Does technological evolution truly enhance performance in the education sector? The moderating role of top management support

Abstract

This study aims to understand the link between strategic planning, perceived ease of use and strategy management and the organizational performance in Jordanian public higher education institutions, and to examine the moderating role between PEU and top management support in regards to digital transformation. A quantitative research design was used, and the structured questionnaire was given to a sample of 384 employees in public universities of Jordan. Descriptive data analysis was performed by SPSS 26 and partial least squares structural equation modeling was performed by SmartPLS 4. It employed a two-stage analysis: (1) assessment of the measurement model for reliability and validity and (2) evaluation of the structural model for testing the proposed hypotheses and moderating effects. The results show that perceived ease of use and strategy management significantly positively influenced the performance and that perceived ease of use is the strongest predictor. Strategic planning, on the other hand, does not directly affect performance to a significant extent. The moderating role of top management support is significant and negative to the relationship between strategic planning and performance, but not significant to the relationship between perceived ease of use and performance as well as to the relationship between strategy management and performance. The findings highlight the need to enhance the usability and accessibility of information on the websites, the clarity of information, and the user experience of university digital platforms. The study adds to the literature by bringing together the Resource-Based View, Dynamic Capabilities Theory, Public Value Theory and Upper Echelons Theory, and by presenting empirical evidence from a context in a developing country in which the use of digital usability and the management of a digital strategy are more powerful drivers of performance than traditional strategic planning.