Résumé
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is rapidly transforming French management higher education, presenting both opportunities and ethical challenges. This mixed-methods study investigates divergent stakeholder perceptions of GenAI legitimacy (students, faculty, and deans) through the pragmatic, moral, and cognitive dimensions of Suchman's triadic model. Empirical findings reveal that the perceived legitimacy of GenAI in higher education coexists with forms of illegitimacy, reflected in persistent tensions across pragmatic, cognitive, and moral dimensions.The discussion shows persistent tensions between short-term utility and long-term ethical concerns, and argues that sustainable integration of GenAI requires institutional strategies prioritizing the reduction of perceived illegitimacy. By embedding the analysis of illegitimacy into legitimacy theory, this study extends conceptual tools for future research and offers actionable insights for guiding responsible GenAI adoption in higher education