Impact of Mentor’s Adaptive Leadership Style on Mentees’ Overall Performance in Indian Academia Operating in a Hybrid Mode: An ADKAR Model Perspective with Artificial Intelligence Integration

Abstract

Recent accomplishments in the field of artificial intelligence  might reform the efforts of academia and instigate significant dilemmas in the arena of mentorship and leadership. In this research, an attempt is made to fill the gap between AI, the ADKAR model and the hybrid education frameworks which can be studied and analyzed to evaluate the impact of mentees in Indian academia. The study focuses on the leading management institutions in Kolkata undergoing such strategic change and examines the adaptive leadership style of mentors augmented with AI tools and their influencing positive organizational transformation and academic outputs. The study makes use of mixed methods, where quantitative data is collected through surveys with 214 MBA students and research scholars and qualitative insights drawn from seven semi-structured interviews from the mentees. This study explores multiple regression, structural equation modelling, identify important independent variables and  check their impact on the dependent variable. Thematic analysis on the other hand describes mentees’ experiences. The results indicate the importance of Adaptive leadership competencies (empathy, emotional intelligence, motivation and personal resilience) in mentorship behaviors and ADKAR components.  The research underscores AI’s potential for optimizing mentorship programs, fostering mentees' adaptability and epistemic agency, and augmenting their academic success through hybrid operational modalities. Given the changing backdrop of Indian academia for educational leaders, the study drives home the point that improving both leadership development and new means of education may be the best way forward.