TITLE:
Characterising Strategic Thinking in a Public University Setting: A Qualitative Approach
AUTHORS:
Kennedy Msusa, Taonaziso Chowa, Jason Mwanza
KEYWORDS:
University, Strategic Thinking, Strategic Planning, Motives, Erklärendes Verstehen
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Business and Management,
Vol.11 No.1,
January
17,
2023
ABSTRACT: Background: Universities face challenges in the current
dynamic higher education sector. As a result, university managers have to contend with
finding ways that will help increase revenue to enable adequate provision of
the core services covering teaching and learning, research and publishing,
community engagement and promotion of beneficial partnerships. This calls for
developing strategic plans by employing strategic thinking skills. The
University of Zambia has not been meeting the targets in all its previous
strategic plans in the period
2008-2022 as expected. The aim of this
paper is to characterise strategic thinking with a view of rendering an explanatory understanding of strategic planning actors in the University of Zambia from their point
of view. Methods: This paper is part of a larger qualitative case study which examined the
applicability of strategic thinking at the University of Zambia from
a sample of 175 participants. However, 26 strategic planning actors were enlisted
as participants for this qualitative paper using criterion i type of sampling. Findings: A characterisation of the strategic thinking skills, which inform the
mindset of strategic planning actors in their motivation to participate in the planning and implementation of strategic plans
shows the use of environmental
analysis, systems thinking, reframing and intelligent opportunism more
than focused intent, thinking in time, reflecting skills hypothesis generation
and testing and professional capabilities. This is shown by the first four
strategic thinking skills exhibiting AV.FR
ratios that are more than or equal to 1. There is a weak practice of
strategic thinking in the strategic planning actors as shown by the AV.FR values especially when implementing
strategic plans. Conclusion: There is a wide gulf among strategic planning
actors in being consistent when it comes to applying strategic thinking
skills. There is a weakening in the mindset of strategic planning actors in
strategic thinking during the implementation
phase of the strategic plan than during the development phase as the AV.FR ratios are less than 1 in the former.
At the same time, the application of knowledge and practice gap exhibited by the executives in terms of
professional capability has been recognized suggesting the need to develop
programmes that will enhance the exposure of strategic planning actors to
building strategic thinking ability which they can, in turn, pass on
through mentoring of others.