Integrating generative AI into academic practice: The roles of self-efficacy, literacy, and innovation capability in enhancing academic professionalism and well-being among university staff

Abstract

The rapid integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) into higher education has transformed academic practices, creating both opportunities and challenges for faculty professionalism and well-being. Guided by Social Cognitive Theory and the Job Demands–Resources model, this study investigates how generative AI self-efficacy, AI literacy, and AI innovation capability influence academic professionalism, and how professionalism, in turn, affects faculty well-being, with leadership support as a moderating factor. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from 384 university faculty members through structured surveys and semi-structured interviews (10 respondents). The quantitative analysis, conducted via PLS-SEM, revealed that all three AI-related capabilities significantly and positively predict academic professionalism, which in turn has a significant effect on well-being. Leadership support was found to significantly enhance this relationship. Qualitative findings further demonstrated that AI serves as both a resource for reducing workload and a source of anxiety, depending on institutional support and ethical awareness. The integration of both methods highlights the dual role of AI as a personal and contextual factor influencing professional identity formation. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of academic professionalism in the digital age. The study also highlights the importance of institutional leadership in ensuring responsible and sustainable integration of artificial intelligence into higher education.