American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking ISSN (E): 2832-8078 Volume 23, | April - 2024 P a g e | 51 www.americanjournal.org THE ROLE OF STRATEGIC THINKING SKILLS IN DEVELOPING CREATIVE BEHAVIOR-AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF THE OPINIONS OF LEADERS WORKING AT AL-MUTHANNA UNIVERSITY Ali Abd Al Razaq Alaboody 1 Al-Muthanna University, ali_alaboody@mu.edu.iq Muthana Tawfeeq Abdul-Hassan 2 Al-Muthanna University, muthana.tawfiq@mu.edu.iq Dhrgham Ibrahim AL.Shukri 3 Al-Muthanna University, ibrahimdhrgham@mu.edu.iq A B S T R A C T K E Y W O R D S The current research aims to identify the role of strategic thinking skills in their dimensions (reflection, systematic thinking, reframing) in developing creative behavior in its dimensions (exploratory creative behavior, investment creative behavior). The research problem was formulated by the main question: Is there a role for strategic thinking in developing creative behavior? Two main hypotheses were formulated, from which several sub-hypotheses emerged to measure the level of correlation and impact by analyzing the relationship between these variables. The research sample consisted of leaders working at Al- Muthanna University, and a questionnaire survey was adopted as the main tool for collecting field-related data. The sample size was 334 individuals, and the data were analyzed using the statistical program (SPSS.V.27). Several conclusions were reached, the most important of which was that strategic thinking skills have a significant correlation and impact on the development of creative behavior. The research concluded with a set of recommendations. Strategic thinking skills, creative behavior. Introduction Strategic thinking skills and creative behavior are among the most important skills that must be mastered in work and life in general, and in business organizations in particular. Strategic thinking American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 23 April - 2024 P a g e | 52 www.americanjournal.org includes the ability to plan, set goals, and choose the most appropriate methods to achieve them. It also involves analyzing available data, information, and future expectations. Organizations that follow creative and innovative strategies should have employees who exhibit innovative and creative behaviors. Therefore, it is important to understand what makes individuals act creatively and how organizations can shape such behaviors. Strategic thinking skills and creative behavior are key skills that companies and organizations should focus on. These skills contribute significantly to making wise decisions, improving performance, and achieving more success and excellence in the market. These skills can be enhanced through reading, continuous learning and training, as well as experience and practical application in life and work. Chapter One: The Scientific Methodology of the Research Section One: Research Problem Several studies indicate that the role of strategic thinking skills in creative behavior has not received sufficient attention. According to the HR Innovation Asian Report (2014), only 20% of professionals working in human resources have engaged in the innovation process in the organizational world. This number indicates that most organizations still do not realize the importance of the role that strategic thinking skills play in developing creative behavior. Therefore, the research problem is reflected in a fundamental question: Is there a role for strategic thinking skills in developing creative behavior? From this question, several important inquiries arise: 1. What is the relative importance of strategic thinking skills from the perspective of leaders working at Al-Muthanna University? 2. What is the level of creative behavior among leaders working at Al-Muthanna University? 3. What is the nature of the relationship between strategic thinking skills and the development of creative behavior from the perspective of the research sample? Secondly: Research Objectives The current research aims to achieve a primary objective focused on explaining the factors influencing the relationship between strategic thinking skills and the development of creative behavior. To achieve this objective, the research has set the following sub-objectives: 1. Determine the level and nature of strategic thinking skills among the research sample. 2. Determine the level and nature of creative behavior among the research sample. 3. Identify the nature of the relationship between strategic thinking skills and the development of creative behavior from the perspective of the research sample. Thirdly: Research Significance 1. The research addresses and analyzes the relationship and impact between two emerging variables in the field of management literature in general, and strategic management in particular: strategic thinking skills and creative behavior, giving them additional importance. 2. It works towards developing and solidifying the belief among leaders in the researched colleges and other organizations about the necessity of striving to develop strategic thinking skills, as they represent an important and vital aspect in enhancing creative behavior, which contributes to improving their performance now and in the future. American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 23 April - 2024 P a g e | 53 www.americanjournal.org 3. This study represents a modest contribution to enriching the Arabic literature in general, and specifically the Iraqi literature, with the purpose of increasing intellectual enrichment and knowledge accumulation in the field of the study variables. Fourthly: Research Hypothesis Framework The purpose of this section is to provide a detailed plan that the research follows in order to achieve its objectives, as shown in Figure (1). Based on this, the research variables can be identified as follows: Figure (1): Hypothetical scheme of the Research Source: The researchers Fifth: Research Hypotheses First main hypothesis: There is a statistically significant relationship between dimensions of strategic thinking skills and the variable of creative behavior development. Second main hypothesis: There is a statistically significant effect of strategic thinking skills in its dimensions on the variable of creative behavior development. Sixth: Research Tool We relied on a questionnaire to obtain data from the operational side. The questionnaire consisted of three parts in its final form. The first part included information about the individuals who were examined, while the second part included questions to deal with strategic thinking skills and was prepared based on the random sampling method. The third part included measures of creative behavior development. Seventh: Research Population and Sample The study population consists of the working leaders at Al-Muthanna University. The study sample consisted of (350) individuals, so the study sample included a comprehensive survey method, and the returned questionnaires amounted to (340) with (6) damaged questionnaires, meaning that the number of valid questionnaires for analysis was (334). American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 23 April - 2024 P a g e | 54 www.americanjournal.org Second Chapter: The Theoretical Framework of the Research The Concept of Strategic Thinking Skills Strategic thinking is the adaptation when interpreting, analyzing, applying, and organizing information in more than one way, which means generating more alternative paths in the process of achieving goals (Romriell, 2020:14). Strategic thinking is also a cognitive approach that attempts to discover everything new and unconventional in terms of competitive methods, and strategic thinking consists of insight into the present and future (Tatari, 2023:2). Therefore, organizations must believe that there is no single, predictable future, and they must be prepared for a large number of possibilities (Abbas et al., 2023:9). The new business environment becomes more complex and fierce with rapid disruptions and unexpected changes. Therefore, organizations need to develop strategic management as a general framework capable of researching and anticipating the future, developing competitive advantage strategies, and their sustainability (Strekalova, 2019:76). To achieve this, they need new methods of thinking and decision-making, and the essence of this process is strategic thinking (Abdullah, 2022:36). Designing a strategy requires a combination of strategic thinking, which includes analyzing the strategic environment of the organization (Strekalova, 2019:76), defining its vision, and designing new ideas and visions based on the ideas of competitors and strategic planning, which involves using these ideas to formulate the appropriate action plan (Romriell, 2020:14). Strategic thinking is also an indicator of organizational competence, such as formulating applicable and cost-effective strategies, addressing organizational goals autonomously or in coordination with other strategies, designing strategies that take into account the strengths and weaknesses of the organization (Tatari, 2023:2), providing long-term studies and reports, knowing customer trends to formulate suitable strategic policies, and developing programs and plans that address the long-term needs of customers, stakeholders, and interests (Abbas et al., 2023:9). It is also a means and a high method that seeks to create high future value for organizations by solving strategic problems, combining a rational strategic approach with the creative and convergent thinking process, and proposing a clear conceptual framework consisting of a system of thinking, creativity, and vision (Strekalova, 2019:76). It revolves around uncovering the secrets of the chaotic world around us, understanding them, and harnessing forces to achieve specific goals, i.e., using analysis tools and tactics to take decisive and wise actions. It is the work that gives us the best possible chance of achieving those goals and makes previously unexplainable events understandable (Pang, 2012:346). The Importance of Strategic Thinking Skills Strategic thinking skills are associated with individual success. These skills help in reframing situations to make them clearer and more understandable. They reflect and develop practical theories that guide actions and promote more comprehensive thinking (Simuth, 2015:704). They also assist leaders in conceptualizing events and problems and are useful methods for effective problem-solving (Al-Qatamin, 2018:10). Strategic thinking skills enable organizational leaders to seize available environmental opportunities, confront crises, enhance the organization's creative and essential capabilities, contribute to closing knowledge gaps, and strengthen leadership skills, especially in decision-making by aligning current organizational activities with the emerging environment while American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 23 April - 2024 P a g e | 55 www.americanjournal.org considering what can be achieved with available resources and generated capabilities (Bowman, 2016:12). In order to be fully responsive to this dynamic and complex environment today, strategic thinking skills are used by organizational management to determine direction and clarify vision, i.e., thinking through the qualitative aspects of business (opinions, judgments, and even stakeholders' feelings) (Da'as, 2021:2). They can also be applied in various fields, including political, military, and strategic areas, to develop strategies and enable organizations to benefit from effective and necessary learning in a simulated business environment (Mustață et al., 2019:4). Moreover, the importance of strategic thinking skills is further emphasized as a successful alternative to traditional, intuitive decision- making, providing a partial view of the world, especially since organizations need to develop approaches that ensure their success at all times and understand the changing processes that drive superior markets (Keikhanjad et al., 2022:66). Dimensions of Strategic Thinking Skills Pisapia et al. (2009:48) identified three dimensions of strategic thinking skills as follows: 1. Contemplation: The concept and practice of contemplation have undergone significant changes and developments in definitions and applications. It has taken various forms in different contexts. It is defined as "the activity in which individuals reflect on, think about, study, and evaluate their experiences. It is a widely used tool in formal and informal learning activities, both individual and organizational" (Abbas et al., 2023:9). Tatari (2023:2) pointed out that contemplation is an implicit cognitive skill that involves a thorough examination of any belief or practice that enhances and develops the understanding of situations, and then applies the newly acquired knowledge to those cases. It is based on subjecting evidence, perceptions, experiences, and beliefs to scrutiny to understand the meaning of situations before engaging in thoughts. Leaders begin by breaking down assumptions, values, and beliefs that underlie the rules, regulations, and skills in work and daily life (Romriell, 2020:14). 2. Systematic Thinking: Systems thinking is an ancient concept with a long history, dating back to early Greek philosophy (Abbas et al., 2023:9). It is one of the most important terms and is often used in dealing with managerial matters. The term "systems thinking" in World War II was one of the first attempts to apply systems thinking to solve management problems, and it is best compared to business process reengineering, such as knowledge management and balanced scorecards. Due to its extensive application history and the significant amount of learned knowledge it contains, it is considered one of the holistic systems that use interconnected thinking. Therefore, it solves problems in a deeper way and opens up another dimension for creativity (Tatari, 2023:2). Romriell (2020:14) stated that systems thinking is the leader's ability to see the entire system by understanding its characteristics, forces, patterns, and interrelationships that shape its behavior. It allows for options and enables them to understand the relationships between facts. It also enables them to investigate the demand for a product or service produced by their organization before taking the necessary actions to satisfy it and obtain feedback to help workers and organizations self-correct (Strekalova, 2019:76). American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 23 April - 2024 P a g e | 56 www.americanjournal.org 3. Reformulating (Reframing): In order for organization managers to overcome complex and unexpected environmental conditions, and in order to gain a better perspective on the appropriate and implementable strategic positions and provide an immediate and effective response, the skill of "reframing" must be used (Abbas et al., 2023:9). It is a powerful tool that helps generate possibilities and study the situation itself from multiple perspectives, and it offers new and strong options for transforming threats into promising opportunities. The skill of reframing is more of an art than a science, bringing a distinctive vision and producing unique works through the use of knowledge, intuition, and wisdom to understand appropriate and effective approaches (Tatari, 2023:2). Reframing is one of the most important cognitive processes necessary for practicing strategic thinking and gathering information that identifies and recognizes realistic facts (Romriell, 2020:14). It is also a conscious effort by leaders aimed at producing usable knowledge through conceptual models suitable for the activities and events they face (Strekalova, 2019:76). Leaders and managers who have the ability to reframe are able to develop unique alternatives and new ideas about what their organization needs, and they are capable of listening to people and events around them with less organizational bias. They learn to anticipate fluctuations and turbulent upheavals in organizational life, resulting in managerial freedom and more productive organizations (Abdullah, 2022:36). The concept of developing creative behavior is manifested in an individual's ability to break free from the traditional context of thinking and apply procedures that diverge from organizational norms, by improving cognitive characteristics such as fluency, flexibility, and originality, which in turn help build the essence of interaction between the individual and the organization (Abu-Naser et al., 2020:68). This enhances knowledge sharing among individuals, groups, teams, departments, and organizations through knowledge sharing. If the organization shares knowledge, its members will engage in high creativity, thus establishing a good relationship between knowledge exchange and organizational creativity (Setiawan et al., 2020:307). Creative behavior plays an important role in implementing new and improved ideas, processes, practices, policies, and achieving organizational effectiveness, business success, and long-term sustainability (Kwon & Kim, 2020:1; Sung & Kim, 2021:3). Submitter&Komari (2020:201) stated that creative behavior improves the individual's complete process, leading to the emergence of new and useful skills that they apply at all levels of the organization. Creative behavior also works to develop a comprehensive behavioral process that guides employees in searching for new ideas, processes, techniques, or products, establishing them successfully (Tang et al., 2021:2; Hadi & Saerang, 2020:82). Creative behavior serves as a problem-solving process, offering solutions through knowledge or new ideas gained from experience, supporting the idea and realizing it to enhance the organization's interests (Sung & Kim, 2021:5). Yuningsih (2020:1015) pointed out that it improves the organization's ability to respond to a specific situation in the workplace by doing something creative or introducing something new in the product, service, or process. Alheet et al. (2021:239) defined it as a combination to enhance the organization's creativity in dealing with fluctuations and the dynamics of the business environment and intense competition, enabling and developing the ability of employees to engage in organizational behaviors, flourish, and increase their creative outputs. Kunt&Gülcan (2021:4) see it as a means to develop the organization's ability to invest its potential in strategic planning to cope with environmental changes and improve creative practices, ideas, and organizational vision. American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 23 April - 2024 P a g e | 57 www.americanjournal.org Importance of Developing Creative Behavior The importance of creative behavior is highlighted by instilling a mindset that can be observed at the individual, group, or organizational level. These groups can be the main axes of creativity (Hamdan et al., 2020:95). Therefore, the importance of creative behavior can be summarized in the following points (Christensen et al., 2018:426); (Joo & Bennett, 2018:2); (Christensen, 2014:22): 1. Generating and implementing creative ideas by employees to respond to market changes or seize market opportunities. 2. Enhancing the competitive advantage of the organization. 3. Developing organizational performance. 4. Improving the capabilities of individuals (employees) and the leadership of the work group and work climate in utilizing a set of concepts effectively and creatively in order to develop work in the organization to a higher level. 5. Enhancing the method used to develop and train employees in a way that promotes the creativity of employees in the organization. 6. Adapting to emerging conditions in society and creatively dealing with colleagues within the organization. 7. The ability to create creative output through fluency, flexibility, and originality. Dimensions of Developing Creative Behavior 1. Exploratory Creative Behavior Exploratory creative behavior refers to work behavior associated with innovation, which includes exploring opportunities and generating new ideas. The exploratory creative behavior can be measured through the following: a. Exploring opportunities: It involves exploring ideas and generating them by searching for ways to improve current products or processes or solve problems by attempting to think about them in alternative ways and integrating existing information and concepts or reorganizing them (Nijenhuis, 2015:11). Moreover, the ideas resulting from the creative process also require a positive change in a product or service to complete the innovation cycle and make it sustainable (Xerri, 2013:59). b. Idea generation: Creative work behavior begins with generating a useful idea in a specific field by creative individuals who can address problems or performance gaps from a different perspective, primarily based on gathering and reorganizing information and problem-solving concepts or improving actual performance levels (Benedek, 2018:33). This stage focuses on studying creative opportunities with the aim of learning from and benefiting from them, which is essential to initiate the process of change and renewal in the organization. Additionally, it involves presenting new ideas that focus on changes within the organization, and the working individuals are the source of these ideas, which are a fundamental requirement for creativity (Woods et al., 208:3). 2. Investment Creative Behavior Investment creative behavior involves directing work behavior towards implementing change and applying new knowledge or improving processes to enhance individual and/or organizational performance. It includes promoting ideas and implementing them. a. Idea promotion: After generating ideas, the second stage is promoting those ideas. When an idea is generated, the individual who came up with the idea will seek to find friends or supporters of the American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 23 April - 2024 P a g e | 58 www.americanjournal.org idea or build alliances of supporters. When these supporters or the alliance for those ideas are found, the new ideas that have not yet been implemented in the organization will be promoted. The focus is on studying the support from the innovation process (Jong, 2007:7). b. Idea implementation: In this stage, the actual implementation of the adopted creative idea takes place within the role of the individual, group, team, or the organization as a whole, allowing the latter to obtain real results and utilize them to enhance its competitive gains (Abbas et al., 2012:2). Chapter Three: Applied Research Aspect First: Testing the Reliability of the Measurement Tool Testing reliability is one of the important factors or characteristics that should be present for the validity of using a specific scale. It means that the scale is reliable and can be relied upon. Validity and reliability are related to the extent to which the scale provides stable and consistent results. It is said that the scale or test can be relied upon if the repeated measurement conducted under stable conditions produces the same result. The scale is highly credible in terms of consistency if its items measure the same construct (Taherdoost, 2016:33). The Cronbach's alpha scale is considered one of the most important scales used to measure the reliability of the questionnaire and is widely known and used among researchers in various fields of scientific research. If the test value is less than 60%, it is considered a weak indicator of reliability, while a value exceeding 70% is considered acceptable, and a reliability ratio of 80% or more is considered good (Sekrana, 2003:311). In order to determine the validity and stability of the scale and the reliability of the questionnaire form for the current variables, the researcher relied on Cronbach's alpha test. It was found that the coefficient values for the main study variables and their sub-dimensions ranged from 0.921 to 0.714, and these values are acceptable in descriptive studies as they are high values compared to the standard Cronbach's alpha value of 0.70. It was also found that the values of the structural validity coefficient were high and significant for the adopted measures, making the study tool valid for final application due to its high accuracy, validity, and reliability. Table (1) shows the reliability and validity coefficients for the adopted measurement tool in the current study. Table (1): Reliability and Validity Coefficients at the Level of Main Variables and Sub-dimensions Main Variables and Sub-dimensions Cronbach's Alpha Value Structural Validity Coefficient Value Reflection 0.749 0.865 Systematic Thinking 0.714 0.845 Reformulation 0.765 0.875 Strategic Thinking Skills 0.873 0.934 Exploratory Creative Behavior 0.813 0.902 Investment Creative Behavior .8010 0.895 Development of Creative Behavior .9210 0.960 Source: Prepared by the researchers based on the outputs of SPSS V.27 software. American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 23 April - 2024 P a g e | 59 www.americanjournal.org Second: Testing Internal Consistency The aim of this test is to verify the internal consistency (correlation) between the variables and dimensions of the current study, along with their items. The researchers relied on using the Pearson correlation coefficient to determine the significant correlations between those variables, dimensions, and items. Significant correlations indicate the strength of the adopted scale. Table (2) illustrates the correlation coefficients between all scale items, their dimensions, and variables. The test results indicate the presence of significant correlations at a significance level of (0.01) between the variables and items on one hand, and the dimensions and items on the other hand. The correlation coefficients ranged from (0.217**–0.838**), indicating a high internal consistency among the content of all study measures. Table (2): Internal Consistency between Scale Items and Sub-dimensions Main Variables Sub-dimensions Items Item Consistency with Dimension Item Consistency with Variable Significance Level Strategic Thinking Skills Reflection 1 .580** .433** .01 2 .653** .462** .01 3 .692** .642** .01 4 .611** .426** .01 5 .731** .589** .01 Systematic Thinking 6 .551** .499** .01 7 .580** .433** .01 8 .404** .417** .01 9 .574** .502** .01 10 .646** .586** .01 Reformulation 11 .646** .540** .01 12 .663** .624** .01 13 .638** .556** .01 14 .565** .429** .01 15 .627** .531** .01 16 .780** .676** .01 Development of Creative Behavior Exploratory Creative Behavior 1 .815** .744** .01 2 .795** .712** .01 3 .817** .667** .01 4 .738** .595** .01 5 .602** .449** .01 Investment Creative Behavior 1 .775** .729** .01 2 .797** .713** .01 3 .797** .761** .01 4 .787** .726** .01 5 .647** .528** .01 Source: Compiled by the researchers using SPSS V.27 software. Thirdly: Describing and Diagnosing the Research Variables 1- Strategic Thinking Skills Variable This section includes the weighted arithmetic means of the questionnaire items, as well as their standard deviations, variance, and relative importance. The researchers relied on the assumed American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 23 April - 2024 P a g e | 60 www.americanjournal.org hypothetical mean of (3) for the purpose of comparing the responses of the sample individuals. This is because the researchers relied on a Likert five-point scale. Table (3): Descriptive Statistics for strategic thinking skills Items Arithmet ic Mean Standard Deviation Coefficient of Variation % Relative Significance % Items Level Items Order Reflection 4.065 0.838 20.60 81.29 High 1 Systematic Thinking 3.703 0.844 22.79 74.05 High 3 Reformulation 3.875 0.905 23.37 77.50 High 2 Strategic Thinking Skills Sum 3.836 0.755 19.69 76.72 High Table (3) presents the descriptive statistics for strategic thinking skills, where the total weighted mean for this variable was (3.836), with a standard deviation of (0.755), a relative difference coefficient of (19.69%), and a relative importance of (76.72%). This indicates a high consensus among the sample individuals regarding this dimension, confirming that the study sample is moderately concerned with the skills possessed by its leaders. This highlights the importance of diversifying the skills of the members and the possibility of enhancing them through learning, development, and acquiring additional skills in the practice of administrative, technical, and teaching activities. Figure (1): Descriptive Statistics for the Variable of Strategic Thinking Skills 2- Development of Creative Behavior This section includes the weighted arithmetic means of the questionnaire items, as well as their standard deviations, variance, relative difference coefficient, and relative importance. The researchers relied on the assumed hypothetical mean of (4) for the purpose of comparing the responses of the sample individuals. This is because the researchers relied on a Likert five-point scale. 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 Reflection Systematic thinking Reframing Arithmetic Mean Standard Deviation American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 23 April - 2024 P a g e | 61 www.americanjournal.org Table (4): Descriptive Statistics for the Development of Creative Behavior. Items Arithmetic Mean Standard Deviation Coefficient of Variation % Relative Significance % Items Level Items Order Exploratory Creative Behavior 3.948 0.881 22.32 78.97 High 1 Investment Creative Behavior 3.931 0.723 18.40 78.62 High 2 Creative Behavior Development Sum 3.819 0.908 23.77 76.38 High Table (4) presents the descriptive statistics for the development of creative behavior, where the total weighted mean for this variable was (3.819), with a standard deviation of (0.908), a relative difference coefficient of (23.77%), and a relative importance of (76.38%). This indicates a high consensus among the sample individuals regarding this dimension, confirming that the study sample is moderately concerned with the development of creative behavior in leadership. This highlights the importance of this variable in the practice of administrative, technical, and teaching activities. Figure (2): Descriptive Statistics for the Development of Creative Behavior Fourthly: Testing the Research Hypothesis The researchers relied on conducting the test using multiple regression analysis and employing the backward elimination method. One of the main advantages of this method is that it eliminates dimensions that have insignificant effects on the dependent variable (213: 2009, Field). The influential strength of the independent variables on the dependent variable will be measured by examining the significance of the computed t-values for the multiple regression coefficients. The determination coefficient (R2) will also be used, which measures the explanatory power of the independent variables on the dependent variable. The statistical program (SPSS V.27) was used. 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 Explorative creative behavior Investemet creative behavior Arithmetic Mean Standard Deviation American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 23 April - 2024 P a g e | 62 www.americanjournal.org The first main hypothesis states: There is a statistically significant relationship between strategic thinking skills in its dimensions and the variable of development of creative behavior. Table (5) displays the simple correlation coefficients (Pearson) between the current study variables, along with the inclusion of the significance level (Sig.), which indicates the significance test of the correlation coefficient. If the symbol (**) appears next to the correlation coefficient, it indicates its significance at the (0.01) level and a confidence level of (99%). Meanwhile, the symbol (*) indicates its significance at the (0.05) level and a confidence level of (95%). Table (5): Correlation Coefficients between Strategic Thinking Skills in its Dimensions and the Development of Creative Behavior. Source: Outputs of the SPSS program (Version 27). The results in Table (5) indicate a statistically significant positive relationship between the variable of strategic thinking skills and the development of creative behavior. The correlation coefficient between them was (0.603**), and this value indicates a strong positive relationship between these variables at a significance level of (0.01) and a confidence level of (99%). Based on the above, this relationship can be explained by the university's focus on the dimensions of strategic thinking skills and their application in the field, especially in terms of reflection, which is relied upon to achieve educational service goals, diagnose problems that arise from time to time, and determine ways to address them. Additionally, there is an emphasis on strategic thinking skills that contribute to the presence of highly competent faculty members who can effectively engage with students, thereby supporting the development of creative behavior at the university level. The second main hypothesis states: There is a statistically significant effect of strategic thinking skills, in its dimensions, on the variable of development of creative behavior. Figure (3) demonstrates a statistically significant positive effect of strategic thinking skills on the development of creative behavior. The results of the model fit indices fall within the acceptable range, with a value of (RMR=0.019), which is lower than the specified range of (.080). The standardized effect coefficient is (0.60), indicating that strategic thinking skills account for 60% of the variance in the development of creative behavior at the study university sample. This means that a one-unit change in strategic thinking skills at the study university sample will result in a 60% change in the development of creative behavior. This value is statistically significant, as the critical ratio (C.R.) value of (11.502) is significant at a significance level (P-Value). Variables Reformulation Systematic Thinking Reflection Strategic Thinking Skill Creative Behavior Development Pearson Correlation .523** .486** .544** .603** Sig. (2tailed) .000 .000 .000 .000 n 334 334 334 334 American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 23 April - 2024 P a g e | 63 www.americanjournal.org Table (6): Paths and Parameters for Testing the Effect of Strategic Thinking Skills on the Development of Creative Behavior. Paths Standardized Regression Weights Unstandardized Estimates Standard Error Critical Ratio Significance Ratio Creative behavior development <--- Thinking skills .603 .657 .057 11.502 *** Reflection <--- Strategic thinking skills .829 .967 .043 22.524 *** Systematic thinking <--- Strategic thinking skills .881 1.014 .036 28.277 *** Reformulating <--- Strategic thinking skills .865 1.020 .039 26.191 *** Explorative creative behavior <--- Creative behavior development .836 .904 .039 23.184 *** Investment creative behavior <--- Creative behavior development .905 1.182 .037 32.295 *** Source: AMOS program (Version 27) Section Four: Conclusions and Recommendations First: Conclusions 1. The variable of strategic thinking skills was found to be highly important according to the responses of the sample participants, indicating that the university places a high emphasis on strategic thinking skills. This highlights the importance of adaptation and responsiveness possessed by the university Figure (3): the impact of strategic thinking skills in developing creative behavior Source: out puts of (Amos V. 27) American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 23 April - 2024 P a g e | 64 www.americanjournal.org members and the potential for enhancing these skills through learning, development, and acquiring additional skills in administrative, technical, and teaching activities. 2. The presence of high levels of strategic thinking skills dimensions in the university can be attributed to the nature of the sector in which the university operates. This confirms that the study university sample is working to improve its capabilities in achieving good levels of reflection and systematic thinking, with the aim of achieving better results. 3. The results of the statistical analysis revealed agreement among the surveyed sample regarding the variable of developing creative behavior. This indicates a high level of agreement among the sample participants on this dimension, confirming that the university is striving to provide the necessary requirements to improve the skills of its members according to the job requirements they practice, and to achieve better adaptation to the requirements of the labor market and the dynamic work environment. This necessitates reviewing the behavioral experiences of university service employees in other universities to benefit from them in this aspect. Second: Recommendations 1. Adopt legal regulations in the process of appointing officials in the study university sample who will occupy leadership positions, in order to enhance the requirements of developing creative behavior among the university members. 2. Submit recommendations to higher authorities and strive to implement modern models of strategic thinking skills, making adjustments to some practices as needed to keep up with changes in this field. 3. The management of private colleges should emphasize the participation of their staff, whether academic or administrative, in specialized training courses to acquire more technical and administrative skills. 4. Maintain strategic thinking skills by focusing on continuous modification and improvement of human resource systems that align with the changing requirements of the university to achieve a leading position in the field of education. References 1. Abbas, A. A., & Al-Jubouri, M. S. F. (2023). 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