Strategic Management Practices and Performance of Private Universities in Democratic Republic of Congo

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been grappling with poor performance in its university sector, a consequence of several compounding factors. Political instability, limited resources, and widespread corruption have significantly undermined the quality of education in the country. Thus, this study sought to examine the effect of strategic management practices on the performance of private universities in Democratic Republic of Congo. The specific objectives included investigating the effect of strategic analysis, strategy formulation, strategy implementation and strategy evaluation & control on university performance. The theoretical review will focus on four theories that have been identified as relevant to the research objectives: the Upper Echelons Theory, the Contingency Theory, the Complexity Theory, and the Environment Dependency Theory. The study adopted a descriptive research design to achieve its objectives. The target population consisted of 24 private universities in the country, as documented by the Ministry of Higher and University Education (2024). The study conducted a census where all the 24 universities were included in the study. Data was conducted using an unstructured questionnaire with both closed-ended and open-ended questions. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis, with the aid of SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) software. The study found that strategic analysis is positively and significantly related to the performance of private universities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (β=0.144, p=0.034). Similarly, strategy formulation was found to have a positive and significant relationship with the performance of private universities (β=0.600, p=0.000). The study also revealed that strategy implementation is positively and significantly related to the performance of private universities (β=0.234, p=0.021). Furthermore, the results showed that strategy evaluation and control have a positive and significant relationship with the performance of private universities (β=0.448, p=0.000). The study recommends that private universities in the Democratic Republic of Congo should prioritize strategic analysis as an integral part of their strategic management practices. They should allocate resources for comprehensive internal and external analysis to assess strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, market trends, competitor activities, and stakeholder needs. The study further recommends investing in effective strategy formulation by engaging key stakeholders, ensuring alignment with the university’s mission and vision, and communicating strategies clearly. Effective strategy implementation is crucial, involving detailed action plans, resource allocation, and collaborative efforts. Finally, the study emphasizes robust strategy evaluation and control through performance metrics, regular reviews, continuous improvement, and a culture of learning to refine strategies and practices for long-term success.