Performance differences among strategic group members

Whether and why members of the same strategic group would experience different performance results has received little attention in previous research. These questions are addressed in this paper. First, conventional theory on the relationship between firm performance and strategic group membership is reviewed. Then a theory is developed as to how historical differences among strategic group members may result in performance differences. An empirical analysis of risk and return relationships is conducted, centered on the nature of environmental change characterizing the industry. The empirical setting throughout is the U.S. pharmaceutical industry over the period 1963–82.

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