The Impact of Strategic Planning on Achieving the Competitive Advantage of Palestinian Universities: The Mediating Role of Organizational Culture رسالة ماجستير

Abstract

Most organizations try to stay in the market and compete for profits, stability, survival and growth in the labor market. Now in the light of competition between organizations, they are looking for an advantage to distinct it from others. Naturally, this distinction will not come on its own, but organizations must work and look at all their capabilities, and must take all available resources to achieve the desired goal. The Palestinian university sector has been expanded in the recent years despite the dependence on the changing outside funding. As a result, the internal competition has increased to capture opportunities and projects. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the mediating role of (OC) in the impact of (SP) on achieving the (CA) in the Palestinian universities. The descriptive –analytical approach is used through using questionnaire consisted of (107) items designed by the scholar on light of previous studies was used to collect data from the study sample which consisted of (212) employees in the Palestinian universities in the West Bank selected as a non – probability sample. The study concluded some results including that the Universities have a high level of (SP), a high level of (OC), and a high level of (CA). There was significant relationship between (SP) and (OC) and (CA) in the Palestinian universities in the West Bank. The findings provided empirical support for the debate that (CA) is positively and significantly impacted by (SP) different dimensions particularly, mission, goals, and strategic option. And that (CA) is positively and significantly impacted by (SP) dimensions combined with (OC) dimensions particularly, mission, strategic analysis, and strategic option, and values, beliefs, and norms. These (SP) and (OC) dimensions were found to be the most applied and practiced in the Palestinian universities. There VI were no significant statistical differences in the Mediating Role of (OC) in the impact of (SP) on achieving the (CA) in the Palestinian universities due to all overall dimensions of SP, OC, and CA. But there were significant statistical differences attributed to all demographic variables on some dimensions. (OC) plays a mediator role in the Impact of (SP) on Achieving the (CA) of Palestinian Universities in the West Bank. Upon these results, the researcher recommended that in order to maintain a culture of strategic thinking and to develop the Palestinian university system, it is preferred to emphasize more on the participation of the administrative and academic staff in formulating and reviewing its vision, employees should be more involved in the formulation of goals, common norms in the Palestinian university ought to encourage challenge and risk, credit hours cost should be more suitable to the average of income level, and the University should rely on the feedback of its graduates and institutions to identify weaknesses in their skills and work to address them.