What motivates politicians to use strategic plans as a decision-making tool? Insights from the theory of planned behaviour

Although in many public organizations politicians sitting in governing boards are responsible for ratifying the organization's strategic plan and monitoring its implementation, empirical insights on the determinants of politicians' strategic plan use are lacking. Therefore, we build on the theory of planned behaviour to analyse (1) how politicians' beliefs regarding the usefulness of strategic planning, the pressure to use strategic plans, and their self-efficacy in using strategic plans effectively are formed, and (2) how these beliefs impact intended and actual strategic plan use. Longitudinal data from 249 councillors (153 Flemish local authorities) provides support for the developed psychological-cognitive model.