Digital Creativity as a Mediator between Attitude Toward Digitalization and Educational Management Information Systems

Abstract

Amid ongoing digital transformation, the effectiveness of Educational Management Information Systems (EMIS) is shaped not only by the availability of technological infrastructure, but also by users’ attitudes and their creative engagement with digital tools. Although technology adoption in education has been widely studied, research examining the combined influence of attitudes toward digitalization (ATD) and digital creativity (DCR) on EMIS performance across different institutional contexts remains limited. This study, therefore, explored the mediating role of DCR in the relationship between ATD and EMIS performance. Data were gathered from 345 respondents through online surveys. The findings show that ATD positively influences EMIS performance both directly and indirectly through DCR. In particular, DCR plays a crucial mediating role, suggesting that positive attitudes toward digitalization encourage the use of technology. At the same time, creative application of digital tools enables these attitudes to be translated into innovative and context-sensitive EMIS practices. These results enrich current understanding of how attitudes and creativity together contribute to the effective implementation and improvement of digital educational systems, while also offering practical guidance for strengthening technology adoption in higher education institutions.