Assessing the Nexus Between AI Literacy, AI Anxiety, and Digital Leadership in Higher Education: a Configurational Analysis for Public Sector Institutions

Saman Javed; Bahaudin G. Mujtaba

doi:10.1007/s11115-025-00952-8

Assessing the Nexus Between AI Literacy, AI Anxiety, and Digital Leadership in Higher Education: a Configurational Analysis for Public Sector Institutions

Saman Javed
, Bahaudin G. Mujtaba

H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Artificial intelligence literacy among public teachers plays a pivotal role in fostering digital leadership in higher education. The paper evaluates the role of students’ AI anxiety in affecting teachers’ ability to utilize digital and technological tools in the classroom. Data was collected from 183 university students, and the sufficiency of teachers’ AI literacy and students’ AI anxiety in producing the outcome of teachers’ digital leadership was assessed. Results reveal that awareness of AI tools, learning anxiety, fear of replacement by AI, sociotechnical blindness, and apprehension regarding AI configuration, are core conditions leading to teachers’ digital leadership in higher education.

Original language	English
Journal	Public Organization Review
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-025-00952-8
State	Accepted/In press - 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2025.

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Business, Management and Accounting (miscellaneous)
Law

Keywords

AI anxiety
AI literacy
Artificial intelligence
Configurational approach
Digital leadership

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10.1007/s11115-025-00952-8

Cite this

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title = "Assessing the Nexus Between AI Literacy, AI Anxiety, and Digital Leadership in Higher Education: a Configurational Analysis for Public Sector Institutions",

abstract = "Artificial intelligence literacy among public teachers plays a pivotal role in fostering digital leadership in higher education. The paper evaluates the role of students{\textquoteright} AI anxiety in affecting teachers{\textquoteright} ability to utilize digital and technological tools in the classroom. Data was collected from 183 university students, and the sufficiency of teachers{\textquoteright} AI literacy and students{\textquoteright} AI anxiety in producing the outcome of teachers{\textquoteright} digital leadership was assessed. Results reveal that awareness of AI tools, learning anxiety, fear of replacement by AI, sociotechnical blindness, and apprehension regarding AI configuration, are core conditions leading to teachers{\textquoteright} digital leadership in higher education.",

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Assessing the Nexus Between AI Literacy, AI Anxiety, and Digital Leadership in Higher Education: a Configurational Analysis for Public Sector Institutions

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Keywords

Access to Document

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