ADMINISTRATIVE STRATEGIC PLANNING, INSTITUTIONAL REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS AND RESPONSIVENESS IN TERTIARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS: THE DIGITAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS NEXUS

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between administrative strategic planning, institutional regulatory frameworks and responsiveness in Tertiary Educational Institutions in Rivers State, Nigeria, with digital information systems serving as the mediating variable. The study was anchored on the Resource-Based View Theory and the Dynamic Capabilities Theory. Two null hypotheses were formulated and tested. A correlational survey research design was adopted. The population comprised 137 senior administrative officers drawn from five Tertiary Educational Institutions in Rivers State. Using Taro Yamane’s (1967) formula, a sample size of 105 respondents was determined and selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire validated by three experts with a Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient of 0.84. Spearman Rank Order Correlation was used for hypothesis testing at the 0.05 level of significance with the aid of SPSS version 25.0. Findings revealed that environmental scanning significantly and positively relates to both institutional adaptability and stakeholder engagement efficiency. Furthermore, strategy implementation significantly and positively relates to institutional adaptability and stakeholder engagement efficiency. The study concluded that administrative strategic planning, when mediated by robust digital information systems, significantly enhances organizational responsiveness in Tertiary Educational Institutions in Rivers State. It was recommended, among other things, that Tertiary Educational Institutions should integrate digital information systems into their strategic planning frameworks to improve real-time environmental scanning and responsive strategy execution.