McKinsey 7S Framework for Value-Based Institutional Branding in Educational Organizations: A Case Study of an Indonesian Pesantren

Abstract

This study investigates how a corporate strategic framework, the McKinsey 7S model, was adapted to integrate Islamic organisational values within an Indonesian pesantren, and what this adaptation process reveals about value-framework integration in mission-driven institutions. Using a qualitative case study design, data were collected from nine purposively selected participants (VP1–VP4, T1, ES1, AL1, P1, S1) through triangulated observations, interviews, and document analysis, and analyzed with ATLAS.ti software using thematic coding guided by the McKinsey 7S elements. This integration was accomplished through three mechanisms: semantic alignment (adapting framework terminology to Islamic concepts), process modification (incorporating shura consultation into decision-making), and metric integration (measuring character development alongside academic achievement). Challenges emerged in staff resistance, resource allocation, and ongoing tensions between operational efficiency and Islamic consultative decision-making. Applicant data showed a two-year net change from 1,001 to 1,073 (a 7.2% increase across 2021–2023, inclusive of a 2022 decline), contextualised as institutional trajectory data rather than a causal outcome of the framework. The novelty of this research lies in the inductive development of a Value-Driven Framework Adaptation Model (VDFAM) from this single case, presented as a set of propositions requiring testing in other institutional contexts before transferability can be established. These findings contribute to educational management science by offering an empirically grounded account of how a Western management instrument was made acceptable within a pesantren through a process of systematic value harmonisation, providing both theoretical extension and practical guidance for mission-driven institutions navigating the tension between authenticity and competitiveness.