Mapping the Path of Digital Transformation: The Role of Leadership in Building Adaptive Organizational Culture

The development movement continues towards the digital transformation era, marked by rapid advances in information and computer technology (ICT) and the emergence of social media platforms that change the order of life to be more practical and accessible and deny the geographical distance between people. These changes require universities to adapt to the demands of rapid development. This study aims to explore the strategies carried out by university leaders in facing the challenges of the digital era and map the extent to which the transformation of university organizational culture is operated in the face of digital technology pressure. The research used a qualitative approach with a multi-site format in three private universities. Data analysis applies constant comparative analysis, which ends with a simultaneous analysis step. The results showed that university leaders are ready to implement an open strategy in facing the challenges of the digital era by utilizing these technological advances. However, there are differences in the utilization of network assets owned by institutions and the knowledge and experience of leaders. Organizational culture transformation is operated to the extent that institutions can master digital technology to optimize the performance of institutional services. Universities' engagement with digital technology does not disrupt the resilience of their organizational culture because it only leads to an adaptive surface layer.