(An Applied Study of a Sample of Iraqi Private Banks in the Middle Euphrates Region)

A thesis submitted to the Council of the College of Administration and Economics, University of Karbala, as part of the requirements for obtaining a Master’s degree in Financial and Banking Sciences

BY

Zeina Adnan Abd Al-hussein Alsabbag

SUPERVISED BY

Assistant Prof . Dr. Hashem Jabbar Hussein Al-Husseini

Assistant Prof . Dr Ali Hussein Aliwi Al-Halawi 

The study aimed to determine the role of applying thinking hat strategies on the effectiveness of strategic planning, which is reflected in the efficiency and effectiveness of decision-making, the reliability of setting bank objectives, and the mastery of implementation and evaluation processes in a more efficient and distinctive manner. It also aimed to measure the level of effectiveness of thinking hat strategies within the strategic planning practices of the private banks in the research sample, by presenting questionnaire questions to specialists in planning processes. The study problem was embodied in the fact that private banks do not follow a more flexible and innovative planning approach such as thinking hat strategies. Therefore, it was required to know the influential relationship of thinking hat strategies on the effectiveness of strategic planning of the private banks in the study sample. This study started by employing its problem with a number of intellectual and applied questions, the answers to which aim to clarify the practical implications of the variables addressed by the study, which are (thinking hat strategy) and (strategic planning). This study was applied in the banks in the study sample, which is represented by the private Iraqi banks in the Middle Euphrates region, numbering (31) banks, with a total number of (52) respondents. A number of statistical analyses and tests were used using the statistical software (AMOS).  The study utilized Excel and SPSS as data collection tools, and a specialized measurement tool was designed to gather the necessary data relevant to the study’s topics. The study yielded several key findings, most notably that a balanced approach to thinking hat strategies enhances strategic planning in banks. The study concluded with a set of recommendations that the study sample could benefit from, the most important of which was the adoption of structured thinking patterns using Edward de Bono’s “Thinking Hats” model in bank decision-making and strategic planning meetings. This approach supports comprehensive discussions that lead to parallel creative thinking, thus avoiding excessive emotional engagement in objective, evidence-based planning.