The impact of professional growth and learning opportunities and ambidextrous leadership on digital transformation: the mediating role of competitive intelligence

Keyhan, J.; Sameri, M.; Valizadeh, S.

doi:10.22061/tej.2026.12751.3331

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

¹ Department of Educational Studies and Curriculum Planning, Ur.C., Islamic Azad University, Urmia, Iran.

² Department of Educational Governance and Human Resources, Ur.C., Islamic Azad University, Urmia, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22061/tej.2026.12751.3331

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Digital transformation has become one of the key priorities of contemporary education systems; however, its success depends less on technological infrastructures and more on human and managerial factors. The present study aimed to test a causal model examining the impact of professional growth and learning opportunities and ambidextrous leadership on the effectiveness of digital transformation in primary schools, with the mediating role of competitive intelligence.
Methods: The study employed a descriptive-correlational design and was conducted within the framework of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The statistical population comprised all primary school principals in West Azerbaijan Province, from whom 243 participants were selected using multistage random cluster sampling. Data were collected using a set of validated instruments: the Ambidextrous Leadership Questionnaire developed by Ahmad and Islam (2019), the Digital Transformation Effectiveness Questionnaire developed by Pettersson et al. (2024), the Competitive Intelligence Scale based on the model proposed by Roach and Santi (2001), and a researcher-developed Growth and Learning Opportunities Questionnaire, which was constructed through the integration and contextual adaptation of relevant validated instruments. The Growth and Learning Opportunities Questionnaire was developed based on a review of the literature and the synthesis of related instruments. Its initial version consisted of 82 items, which were reduced to 31 items across six components after expert review. The content validity of the instrument was confirmed using the content validity ratio (CVR) and content validity index (CVI). Kendall’s coefficient of concordance was 0.845. Exploratory factor analysis identified six factors that explained more than 65% of the total variance, and the preliminary reliability of the instrument was confirmed with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.832. The validity and reliability of all instruments were further assessed and confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis and standard measurement indices, including average variance extracted (AVE), composite reliability (CR), and the heterotrait–monotrait ratio (HTMT), indicating adequate measurement precision, internal consistency, and construct adequacy within the context of primary schools.
Findings: The results of structural equation modeling indicated that the proposed conceptual model demonstrated an acceptable level of statistical fit, and the obtained fit indices supported the adequacy of the model. The three core constructs—professional growth and learning opportunities, ambidextrous leadership, and competitive intelligence—jointly explained approximately 66% of the variance in digital transformation effectiveness, reflecting substantial explanatory power. Path coefficients showed that both professional growth and learning opportunities and ambidextrous leadership exerted significant and direct effects on digital transformation, while simultaneously predicting competitive intelligence among school principals in a positive and significant manner. Competitive intelligence, in turn, had a direct and significant effect on digital transformation. Bootstrap-based mediation analysis further revealed that competitive intelligence partially mediated the relationship between professional growth and learning opportunities, ambidextrous leadership, and digital transformation, transmitting a meaningful portion of their effects through an indirect pathway.
Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that the “heart of digital transformation” in schools lies not in equipment and platforms, but in the human and cognitive capacities of school principals. Professional growth and learning opportunities, ambidextrous leadership, and competitive intelligence constitute three interdependent pillars that give meaning to successful digital transformation; weakness in any one of these pillars can reduce the effectiveness of the entire transformation process. Therefore, if the education system seeks to move beyond technological modernization toward genuine digital transformation, it must shift its focus from technology itself to the “reflective, learning-oriented, and analytically minded principal,” because what makes a school truly digital is, above all, the quality of leadership and managerial insight, not merely hardware and software. Accordingly, it is recommended that digital transformation policy in education focus on designing principal-development programs in areas such as school data analysis, learning management system administration, educational technology scanning, evidence-based decision-making, and ambidextrous leadership.

To address this gap, the present study developed and validated a comprehensive causal model that investigates how professional growth and learning opportunities, ambidextrous leadership, and competitive intelligence jointly shape the effectiveness of digital transformation in primary schools. The model is anchored in organizational learning theory, the duality of ambidextrous leadership, and the analytical tradition of competitive intelligence studies. These frameworks collectively assume that digital transformation does not emerge from isolated interventions; rather, it arises from the interaction of learning-rich environments, leadership capable of balancing exploration and exploitation, and the cognitive–analytical competencies required to interpret environmental complexities.

This study employed a descriptive–correlational design and used structural equation modeling (SEM) to evaluate the proposed relationships. The research population consisted of all primary school principals in West Azerbaijan Province, representing diverse socioeconomic and institutional conditions. Through multi-stage cluster sampling, 243 principals were selected, ensuring statistical adequacy for SEM and generalizability within the regional context. Data collection was undertaken using four methodologically robust instruments: (1) a composite, normed questionnaire measuring opportunities for professional growth and learning based on the frameworks of Noe, Marsick and Watkins, and the localized model by Jiménez; (2) the standardized Ambidextrous Leadership Scale by Ahmad and Aslam (2019), assessing leaders’ capacities for opening and closing behaviors; (3) the Digital Transformation Effectiveness Scale developed by Peterson et al. (2024); and (4) a Competitive Intelligence Scale adapted from the model of Rouach and Santi (2001), capturing information acquisition, analysis, and environmental interpretation. Psychometric validation using confirmatory factor analysis, AVE, CR, and HTMT demonstrated that all constructs exhibited strong reliability and discriminant validity.

The empirical findings confirmed that the proposed structural model possessed excellent goodness-of-fit indices. The three core constructs—professional growth and learning opportunities, ambidextrous leadership, and competitive intelligence—collectively accounted for 66 percent of the variance in digital transformation effectiveness, suggesting substantial explanatory strength. Path coefficients revealed that both professional growth and learning and ambidextrous leadership exerted significant direct effects on digital transformation. Additionally, each construct demonstrated notable indirect effects mediated through competitive intelligence, indicating that analytical and environmental scanning capabilities serve as essential mechanisms translating leadership and learning into effective digital action.

Competitive intelligence emerged as a central mediating factor that enhances school leaders’ ability to convert learning and leadership resources into strategic, data-informed digital decisions. By integrating environmental monitoring, trend analysis, and opportunity recognition, competitive intelligence acts as an interpretive lens that enables leaders to contextualize technological adoption, anticipate emerging needs, and align digital initiatives with institutional capabilities. This finding highlights the necessity of cultivating analytical literacy among school leaders in tandem with leadership development and professional learning.

Overall, the results emphasize that effective digital transformation is not primarily a technological undertaking; rather, it is a human-centered, learning-driven, and intelligence-informed process. Principals who operate in learning-rich contexts are better equipped to develop reflective habits, update their pedagogical and managerial knowledge, and guide their schools through digital change. Ambidextrous leaders, capable of balancing innovation with continuity, provide the stability and dynamism required for digital transformation initiatives to take root. Competitive intelligence further strengthens these competencies by enabling leaders to interpret educational, technological, and organizational trends with precision.

In practical terms, the study recommends that policymakers and educational planners reorient digital transformation strategies away from hardware-centric approaches and toward the development of professional learning ecosystems, leadership ambidexterity, and institutional intelligence-building mechanisms. Investing in capacity development—not merely infrastructure—can offer a more sustainable, adaptive, and evidence-based pathway for advancing digital transformation in primary schools.