Elements of strategic management in Colombian public health companies

In the field of public health, where the instability and complexity of regulations demand a new approach to adapting to change, strategic management is essential. This research describes elements of strategic management applied by Colombian public health organizations. Methodologically, it is situated within the positivist paradigm, employing a quantitative approach, a descriptive research type, and a non-experimental, cross-sectional, field design. The reporting units consisted of thirty board members from five social enterprises in the municipality of Santa Marta, Magdalena Department in Colombia. A structured questionnaire with a 69-item Likert scale was used, validated by expert judgment, with a Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient of 0.86. The results showed a moderate presence of strategic management elements, with an overall mean of 3.55 and a standard deviation of 0.54. Organizational vision presented the highest average (3.92), while the formalization of the strategic plan showed the lowest value (3.17). It is concluded that public health systems continue to face challenges in the articulation between strategic and operational management, limiting the achievement of institutional goals and the Sustainable Development Goals.