This is essentially a work on strategic planning and validity as a tool for management and development strategy organizations.

Intended as another contribution to a field of study strategic direction for the parameters of a young science, has with a long tradition, are significant contributions from the early seventies.
Henry Mintzberg’s work, especially this book The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning and the controversy held between this author and Igor Ansoff, one of the founders of the “school of planning “in the journal Strategic Management Journal, contributed to put “under suspicion” for strategic planning, advocating for their substitution of other forms of management, as substantiated in the Organizational learning and focus on the resources and capabilities, which are presented as opposed to planning. However, the organizations in which they carried out their activity academics who questioned the planning, tended to use more and more to develop strategies and prepare for the future: the publication by George Keller in 1983 Strategy Academic work is a catalyst for a current planning aimed at American universities in
the eighties, reaching Europe in the nineties. In the context Spanish, the planning efforts of universities like Politècnica Catalunya, which is elaborated this thesis, and dissertations as La university strategic planning: methodological proposal empirical evidence presented by F. R. Alamo Vera at the University of Palmas de Gran Canaria are signs of interest in this technique. This, at least apparent contradiction between the criticism of planning in the business context by academics and the growing interest in use it in organizations where they work, encouraged the author to wonder if the managers of the universities acted correctly promote the use of strategic planning in university management: from Thus was born the origin of the research question: under what conditions, if they exist, strategic planning helps universities better, ie more effective? This question led immediately to
another: how can we say that a university is better or more effective, another? The answer to this question, conceptually simple in the
business organization, forced the author to review the various contributions about the nature of organizational effectiveness, to obtain a model effectiveness applicable to universities.
Therefore, the author sought (and expected to be achieved), is threefold: define the meaning of organizational effectiveness for an educational institution superior strategic planning see if that helps these organizations more effective, and contrasting to what extent are certain the critical to strategic planning when it applies to the management academic activity. It was decided to contrast the assumptions made with these purposes in a European context, so that the results obtained were valid beyond a particular university.
The application of concepts defined for a business reality organizations differ materially from the company, has forced the author a conceptual effort than usual, which has resulted the extension of the thesis. The reader can find in Chapter II a guide expository logic followed, allowing you to identify those parts and chapters that are of interest. I want to thank the great willingness, and in many cases friendship, colleagues in the Department of Management with whom I have worked over these seven years, and especially to Professor Joan Mundet Hiern, whose friendship and support have gone far beyond that of a doctoral thesis director. It must include in the chapter of thanks to my family and friends, especially my parents, Jose Maria and Silvina, and my sister Martha, who have given invaluable support to the author during the process, always emotionally costly, developing a work this type.