Abstract
As universities increasingly create more novel courses and educational offerings, and become innovators in their markets, they will create environments of high-intensity competition, leading to Hypercompetition. The future CSU will be immersed in such an environment. D'Aveni's 7S's is a framework ideal for managing strategy in these arenas. In this Thesis, I propose the CSU use product innovation as its primary source of competitive advantage. By taking advantage of the emerging competitive environment, through the use of the 7S's, CSU can remain vibrant and viable. If the CSU uses these ideas, it would change the rules of the game and create a new playground with novel invention at the service of students at its core. To operationalize this proposal, I integrated key aspects of the works of Castells and Toffler. The same four-layer structure of the Internet that Castells identified as a whole applies to the CSU system in particular. The same forces of transience, diversity, and novelty that Toffler sees affecting society as a whole, can be used to marshal the appropriate responses from the CSU in particular. It's all about being responsive. Since changes in society occur rapidly, the ability to fulfill both short-term and long-term needs is a must. The proposed Strategic Framework for the CSU will enable such responsiveness. By doing as proposed, the CSU can become a constant contact point in people's lives, provide relevant knowledge & information, and remain a viable component of society.