Abstract
In the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, technological empowerment has become a strategic and existential necessity for organizations striving for growth and continued competitiveness, particularly private universities, which face significant challenges in comprehensive digital transformation. Literature reveals the absence of an integrated model linking the three research variables (technological empowerment, strategic readiness, and digital transformation). This paper aimed to examine the mediating role of digital transformation in the impact of technological empowerment on strategic readiness in Iraqi private universities. The study has employed a descriptive analytical approach, utilizing a questionnaire as the primary data collection tool. The questionnaire was distributed to 142 individuals, including university presidents, faculty members, and middle management administrative staff. The results revealed a statistically significant impact of technological empowerment on both strategic readiness and digital transformation. Additionally, the results demonstrated the effective role of digital transformation in enhancing strategic readiness and its function as a mediating variable, facilitating the transmission of influence (both directly and indirectly) between technological empowerment and strategic readiness. The paper concludes that the relationship between the three variables is complementary, with digital transformation playing a pivotal mediating role. Technological empowerment is the strategic foundation for the success of digital transformation. The paper recommends investing in technological empowerment as a comprehensive strategic approach and adopting a clear vision for decision-makers that links technology and strategy to ensure a sustainable competitive advantage for Iraqi private universities.
DOI
10.33095/2227-703X.4347
Subject Area
Managerial
First Page
28
Last Page
38
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Recommended Citation
Al-Sheikhli, R., & Al-Somaidaee, M. (2026). The impact of Technological Empowerment on the Strategic Readiness of Private Universities: The Mediating Role of Digital Transformation. Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 32(2), 28-38. https://doi.org/10.33095/2227-703X.4347
