There are many things universities need to consider if they want to undergo a successful digital transformation. But leadership is “the single most important factor contributing to a transformation’s outcome”, research by professional services firm EY found. A good leader can make all the difference, the research shows.
A cross-industry study by EY and the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School, carried out in 2022, found that organisations that put humans at the centre of their transformation efforts were two to three times more likely to succeed than those that didn’t. Beyond investing in the right technology, considering people’s emotional needs is essential to success, according to researchers who surveyed 935 senior leaders and direct reports, as well as 1,127 workforce members across 23 countries. And as a 2023 report from EY – which looks into digital transformation in higher education – shows, the value of human-centric transformation is as applicable here as it is in blue-chip corporations.
