{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,2]],"date-time":"2026-04-02T22:01:05Z","timestamp":1775167265226,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,7]],"date-time":"2025-12-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1765065600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Information"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Digital transformation (DT) in higher education institutions (HEIs) depends not only on technology but also on support from different organizational enablers, including a digital organizational culture that emphasizes technological advancement, experimentation, and innovation. In this paper, we empirically examine whether digital culture statistically mediates the association between the digital maturity (DM) of Academic Teaching &amp; Learning and the overall digital transformation (DT) in higher education. Using survey data from stakeholders across four HEIs in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, we estimate a simple mediation model. Our empirical results indicate that a digitally oriented culture is associated with the link between DM of Academic Teaching &amp; Learning and DT, suggesting that pedagogical innovations are more likely to be associated with higher perceived transformation when digital culture is more developed and accepted within an HEI. In conclusion, we identify implications for higher education institutions and policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia and formulate recommendations for future research.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/info16121084","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,8]],"date-time":"2025-12-08T08:21:43Z","timestamp":1765182103000},"page":"1084","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Digital Maturity of Academic Teaching and Learning, Digital Culture and Transformation: Empirical Evidence and Implications for Higher Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Ana Marija","family":"Alfirevi\u0107","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Economics, University of Banja Luka, 78000 Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina"},{"name":"Department of Business and Entrepreneurship, University of Applied Sciences \u201cMarko Maruli\u0107\u201d, 22300 Knin, Croatia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Damir","family":"Vasilj","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Mostar, 88000 Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7713-8396","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Daniel","family":"Vasi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Science and Education, University of Mostar, 88000 Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2130-982X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nik\u0161a","family":"Alfirevi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Economics, Business and Tourism, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"17","DOI":"10.2307\/248710","article-title":"MIS Problems and Failures: A Sociotechnical Perspective, Part I: The Causes","volume":"1","author":"Bostrom","year":"1977","journal-title":"MIS Q."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"398","DOI":"10.1287\/orsc.3.3.398","article-title":"The Duality of Technology: Rethinking the Concept of Technology in Organizations","volume":"3","author":"Orlikowski","year":"1992","journal-title":"Organ. 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