Transformational Leadership and Faculty Innovation in Universities: The Mediating Role of Artificial Intelligence Integration

Abstract

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming higher education by reshaping teaching, research, and institutional management. As universities increasingly adopt AI technologies, effective leadership has become essential for fostering innovation and facilitating successful digital transformation. This study examines the relationship between transformational leadership and faculty innovation, with artificial intelligence integration serving as a mediating variable. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was employed, and data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to faculty members from public and private universities. The proposed research model was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The findings indicate that transformational leadership has a significant positive effect on both AI integration and faculty innovation. Furthermore, AI integration significantly enhances faculty innovation and partially mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and faculty innovation. These findings suggest that transformational leaders create supportive environments that encourage faculty members to adopt AI technologies, thereby improving innovative teaching, research, and academic practices. The study contributes to the growing literature on educational leadership and digital transformation by highlighting the strategic role of AI integration in promoting faculty innovation.