Institutional readiness for generative artificial intelligence is linked to resource constraints and governance capability in Ghanaian higher education

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is diffusing across higher education, yet institutional governance struggles to adapt in resource-constrained settings. Existing research emphasizes adoption and acceptance, with less attention to how infrastructure and governance shape institutional readiness. This study investigates GenAI governance in Ghanaian higher education. A sequential multi-method design combined the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). DEMATEL drew on a 12-member expert panel to diagnose perceived influence among institutional factors, while PLS-SEM independently evaluated a literature-derived model using 792 student and faculty responses. Resource Sensitivity (RS) emerged as the strongest net-source factor in the expert-perceived influence structure (D−R = +3.685). In the PLS-SEM model, RS was negatively associated with Institutional Readiness (IR) (β = −0.295), whereas Technological Governance Architecture (TGA) was positively associated with IR (β = 0.454); the model explained 48.4% of IR variance (R 2 = 0.484). The RS → TGA → IR indirect association was significant (β = −0.061), consistent with complementary partial mediation. AI Literacy (AIL) showed no significant direct association with adoption-related risk, conceptualized as the Adoption–Risk Paradox (ARP), but showed a significant indirect association through Perceived Usefulness (PU). Policy Uncertainty (PUC) was positively associated with ARP, whereas TGA was negatively associated with it. The findings support a Hard–Soft Governance Gap in which infrastructural constraints and governance capability constitute distinct but interconnected conditions of readiness. Strengthening responsible GenAI integration requires coordinated attention to infrastructure, governance, policy clarity, and responsible-use practices.