ndeed, do exist. The characterization of the nature of the relationship, however, differs in different studies. The general thrust of the literature is that the use by an organization of strategic planning has positive effects on the organization's future financial performance (Hunt, 1999).
There is generally widespread acceptance of the proposition that a corporation's chief executive officer (CEO) is the strongest influence in an organization on the direction of a firm's strategic planning (Dalton, Daily, Ellstrand, & Johnson 1998). Some CEOs are legendary in their success in the area of corporate strategic planning. Outstanding successful examples in the contemporary period are Jack Welch, immediate past CEO at General Electric, and Herb Kelleher, CEO at highly successful Southwest Airlines (Colvin, 2001). Notorious for their lack of success in the contemporary are James Goodwin, until recently CEO at United Airlines, and Jacques Nasser, until recently CEO at Ford Motor Company ("Politics," 2001).
Jacques Welch and Herb Kelleher were the architects of strategi
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