عبدالاحمد امینی

Abstract

In recent years, strategic management in universities has gained significant attention in achieving quality, identity, sustainability, and flexibility in the competitive framework that universities face. This study primarily aims to present a strategic management model for the Kabul Education University. The study used an exploratory mixed-methods design. The data were collected in two stages from the university's leadership team, the Strategic Planning Committee, and the academic council faculty. In the initial stage, the author used Strauss and Corbin’s approach and grounded theory to interview ۱۶ qualified informants from Kabul universities. A three-stage data coding process helped identify main themes and subthemes concerning the university's strategic management processes and the relationships among them. The qualitative findings helped create a questionnaire and initial model which was subsequently administered to ۱۵۵ faculty and leadership members.  The quantitative data analysis examined the relationships between factors and generalizations made in the initial qualitative phase. The model indicators demonstrated fitness and favorable alignment with the conceptual model assumed by the researcher based on the qualitative findings. The analysis surfaced ۳۱۱ codes and ۴۵ categories from the ۱۶ interview transcripts in the first phase. In the second phase, these concepts were synthesized into a paradigmatic model consisting of the following. (a) Excellent Conditions, encompassing supportive actions, university curriculum content, sociocultural factors, infrastructural elements, environmental factors, and extrinsic factors related to government and the Ministry of Higher Education. (b), Contextual Conditions, creating supportive opportunities, organizational-performance structure, performance and financial factors, environmental factors, collaborative factors, and educational needs assessment. (c), Interventional Conditions cover detrimental effects of social and political factors in the country, lack of resources, organizational needs and shortcomings, lack of awareness and expertise, competitive factors, structural factors, cultural and social factors, organizational control and evaluation mechanisms, challenges in determining the organization's mission and vision, and communication and distribution channels. (d) Strategies include organizational capacity assessment, corrective measures, empowerment mechanisms, decentralization, strengthening the university’s academic achievements, supportive and developmental policies, culture-building and training, participation and collaboration, goal setting and planning, and knowledge synchronization. (e), Results include efficiency and productivity, university synchronization, social and cultural consequences, economic consequences, reform and review outcomes, motivational outcomes, structural and social outcomes, and participation and communicative outcomes. So far, the process of strategic management at Kabul Education University and the relationships between its various dimensions have been obtained. The quantitative phase confirmed factors that emerged in the qualitative phase based on the grounded theory.  

Keywords: Keywords: strategic management, Kabul Education University