Future Scenarios in Strategic Planning from the Higher Education Perspective

Abstract

Scenarios have been used in strategic planning in various organizations since the 1960s. They are intended to help to develop various variants of the future using one’s expert knowledge, and to enable the managers of organizations to make effective strategic decisions. Hence, thanks to the scenarios, one can be ready to use various solutions, especially in the event of unforeseen situations arising from the organization's environment or those taking place inside it. In the case of higher education institutions, scenarios are extensive reports, the creation of which is most often associated with the use of the Delphi method or an expert panel. The article focuses on the presentation of four selected scenarios related to the future of higher education in Europe and in the world, and on the preparation of recommendations for the heads of universities in the field of strategic planning in Polish universities. A research question was posed: what conclusions from the studied scenarios regarding European and global higher education may result in decisions in strategic planning at Polish universities. In the first part of the article, a critical analysis of the literature was used, and in the second, an analysis of selected cases was done. The considerations emphasize the role of scenarios in strategic planning at the university. The article is prepared from the perspective of management and quality science, in the sub-discipline of strategic management.