Strategic marketing planning, environmental uncertainty and performance

Abstract Collective wisdom in marketing suggests firms that engage in formal marketing planning have superior performance vis-a-vis those which do not. A paucity of empirical evidence makes this notion speculative. This study uses a sample of New Zealand organizations to examine the relationships between performance (objective and perceptual) and the levels of formalization and comprehensiveness in the planning process. The results indicate a significant association between objective criteria of performance (i.e., revenue and profit) and formalization and comprehensiveness. The positive relationships, although not strong, appear to hold in both stable and unstable environments.

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