Abstract:

Digital transformation has become a strategic priority for higher education institutions worldwide, requiring not only technological implementation but also effective organizational change management. While universities increasingly adopt digital systems to support administrative processes, less attention has been given to how such changes are perceived by system users, particularly at early stages of implementation. The study explores users’ perception of digitalization as an organizational change process through the lens of change management theory. The research was conducted at a large Polish public university undergoing digitalisation of administrative processes. This paper presents preliminary qualitative findings based on four semi-structured interviews with administrative system users. The results indicate that digital systems are generally perceived as beneficial and improving operational efficiency, but important challenges remain in terms of communication, procedural clarity, and user preparation. The study contributes by providing early-stage empirical insight into user perspectives in higher education digital transformation. As the research is ongoing, a quantitative survey is currently being developed to enable broader analysis and validation of the findings.