Assertions in current academic research and practical discourse that promote agility reduce the importance or prominence given to organizational strategic planning. While firms today are required to become agile and thus quickly and timely respond to emerging market challenges, the strategic planning process is perceived as rigid, slow, and somehow obsolete and may contradict agility. These present practitioners with a dilemma regarding the relevance of planning in this era. This study examines the pertinence of strategy planning in this agile age and its effect on firms’ business performance. In addition, since the environment in which firms operate play a significant role in determining strategies, when maintaining strategic planning, organizations need to consider internal and external factors that may change the effect of planning on performance. Hence, the study also explores market scanning (an external condition) and fault tolerance climate (an internal condition) under which the relationship planning-performance varies. Based on a quantitative research, data from organizations, and insights from fit-as-moderation approach, a conceptual model and research hypotheses are designed and tested. Common and acceptable analysis methods were employed to test the hypotheses. Initial findings indicate that strategy planning should not be deemphasized in contemporary days since it is associated with better financial (e.g., sales growth) and nonfinancial (e.g., new customer acquirement) outcomes. Additionally, performance consequences of planning are dependent on firm external and internal conditions. While the positive planning-performance relationship is associated with higher levels of market sensing, it is negatively associated with higher levels of fault tolerance. The findings have well-timed theoretical and practical implications for the business and strategy literature. Managers considering the necessity of planning strategies should recognize its relevance and take into account contingencies examined in this research.

• Itzhak Gnizy(Ono Academic College, Israel)
• Yoel Asseraf(Ruppin Academic Center, Israel)
• Moty Amar(Ono Academic College, Israel)