Beyond Leadership: How Organizational Culture Conditions the Success of E-Learning Implementation in Kenyan Universities

Abstract

The success of e-learning implementation in higher education depends not only on leadership but also on the organisational culture within which leadership operates. While prior research has established that ambidextrous leadership influences technology adoption, limited empirical attention has been given to how organisational culture conditions—strengthens, weakens, or nullifies—these effects. This study investigated the moderating role of organisational culture in the relationship between ambidextrous leadership and e-learning implementation in Kenyan universities. Grounded in the competing values framework and theories of cultural moderation, the study adopted a mixed-methods cross-sectional design. A census of 130 respondents was conducted using structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews across the University of Kabianga (public) and Kabarak University (private). Hierarchical multiple regression and thematic analysis were employed. The findings revealed that organisational culture significantly moderates the relationship between ambidextrous leadership and e-learning implementation (β = 0.493, p = 0.002), explaining an additional 1.4% of variance beyond leadership dimensions alone. Notably, leadership flexibility, innovation support, and capacity building became non-significant when culture was introduced as a moderator, indicating full cultural mediation. Technical support alone remained significant (β = 0.177, p = 0.035), suggesting culture-independent effects. The study concludes that organisational culture is not merely a contextual backdrop but a critical conditioning mechanism that determines whether leadership practices translate into implementation outcomes. Universities seeking to enhance e-learning must prioritise cultural change alongside leadership development.