Artificial Intelligence and Strategic Decision-Making in Iraqi Private Universities: A Systematic Literature Review
Abstract
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a strategic resource that is highly valuable in contemporary organisations, particularly owing to the fact that it has the capacity to hasten the speed of data analysis, predictive forecasting and evidence-based decision-making. This review aims to conduct a review of theoretical and empirical literature on the subject of AI-based strategic decision-making in Iraqi private universities, and through which a synthesised framework can be developed that outlines how the AI-related antecedents influence the strategic outcomes. The systematic literature review of Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar and EBSCO was researched and utilised the publications published between 2017 and 2024 that address the issues of AI adoption, organisational readiness, technological infrastructure, leadership support, and staff competency as applied to higher education and strategic management. The review presents the evidence presented by forty-seven peer-reviewed articles and proposes a mediating framework in which Smart Technology Utilisation is the primary process that links five antecedents variables to Strategic Decision-Making Effectiveness. Seven theoretical propositions are presented, which are developed on the basis of Resource-Based View and the Dynamic Capabilities Theory. These findings have revealed that strategic value of AI in Iraqi privatised universities is not being adopted but actively and integratively used in the implementation of smart technologies. University governance, digital strategy, and leadership development are found to have practical implications. The review adds to a contextualised theoretical perspective of AI-supported strategic management in higher education in developing countries and offers a falsifiable framework to conduct empirical research in the future.
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