The Primacy of Policy: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach to AI Governance Readiness in Higher Education
Year: 2026
Type: conference-paper
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: It is being adopted across teaching, research, administration, and management in HEIs, while raising associated accountability concerns, a lack of transparency, fairness, and security-related questions about data. The frameworks for both AI governance and readiness in Higher Education have been evolving rapidly, but many remain abstract and lack empirical evidence. In this study, PLS-SEM was used to analyze the impact of culture and regulation on AI Governance readiness, based on surveys of 97 respondents at Philippine HEIs. The study found a positive relationship between institutional culture and regulatory alignment. Moreover, the research found that regulatory alignment positively affects readiness. The direct effect of institutional culture on readiness is not significant; however, the indirect effect of institutional culture through the regulation is significant. Preliminary evidence from this study indicates that regulation takes precedence over cultural factors in enhancing readiness for reliable and responsible AI governance.
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7224801159