CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
1.0    Background o f Study : Strategic planning being an integrated plan through which an organization accomplishes it plans and procedure to the achievement of organizational goals should not be overlooked or set aside once that organization want to actualize its goals.    Every organization wants to grow ’    and dominate the environment or the market it finds itself. But due to some economic downturn around the environment, most of them are bein g taken unawares. This brings about its poor performance. Like the Global Economic Meltdown that rocked the globe from 2007 to date, in that situation organization that plans strategically moves on even on a slow level.
Strategic planning according to On wuchekwa C.I (2002) is an elaborate systematic analysis which influences the choice of a long term goals that defines the corporate strategy of a firm and also the component of corporate strategy which implement the corporate strategy through a programme.
So strategic planning is important to an organization that finds itself in a changing environment for it to be in business, it also helps an organization to be precise in formulating its purpose, mission and objective. This situation improves the functionin g of an organization.
It also becomes pertinent that through strategic planning, an organization is able to understand its major role in the    society, its legitimacy to exist in the society with ultimate recognition by the task environment. And when an orga nization understands its role and mission through the components of strategic planning and its overall concept clearly, such an organization can develop a sense of direction and purpose and at the same time reduce the uncertainty level to certainty all for the achievement of organizational goals.
1.1.    Statement of the Problems 
In the business world, lots of organizations has failed because of inability to plan and strategize for its growth. Firms look for the proceed of their investment rather than mean s to achievement of their ends. However planning is the means through which organization accomplishes its goals. Bearing in min d that lots of business have failed due to inadequate planning, strategic planning being an integrated plans through which an org anization accomplishes its objectives. Organization cannot survive without strategic planning; its now becomes important to know the relationship between strategic planning and the achievement of organizational goals.
1.2.    Objectives of the Study 
The objectives of the study avenge other thing is
1.    To examines the extent t which strategic planning has led to the growth and development of an organization.
2.    To examines the relationship between top management functions and their involvement to the achiev ement of organizational goals.
3.    To know if the actualization of organizational goals has a relationship to strategic planning
1.3.    Research Questions
1.    To what extent has strategic planning contributed to the growth and development of an organization ?
2.    How can the management function help in the achievement of organizational goals?
3.    How    can    laid    down    plans    be    an    instrument    for    the achievement of an organizational goals?
1.4.    The Research Hypothesis 
H 1: Strategic planning in an organization does not help in the achievement of an organizational set goal.
H 2: Using strategic planning in the achievement of an organizational goal is not faced with many hindrances
1.5 S cope of the Study
The study covers the role of strategic planning in the achievement of an organizational goal in rural areas of Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Awka South Local Government Area is made up of many towns but we are concentrating on one of the towns.
1.6. Limitation of the Study  
In this study of the role of strategic planning in the achievement of an organizational goal, the following are the hindrances which the researcher may encounter.
1.    Finance: Non availability of sufficient funds pose a problem in the course of the research work. For instance transportation cost in reaching most of the firm’s location was highly exorbitant and this limits the number of organizations to be reached.
2.    Insufficient Information: Most of the managers or officers in charge atimes fail to disclose all relevant information needed for the study which will have negative effect on the study.
3.    Time: For the fact that most staff/workers of a business organization are not educated, they take much time to fill the presence of the researcher to fill the questionnaire and in some cases require the presence of the researcher to explain further the questionnaires to them.
4.    Inaccessibility of Roads:   For the fact that most of the towns in Awka South Local Government Area have bad roads, it militates against the study because of the diffic ulty in reaching those established firms in such towns with inaccessible roads.
1.7    Significance of the Study 
The study is necessary because a clear understanding of what strategic planning is in a business organization will be known. It will help managers to provide their organizations direction and purpose. It will help organizations to improve their functions in order to achieve the corporate objectives.
It will help managers to be responsive to a changing environment.
1.8    Definition of Terms
There are some terms used which needs to be define so that the reader will not find it difficult to comprehend what the writer is talking about such terms are:
Strategy: Strategy is an integrated plan through which an organization accomplishes its long-term goal.
Planning : Planning is the process of setting goals, the means to achieve the goal before practical actions are taken to accomplish the goal.
Organization (Nwachukwu 2007)
Organization is a body of person join together for the purpose of achieving a common goal.\
Strategic Planning   (Onwuchekwa 2002)
Strategic planning is a systematic and comprehensive analy sis for selecting an organization long term goals, projects, programmes , budget, policy and plans for accomplishing those plan goals.
Role
Role is a function of something in a particular thing.