Philosophical foundations of the model of cultivating strategic thinking of Sistan and Baluchestan University managers

The present study examines the philosophical foundations of the strategic thinking model of Sistan and Baluchestan University managers. This research is applied in terms of purpose and in terms of the nature of data collection, it is a descriptive survey that uses a mixed-methods (qualitative and quantitative) approach. The statistical population in the qualitative phase includes 14 expert faculty members with the scientific rank of associate professor and full professor working at the University of Sistan and Baluchestan. The participants were purposefully selected using snowball technique. In the quantitative phase, the statistical population involved 369 faculty members from 12 faculties of Sistan and Baluchestan University with the academic rank of instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, and full professor. According to Krejcie and Morgan table, 188 faculty members were selected based on their faculty and academic rank using random sampling method. The data collection tool was semi-structured interview in the qualitative phase and a researcher-made questionnaire in the quantitative phase. According to the results, the philosophical foundations of the strategic thinking model of managers at Sistan and Baluchestan University included the following 18 main components: philosophical attitude, systemic and conceptual attitude, foresight, behavioral characteristics, structural factors, academic culture, organizational learning, critical thinking, surrounding environment, organizational conflict, intelligent decision making, organizational structure reform, talent and competency identification, creative strategy design, training of strategic managers, and creating competitive advantage. The results showed that university administrators should have a general understanding of the university environment, and they should be creative and have vision for the future of the organization.