Digital communication tools and their relationship with strengthening leadership in higher education institutions
Keywords:
university management, academic virtualization, institutional interaction, technological competencies, hybrid modalities.Abstract
This research analyzes digital communication tools and their relationship with strengthening leadership in higher education institutions. The problem is framed by the need to understand how academic virtualization, online education, and blended modalities have turned digital communication into a strategic component of university management. The objective was to interpret the contribution of digital communication tools to institutional leadership in contemporary universities, with emphasis on the Ecuadorian context. A qualitative documentary study was conducted, with an interpretative design and a descriptive-analytical scope. The corpus consisted of recent scientific literature, international reports, institutional guidelines, and public evidence on virtual university modalities. The information was processed through thematic analysis focused on organizational communication, digital leadership, technological competencies, and university management. The results show that digital platforms promote timely interaction, collaborative decision-making, institutional transparency, and continuity of academic services. It is concluded that leadership in higher education requires digital communication competencies to guide innovation processes, strengthen institutional trust, and respond to the demands of online and blended education.
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