Strategic planning tools and techniques in Jordan: awareness and use

Abstract

Abstract This paper aims to explore the awareness and use of strategic planning tools and techniques by Jordanian public companies in the financial, service, and industrial sectors. A cross‐sectional survey was employed rather than in‐depth, case study‐type analysis. Single respondents, rather than multiple respondents, participated in the study for each company. This is the first study of the use of strategic planning tools and techniques in Jordan and one of the first in the Middle East as a whole. The main findings of this research are: that the most used techniques by Jordanian companies are financial analysis (for own business), PEST or STEP analysis, Porter's five‐forces analysis, and analysis of key (critical) success factors; that the managers of these companies have an awareness of most of the techniques surveyed; and that the use of strategy tools and techniques relates more to the size of company and less to the age and nature of business. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.