Shifting corporate mindset from operating cost to strategic capital: A theoretical framework and empirical investigation

Volume 2, Issue 2 (Wisdom Management Journal_August 2026)

Authors: Belayihun Shewangzaw, Muluken Hailu, Fikralem Toma and Zenabu Girma

DOI: https://doi.org/10.64848/WMJ.2.2.2026.95-108

Page No: 95-108

Keywords: Operating mindset; Strategic capital; Strategic cognition; Dynamic capabilities; Strategic leadership

Download PDF

Abstract

The prevailing operating mindset in contemporary corporate environments, characterized by short-term efficiency optimization, incremental improvement, and tactical responsiveness, has been increasingly identified as a fundamental barrier to sustainable value creation and long-term organizational resilience. This paper introduces the construct of Strategic Capital as a higher-order organizational resource that transcends the traditional dichotomy between operational excellence and strategic intent, arguing that the shift from an operating mindset to a strategic capital orientation constitutes a critical transformation for firms operating in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments. Drawing upon the resource-based view (RBV), dynamic capabilities theory, and upper echelons theory, we develop a multi-dimensional theoretical framework that conceptualizes Strategic Capital as comprising four interdependent dimensions: strategic cognition, strategic resource orchestration, strategic relational capital, and strategic adaptive capacity. Through a mixed-methods research design involving survey data from 312 senior executives across six industries and qualitative case analyses of eight organizations that have undergone mindset transformation, we empirically validate the proposed framework and demonstrate that organizations exhibiting higher levels of Strategic Capital achieve significantly superior performance outcomes across both financial and non-financial metrics. Our findings reveal that the transition from operating mindset to Strategic Capital is neither linear nor automatic but rather a punctuated equilibrium process mediated by leadership commitment, organizational learning mechanisms, and institutional voids. The paper contributes to the strategic management literature by offering a parsimonious yet comprehensive construct that bridges the micro-macro divide in organizational cognition research, and provides practitioners with a diagnostic toolkit for assessing and cultivating Strategic Capital within their organizations.