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Strategic Choices and Business Performance: An Empirical Investigation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2015

Bishnu Sharma  and
Tom Fisher
Bishnu Sharma
Affiliation:
Faculty of Business, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC Qld 4558, Tel: 61 7 5430 2854, Fax: 61 7 5430 1210, Email: bsharma@usc.edu.au
Tom Fisher
Affiliation:
School of Management, University of Technology, Sydney, Tel: 61 2 9514 3620, Fax: 61 2 9514 3602 Email: tfisher@uts.edu.au
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Abstract

The paper reports research within Australian manufacturing companies that investigated the perceived importance and interrelationships of functional and business strategies. Seven functional strategies were postulated (operations, research and development, technology, marketing, human resources, organisational, and financial). Porter's (1980) generic strategies were used to define business strategies because of their ability to simplify complex strategic patterns and because of their popularity in the strategic management literature (Miller and Dess, 1993). The research found that Australian manufacturers operations strategy was the most preferred and effective functional strategy. Australian manufacturers also have a preference for combined generic strategies. However, an analysis of performance suggests that the adoption of a single generic strategy may be preferable.

Keywords

• Generic strategies• Functional strategies• Operations strategy• Competitiveness
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , Volume 5 , Issue 2 , March 1999 , pp. 17 - 28
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 1999

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