TITLE:
Strategic Thinking & Organisation Culture; Insights from a Public University Context
AUTHORS:
Kennedy Msusa, Jason Mwanza
KEYWORDS:
University, Organisation Culture, Strategic Thinking, Strategic Planning, Organisation Values
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Business and Management,
Vol.13 No.5,
September
8,
2025
ABSTRACT: This study investigates the lived experiences of management level staff in the application of strategic thinking within a public university context. Employing a qualitative research design and criterion-I sampling, 26 participants directly involved in strategic planning and implementation processes were interviewed. Findings reveal that, during strategy implementation, the institution relies heavily on elements rooted in an indigenous organisational culture. These include “fire-fighting” management, freestyle systemic knowledge practices, managing by looking to government, and navigation of a highly politicised institutional environment. These culturally embedded practices stand in stark contrast to the university’s formally espoused organisational values articulated across three successive five-year strategic planning cycles. The study concludes that this cultural–strategic dissonance has significantly impeded the consistent application of strategic thinking at the implementation stage. The findings highlight a critical misalignment between declared institutional values and the actual managerial practices shaping strategic outcomes.