the 2023–2025 cohorts were selected as respondents using purposive sampling, considering that they were currently experiencing the implementation of a digital academic system. Each variable transformational leadership, change communication, digital transformation, and student readiness was elaborated into operational indicators designed to capture student perceptions precisely. Linear regression analysis was used to identify the extent to which each independent variable explained variations in student readiness. The results show that students’ readiness to face academic digitalization is significantly strengthened by transformational leadership and the ongoing digital transformation process. These two factors provide students with a considerable advantage in adapting to technological changes. Meanwhile, communication related to change has not demonstrated a meaningful influence on student readiness. This indicates that the process of delivering information about ongoing changes is not yet effective enough to shape students’ readiness, as change communication does not contribute significantly within the tested research model. meaning that 68.6% of the variation in student readiness can be explained by the three independent variables (transformational leadership, change communication and digital transformation), while the remaining 31.4% is influenced by other factors outside the scope of this study.
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