Transformational Leadership in The Adoption and Implementation of The Internet of Things (IOT) In Higher Education: A Case Study of Saudi Arabian Universities

Abstract

The IoT is a growing phenomenon that is pervasive in many areas of society. IoT refers to the interconnection of devices through the internet. Organizations adopting IoT can obtain exciting and valuable outcomes, and higher education is not exempt. Universities are timidly incorporating IoT, therefore not taking advantage of the great benefits that IoT can bring to these institutions. However, adopting IoT in higher education implies a significant change in the usual behavior of the people attending these places. A natural resistance to the adoption of IoT is not a surprise, given that people are reluctant to modify their traditional ways of operating. It is believed that transformational leadership can promote the adoption and implementation of the IoT; a transformational leader can alleviate rejection attitudes and use transformational leadership characteristics to inform the people attending higher education institutions about the benefits of IoT. This study used a mixed-method approach to examine how the leadership qualities of university leaders affect the level of adoption and implementation of the IoT in Saudi Arabian universities. Survey and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. Evidently, the finding reveals a profile of leadership that is transformational in style suggesting that university executives intellectually excite, inspire, ideally influence their subordinates, and examine their concerns. Second, the leaders have a moderate level of attitude toward teamwork, can motivate, and are open-minded. Third, the extent to which infrastructure enables the implementation of the IoT is not adequate. The institution lacks IoT infrastructures, as seen by the absence of an IoT department. This has made providing IoT help to students and staff problematic. Finally, IoT enables more efficient and effective systems for teaching and learning.

keyword: Internet of things (IOT), leadership, Transformational leadership, IOT adoption and implementation, Higher education, Saudi Arabia