The Role of Strategic Alignment in Enhancing Entrepreneurial Learning: An Exploratory Study of the Opinions of a Sample of Administrative Leaders at the University of Mosul
Strategic alignment is one of the key topics that organizations, especially strategic business enterprises, focus on. It plays a crucial role in modern business organizations operating in a dynamic and rapidly changing environment characterized by intensified competition. These conditions affect both production and service-oriented public organizations, prompting them to align their business strategies dynamically and flexibly while leveraging advanced technologies to maintain market share and competitive positioning. This alignment enables organizations to continuously provide high-quality products and services, helping them navigate an increasingly competitive and volatile environment. Strategic alignment ensures harmony and stability within the work environment, which is essential for successful operations. It fosters agreement, cohesion and positive relationships among employees, improves communication with colleagues and work committees and strengthens interactions with partners and customers. Achieving strategic alignment across various fields contributes to resolving workplace challenges, optimizing time management and fostering a more enjoyable and comfortable work atmosphere. On the contrary, the absence of strategic alignment can create negativity, hinder organizational goals and generate undesirable impressions. This research examines strategic alignment as an independent variable with five dimensions: communication, infrastructure, skills, governance and partnership. It also explores entrepreneurial learning with four dimensions: Strategy, organization, culture and creativity & innovation. The study was conducted on a sample of administrative leaders at the University of Mosul. Using factor analysis, correlation analysis and regression analysis, the research validated its two main hypotheses: (1) Strategic alignment has a statistically significant positive relationship with entrepreneurial learning within the studied organization. (2) Strategic alignment positively and significantly influences entrepreneurial learning within the examined field. The findings highlight that strategic alignment cannot be achieved simply through friendly relations among organizations or employees. Instead, it requires continuous planning under strategic frameworks supported by organizational leaders in an atmosphere of mutual trust, cooperation, coordination and respect for differing opinions. A conscious administrative approach is necessary to facilitate constructive and creative ideas, enabling entrepreneurial learning by ensuring top management's ability to implement strategic objectives and engage in organizational coordination. A diverse organizational culture that fosters creativity and innovation is crucial for achieving entrepreneurial learning.