Adoption of Digital Technologies’ Dimensions as Predictors of Secretaries’ Job Performance in Post-COVID-19 Era in State Universities in Southwest Nigeria

The adoption of digital technologies in higher education has significantly transformed administrative processes, particularly in the post-COVID-19 era. With growing demands for efficiency, universities are increasingly relying on digital innovations to streamline both academic and non-academic operations. Secretarial staff, who form the core of institutional administrative systems, are central to this transformation, yet their engagement with digital technologies remains underexplored. To examine this relationship between the adoption of digital technologies and secretaries’ job performance, a correlational research design was adopted, and data were collected from 315 secretaries in state universities across Southwest Nigeria using stratified random sampling. Digital Technology Dimensions Questionnaire (DTDQ) was used to assess four dimensions of digital technology adoption: awareness, availability, receptivity, and utilization. Statistical analysis involved descriptive statistics of survey type and multiple regression analysis for testing hypotheses. Results revealed low levels of awareness (M = 1.63), availability (M = 1.68), receptivity (M = 1.74), and utilization (M = 1.66), despite a high job performance rating (M = 3.59). Among the four predictors, only receptivity had a significant positive influence on job performance (β = .876; t = 26.586; ƿ < .05). Compositely, awareness, availability, receptivity and utilisation significantly contributed 73.8% (Adj. R2 = .738) to Secretaries’ Job Performance (SJP) (F(4,300) = 214.608; ƿ = < .05).Recommendations point to the need for investment in continuous digital training, establishment of inclusive ICT policies, and provision of user-friendly tools that align with secretarial functions. Universities should also promote a culture of digital receptivity and mentorship to derive sustainable organizational development and improve administrative effectiveness.