Exploring responsible AI Integration in management education: A case study of Southern African Universities

Abstract

The integration of responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education has emerged as a transformative yet complex process, particularly in the Global South. This study investigates the challenges and opportunities associated with responsible AI adoption in management education within selected Southern African state universities. Despite growing interest in AI-enhanced learning, these institutions face structural and institutional barriers that hinder ethical and effective integration. Guided by Institutional Theory, this research employs a qualitative multiple case study design to derive insights from 30 purposively selected participants, including academic staff, policymakers, and ICT administrators, across various public universities in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions and analysed using thematic analysis. Findings reveal four major challenges: infrastructural deficits, low digital literacy, institutional resistance, and the absence of AI-specific education policies. Nonetheless, participants identified promising opportunities in curriculum innovation, faculty development, and regional collaboration. The study extends Institutional Theory by demonstrating how organisational norms and cultural inertia influence AI adoption in under-resourced educational contexts. Practically, it offers policy-level and institutional recommendations for ethical AI deployment, including the need for national frameworks, digital infrastructure investment, and structured AI training programmes. This research contributes to the growing discourse on ethical AI in African education by highlighting both systemic constraints and pathways for transformative change in management education.

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