The role of strategic management in addressing the civilizational challenges facing the academic institutes: A comprehensive review

Abstract

Currently, globalization and severe competition present various civilizational challenges for many institutions, including academic institutions. The aspects of those challenges are represented at all levels of culture, society, technology, economy, and logistics. However, the intensity and type of these issues can differ from one institute to another based on a variety of variables, including the country's status, the society's structure, culture, identity, and prevalent values. The aim of this study is to review the literature on civilizational issues and the effectiveness of the strategic management approach in dealing with these challenges. This study follows the methodology of a comprehensive and qualitative review of the results of past relevant research. The current study is based on the hypothesis that challenges cannot be unavoidable due to the dynamic nature of the modern workplace and the interconnectedness of all aspects of businesses, but their consequences can be reduced according to readiness and response efficiency. Regarding the efficacy of the strategic management approach, the study stated that implementing the systematic approach-based principles of strategic management is essential for maintaining the institution's functional stability, the sustainability of its growth, and its competitiveness. However, despite the attraction of the overall framework of strategic management and the assurance of its potential to enable institutions to tackle a variety of issues, there is still no genuine evaluation model as a prediction function linking the inputs of environmental change with performance indicators, and forecasting. As a result, the current study made recommendations for developing a mathematical model for prediction, diagnosis, and evaluation based on the inputs of change, monitoring performance, and response, rather than relying just on visual observation.