Strategic thinking as one of the main capabilities of high functioning leaders, has a high complexity and importance. The assessment center is regarded as one of the most flexible and comprehensive tools for measuring strategic thinking. The purpose of this study was to design and implement an assessment center ‎of strategic thinking competency for managers of the National Iranian Oil Refining & Distribution Company. To this end, 21 managers were selected as the sample of this study and they filled out the Professional and Managerial Position Questionnaire (PMPQ)‎‏.‏ ‎ ‎Thereafter, job-related simulation exercises (leaderless group discussion, role playing, oral presentations and ‎case studies) were designed to assess dimensions of strategic thinking (prospecting, systematic ‎thinking, clever opportunism and conceptual thinking). Of the 21 managers of companies, six ‎managers were evaluated by 12 assessors. Finally, with the implementation of the assessment ‎center grade of each dimension in each practice, the overall rating, rating of each exercise, and ‎overall performance rating were determined. In addition, the reliability and effectiveness of exercises ‎and assessment centers were determined. This showed that the effectiveness of exercises and ‎assessment center were higher than average. The results of the assessment center can be used in management decisions (such as upgrading). Furthermore, according to the validity and effectiveness of the tools ‎and practices, they can be used in similar assessment centers.‎

Keywords: assessment, strategic thinking, managers, simulation exercises, effectiveness‎

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