Leading and managing pedagogical innovation in hybrid universities: a case study of faculty adaptation to digital work

This study explores how academic leadership influences pedagogical innovation and faculty adaptation to digital work in hybrid university environments. As higher education institutions increasingly adopt blended learning models, the role of leadership in facilitating, supporting, or impeding digital pedagogical transformation becomes critical. The research investigates the processes through which academic leaders enable or constrain staff engagement with learning technologies and curriculum redesign. An institutional case study was conducted at a hybrid-mode university in the UK, focusing on two faculties undergoing significant digital transformation. Qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with academic leaders and teaching staff, as well as a document review of strategic initiatives and teaching and learning policies. Thematic analysis was employed to identify patterns in leadership practices, faculty perceptions, and the institutional support mechanisms for digital transition.

Key findings indicate that transformational and distributed leadership styles are significantly associated with greater faculty engagement, innovation in teaching design, and resilience in adapting to digital platforms. Conversely, managerialist and compliance-driven approaches foster resistance, confusion, and performative rather than authentic adoption of innovation. The study also reveals that innovation thrives when leadership combines strategic vision with localised pedagogical support, creating both top-down coherence and bottom-up creativity. Recommendations include the development of adaptive leadership development programmes focused on pedagogical digitalisation, the integration of collaborative innovation structures such as communities of practice, and the need for feedback loops between teaching staff and institutional leadership to ensure iterative, context-sensitive implementation of digital initiatives. By highlighting the interplay between leadership practice and pedagogical adaptation, this paper contributes to the growing discourse on the transformation of academic work in the digital university and offers a conceptual and practical framework for leading sustainable educational innovation.