From Digital Human Capital to University Resilience: The Role of Digital Transformation Maturity in Crisis-Affected Higher Education

Abstract

Digital transformation has become a strategic concern for higher education institutions, particularly in environments exposed to recurrent disruption and resource constraints. This conceptual and analytical article develops an integrative framework linking digital human capital, digital transformation maturity, and organizational resilience. Drawing on human capital theory, the resource-based view, and the dynamic capabilities perspective, it argues that employees’ digital knowledge, skills, attitudes, and experience are strategically important but do not automatically generate institution-level resilience. Their value depends on the extent to which universities embed digital capabilities in governance, infrastructure, data systems, academic and administrative processes, and organizational routines. The article synthesizes recent peer-reviewed literature published mainly between 2020 and 2026 and develops four theoretical propositions. Digital transformation maturity is positioned as an institutionalization mechanism that converts individual digital capability into coordinated organizational capacity, while resilience is conceptualized through anticipation, coping, and adaptation. The framework contributes by integrating three streams of literature that are often examined separately and offers practical implications for crisis-affected and resource-constrained higher education systems, including Syrian public universities.