Driving Education 5.0 through Green Boardrooms: Evaluating the Adoption and Impact of Advanced Technologies in Zimbabwean Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

This study explored the integration of advanced technologies in education and their potential in creating sustainable and eco-friendly practices. Evidence from research revealed a determined shift towards “green governance” among sampled institutions, with main drivers being moving towards convergence of “environmental sustainability”, “Education 5.0” policy, and a necessity for institutional efficiency in the digital world. Extant literature revealed that green boardrooms support progressive solutions to minimize environmental impact while intensifying collaboration, productivity, and decision-making. In our study, the main technologies explored included cloud computing, blockchain, AI & Big Data, and Internet of Things. Unlike prior studies, which mainly focused on the adoption of advanced digital technology in the learning environment, our study explored the level of adoption of advanced digital technologies in Higher Education Institutions to promote green boardrooms. We applied an exploratory approach with a pragmatic paradigm and utilized a mixed-method design. The major challenge identified in our study was the deployment gap that prevailed, where there was high paper reduction, but more power intensive hardware remained. Qualitative insights identified the high cost of technology and infrastructure, a human capital skills gap, and poor connectivity to neutralize the efficiency gains of digital tools. Ultimately, the study confirmed that green governance in Zimbabwean Higher Education Institutions is currently more paperless than sustainable.