Strategic Intelligence and Organisational Crisis Management

Abstract

This study investigated strategic intelligence and organisational crisis management: Evidence from Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The study focused on three dimensions of strategic intelligence: anticipatory (foresight and strategic vision), structural (systems thinking), and adaptive (competitive and partnership intelligence). The investigation was driven by the increasing economic volatility and systemic risks threatening the Nigerian pension industry. Descriptive survey research design was adopted. Population of the study comprised 84 Senior, Regional and Middle-level Managers, and Risk/Compliance Officers, who are directly involved in strategic intelligence gathering and crisis mitigation across 20 licensed PFAs in the State. The relatively small size of the population does not allow the use of sampling technique. The instrument used for data collection was Strategic Intelligence and Crisis Management Questionnaire (SICMQ), validated by experts. Reliability was confirmed through a pilot test, which yielded a Cronbach’s alpha co-efficient value of 0.78. Simple linear regression was used in answering research questions and testing null hypotheses at .05 level of significance. The findings revealed that anticipatory, structural and adaptive intelligence exert significant positive influence on crisis management of PFAs in Akwa Ibom State. The study concluded that strategic intelligence is an essential intellectual engine for organisational resilience in high stakes financial environments. It was recommended, among others, that PFAs should institutionalise specialized foresight units to conduct regular economic trend analysis, ensuring that they can detect and mitigate investments risks before they escalate into financial crises, and that Business Education curriculum be expanded to include strategic foresight modules.