Development of an Educational Governance Model Based on the Cultural Maturity of Academic Entrepreneurship in the Smart Technology Ecosystem

Abstract

The present study aimed to develop an educational governance model based on the cultural maturity of academic entrepreneurship within the ecosystem of smart technologies and artificial intelligence at branches of the Islamic Azad University in Mazandaran Province. This study employed a mixed-methods approach. In the qualitative phase, thematic analysis was utilized, while interpretive structural modeling (ISM) was applied in the quantitative phase. The statistical population consisted of experts from branches of the Islamic Azad University in Mazandaran Province who were selected through snowball sampling. Qualitative data were collected through in-depth unstructured interviews with 30 experts. Following the extraction of 143 initial codes, 20 final codes were identified and categorized into five major dimensions. In the quantitative section, relationships among the dimensions were examined using ISM questionnaires and analyzed through MATLAB software to determine the levels of influence and dependence among the model dimensions. The results of interpretive structural modeling revealed that “ethics and governance of artificial intelligence in education” constituted the foundational dimension with the highest driving power, shaping the orientation of the entire educational system. “Entrepreneurial and organizational leadership” functioned as an intermediary factor connecting ethics, technology, and entrepreneurial culture. The findings further demonstrated a reciprocal and synergistic relationship between “cultural maturity of academic entrepreneurship” and “technological transformation and artificial intelligence,” indicating that entrepreneurial culture facilitates the adoption of smart technologies, while technological transformation strengthens innovation-oriented attitudes within universities. Finally, “university educational governance” emerged as the most dependent dimension, receiving the greatest influence from the preceding levels of the model. The findings indicated that the realization of intelligent educational governance in universities requires the simultaneous integration of AI ethics, entrepreneurial leadership, cultural maturity, and technological transformation. The proposed model establishes a structural linkage among cultural, ethical, technological, and managerial dimensions and provides an indigenous framework for universities in the age of artificial intelligence. The model can contribute to enhancing educational quality, promoting innovation, increasing social trust, and strengthening entrepreneurial universities within smart technology ecosystems.