The mediating role of employee strategic alignment in the relationship between rational strategic planning and firm performance: A European study

Previous empirical studies examining the direct relationship between rational strategic planning and firm performance have produced contradictory results. Therefore, in order to better understand the nature of this relationship, it is important to take into consideration the role of some mediating and moderating variables. We take into account this aspect by testing the mediating role of employee strategic alignment in the rational strategic planning–firm performance relationship. Based on a quantitative empirical study conducted among 372 European firms, we find that employee strategic alignment is a full mediator in this relationship. We then discuss the theoretical contributions and practical implications of our study. Copyright © 2013 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Resume Les travaux empiriques anterieurs examinant la relation directe entre la planification strategique rationnelle et la performance de l'entreprise ont debouche sur des resultats contradictoires. Pour mieux comprendre la nature de cette relation, il importe de prendre en compte le role de certaines variables mediatrices et moderatrices. La presente etude prend en compte cet aspect en testant le role mediateur de l'alignement strategique des employes dans la relation planification strategique rationnelle-performance de l'entreprise. Grâce a une etude quantitative realisee dans 372 firmes europeennes, l'etude revele que l'alignement strategique des employes est un mediateur a part entiere dans la relation. L'article s'acheve par une analyse des contributions theoriques et des implications pratiques de nos resultats.

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