Study of the Effects of Ranking Factors on Strategic Thinking of Top Managers of Small Firms by Applying AHP Method: Case Study, Dairy Industry in Tehran

Abstract

This study aims to rank the factors affecting the strategic thinking of top managers of small firms by applying analytical hierarchical process (AHP) through the accomplishment of a case study in the dairy industry of Iran. It is practical by purpose and in terms of collection, it is descriptive, as an expert measurement option.  Statistic population of this research included all of the top managers of small firms in the dairy industry of Tehran. The sample size of the study is selected, based on the measurement expert method as 15 individuals. Accordingly, a pairwise questionnaire is distributed among participants, in order to define the ranking factors affecting strategic thinking, by using the purposeful method. Meanwhile, the validity of the questionnaire content has been corroborated by expert professors. Accordingly, inferential statistics AHP technic was used for the winnowing of ranking factors affecting strategic thinking. The results of this study showed that among factors affecting strategic thinking, individual factors have the greatest ranks and the most relevant important factor is the driver of strategic thinking. Similarly, among the components of organizational factors, the reward system has the highest rank. Meanwhile, among individual factors components, the criterion of bearing the risk has the greatest rank. Among intuitive factors, creativity has the highest rank and among the systemic view, hypothesizing is regarded as the most important component.