The impact of strategic planning on the competitiveness, performance and effectiveness of bank branches: a neural network analysis

The banking distribution system is going through a rapid process of change. This research study focuses on the analysis of the perceptions, of 58 bank branch managers selected from 14 branches belonging to two major Scottish banks, of the impact of a variety of planning practices on competitiveness, overall performance, strategic planning effectiveness and marketing effectiveness. The gathered data were then subjected to a number of learning iterations as part of a specifically designed neural network topology. Major findings derived from the study revealed that: bank branch effectiveness is affected by effective management practices; the overall performance of the branch depends highly on both long term thinking and innovation; long‐term thinking seems to have also a high degree of impact on strategic planning effectiveness; and finally, the degree of precision attached to planning, programming, budgeting and control seems to trigger high levels of marketing effectiveness.