Artificial Intelligence and Post-Hierarchical Leadership in Higher Education: Responsibility, Reflection, and Ethical and Epistemic Learnings

DOI: https://doi.org/10.54674/ess.v37i2.1139
Keywords: leadership; artificial intelligence; higher education; epistemic responsibility

Abstract

This article proposes a conceptual model of post-hierarchical leadership for higher education in the era of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). As GenAI transforms the processes of knowledge production, distribution, and validation, it becomes urgent to rethink leadership not as positional authority but as ethical and epistemic responsibility. GenAI, understood as an agent of socio-technical framing, reorganizes the conditions under which knowledge is recognized, posing ethical and cognitive challenges for academic institutions. In response, the Leadership Tree Model (LTM) is integrated, offering an ecological and regenerative vision of leadership as a living system based on interdependence, reflection, and continuous learning. By combining the logic of the epistemic frame with the ecological paradigm of LTM, a leadership practice focused on the responsible management of knowledge is proposed, where humans and artificial intelligence co-govern the flows of meaning.

Author Biographies

Antonio Jiménez-Luque, University of San Diego, San Diego, United States.

Associate Professor in the Department of Leadership Studies at the University of San Diego. His work explores the influence of cultural, social, and historical perspectives on the conceptualizations and practices of leadership, understood as a process of mobilization, emancipation, and social change. At the intersection of critical theory and intercultural studies, Dr. Jiménez-Luque focuses on four lines of research: 1) organizational culture; 2) leadership, communication, and rhetoric; 3) participatory and democratic leadership; and 4) intercultural and global leadership.

Yihe Yang, Arizona State University, Phoenix, United States.

Yihe Yang is an assistant professor in the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (CISA) at Arizona State University. With an interdisciplinary focus on Leadership Studies, Dr. Yang explores the intersections between intercultural communication, group dynamics, and organizational change. Her research centers on three areas: 1) organizational culture and change management; 2) group dynamics and intercultural communication; and 3) global leadership education.

Carla Penha Vasconcelos, Arizona State University, Phoenix, United States.

Carla Penha Vasconcelos is an Associate Researcher and Project Manager at the Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education, as well as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Leadership Studies at the University of San Diego. Her work focuses on transforming education systems and strengthening community initiatives, with an emphasis on equity and collaborative leadership.

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Published
2026-05-30
How to Cite
Jiménez-Luque, A., Yang, Y., & Penha Vasconcelos, C. (2026). Artificial Intelligence and Post-Hierarchical Leadership in Higher Education: Responsibility, Reflection, and Ethical and Epistemic Learnings. Higher Education and Society Journal (ESS), 37(2), 327-344. https://doi.org/10.54674/ess.v37i2.1139
Issue
Vol 37 No 2 (2025): Artificial Generative Intelligence (GenAI) in teaching and research: best practices, challenges, and prospects
Section
Articles Thematic Dossier

Copyright (c) 2025 Antonio Jiménez-Luque, Yihe Yang, Carla Penha Vasconcelos

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