The Impact of Strategic Management Practices on Enhancing Competitive Advantage and Organizational Innovation: An Applied Study on the College of Engineering and Medical Sciences (2022–2025)

Abstract

Sudanese universities have recently faced accelerating challenges driven by globalization, technological advancement, and increasing regional and international competition, making strategic management an essential requirement for sustaining academic and research excellence. This study aims to examine the impact of strategic management practices on enhancing competitive advantage and organizational innovation, applied to the College of Engineering and Medical Sciences in Khartoum during the period 2022–2025. The study employed the descriptive–analytical method, and data were collected from a sample of 138 academic and administrative leaders using a structured questionnaire covering three main variables: strategic management practices, competitive advantage, and organizational innovation. Data were analyzed using SPSS v26 through descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple regression analysis, and mediation testing. The findings revealed a high level of strategic management practices within the college, particularly in strategic leadership, which recorded the highest mean score (3.91), while follow-up and evaluation showed relative weakness (3.21). Competitive advantage scored a moderately high level (3.48), with community reputation ranking highest, whereas student attraction and partnerships represented the weakest dimension. Organizational innovation also recorded a moderately high level, with academic program innovation achieving the highest mean (3.58), compared to lower levels in research innovation (3.18). The results indicated a strong relationship between strategic management and competitive advantage (R = 0.742), a moderate relationship between strategic management and organizational innovation (R = 0.614), and a strong relationship between competitive advantage and organizational innovation (R = 0.688). Mediation analysis confirmed that organizational innovation plays a partial mediating role in strengthening the impact of strategic management on competitive advantage, as the direct effect decreased from (0.38) to (0.22) after introducing innovation as a mediating variable. The study concludes that strategic management serves as a fundamental driver for enhancing competitiveness and innovation in Sudanese universities, and that organizational innovation acts as a key mechanism for translating strategic plans into tangible competitive outcomes. The study recommends improving follow-up and evaluation systems, strengthening academic partnerships, supporting research innovation, and establishing an institutional innovation center to ensure sustainable excellence in higher education.