Online collective efficacy and its relationship with organizational sustainable development in higher education

Abstract

Digital transformation in higher education has intensified reliance on online collaboration, yet the role of shared digital capability beliefs in driving institutional sustainability remains underexplored. This study examined the relationship between online collective efficacy (OCE) and organizational sustainable development (OSD) among faculty members in Egyptian higher education. Using a quantitative correlational design, a purposive sample of 647 faculty members and teaching assistants from Al-Azhar University completed two validated instruments: the OCE scale and the OSD questionnaire. Pearson correlation and multiple regression analyses revealed exceptionally strong positive associations between all OCE dimensions and OSD outcomes (r=.887, p<.001), with the six dimensions collectively explaining 78.8% of variance, F(6, 640)=396.225, p<.001. Social presence-community level demonstrated the strongest predictive contribution (β=.241), with community-level perceptions consistently outperforming participant-level perceptions across all dimensions. The study contributes by establishing OCE as an integrative psychological mechanism bridging digital transformation and sustainability outcomes within Bandura’s social cognitive theory framework, offering the first empirical evidence of this relationship in Egyptian higher education. Institutionally, leaders should prioritize cross-functional digital communities and collaborative platforms to foster collective efficacy as a driver of sustainability transformation.