Culture Eats Strategic Planning for Breakfast Too

Cultural differences can significantly impact strategic planning, shaping how people perceive, interpret, decide, and respond in all the process phases. Intensively analysed from a business strategy perspective, the cultural differences influencing the successful implementation of strategic plans generate multiple conclusions.

This study looks at a country comparison between the United States and Romania, highlighting the cultural dimensions that, in our opinion, impact the generic planning process: communication style, values and beliefs, risk-taking and time orientation.

The second objective focused on the evolution of strategic planning concepts from 1989 to the present in Romania, showing similarities with the United States system. The research method used for this objective involves analysing the national-level legislative framework. Ultimately, the study presents the comparative result of strategic planning at the local authorities level in both countries, aiming to underline the impact of cultural differences on the strategic planning process. The method is the analysis of international research that addresses the issue at hand. The study is structured into three sections. The first section compares the cultural attributes of the two countries. The second section explores the evolution of strategic planning in Romania. The final section examines the results of strategic planning implementation on local authorities in both countries.