Contingency Perspectives of Organizational Strategy: A Critical Review of the Empirical Research

A two-level scheme for reviewing contingency theory research on organizational strategy is proposed. This scheme employs a systems model for delineating the domain of contingency perspectives on strategy research at the first level and incorporates relevant analytical dimensions at the second level. Patterns observed reinforce criticisms of contingency theory research in other macro-organizational areas. Recommendations pertaining to both theoretical and methodological issues are offered to strategy researchers conducting contingency theory-based empirical investigations.

[1]  L. Vogel,et al.  Strategy and Structure , 1986 .

[2]  R. J. House,et al.  Organizations: A Quantum View , 1984 .

[3]  Ajay K. Kohli,et al.  Is The Relationship Between Market Share and Business Profitability Spurious?: An Empirical Assessment. , 1984 .

[4]  Ari Ginsberg,et al.  Operationalizing Organizational Strategy: Toward an Integrative Framework , 1984 .

[5]  N. Venkatraman,et al.  Exploring the Concept of “Fit” in Strategic Management , 1984 .

[6]  Donald C. Hambrick,et al.  Taxonomic Approaches to Studying Strategy: Some Conceptual and Methodological Issues , 1984 .

[7]  Henry L. Tosi,et al.  Contingency Theory: Some Suggested Directions , 1984 .

[8]  D. Hambrick,et al.  Upper Echelons: The Organization as a Reflection of Its Top Managers , 1984 .

[9]  C. R. Anderson,et al.  Stage of the Product Life Cycle, Business Strategy, and Business Performance , 1984 .

[10]  D. Ulrich,et al.  A strategy, structure, human resource database: OASIS. , 1984, Human resource management.

[11]  Anil K. Gupta,et al.  Business Unit Strategy, Managerial Characteristics, and Business Unit Effectiveness at Strategy Implementation , 1984 .

[12]  Vasudevan Ramanujam,et al.  An Inventory and Critique of Strategy Research Using the PIMS Database , 1984 .

[13]  V. Ramanujam.  Environmental context, organizational context, strategy, and corporate turnaround : an empirical investigation , 1984 .

[14]  D. Hambrick.  High Profit Strategies in Mature Capital Goods Industries: A Contingency Approach , 1983 .

[15]  R. Bettis.  Modern Financial Theory, Corporate Strategy and Public Policy: Three Conundrums , 1983 .

[16]  P. H. Friesen,et al.  Strategy‐making and environment: The third link , 1983 .

[17]  D. Hambrick.  An Empirical Typology of Mature Industrial-Product Environments , 1983 .

[18]  D. Hambrick,et al.  Turnaround Strategies for Mature Industrial-Product Business Units , 1983 .

[19]  Carolyn Y. Woo.  Evaluation of the strategies and performance of low ROI market share leaders , 1983 .

[20]  Robert A. Burgelman.  A Model of the Interaction of Strategic Behavior, Corporate Context, and the Concept of Strategy , 1983 .

[21]  Performance, slack, and risk taking in strategic decisions : test of a structural equation model , 1983 .

[22]  John E. Prescott,et al.  Competitive environments, strategic types, and business performance : an empirical analysis , 1983 .

[23]  M. J. Foster,et al.  Barriers to Entry — A Corporate Strategy Perspective , 1983 .

[24]  K. R. Harrigan.  Exit Decisions in Mature Industries , 1982 .

[25]  George S. Yip.  Diversification entry: Internal development versus acquisition , 1982 .

[26]  R. Rumelt,et al.  Diversification strategy and profitability , 1982 .

[27]  Diana L. Day,et al.  Strategic Attributes and Performance in the BCG Matrix—A PIMS-Based Analysis of Industrial Product Businesses1 , 1982 .

[28]  W. G. Tymon,et al.  Necessary Properties of Relevant Research: Lessons from Recent Criticisms of the Organizational Sciences , 1982 .

[29]  M. Hitt,et al.  Industrial Firms' Grand Strategy and Functional Importance: Moderating Effects of Technology and Uncertainty , 1982 .

[30]  M. K. D. Vries,et al.  Top Executive Locus of Control and Its Relationship to Strategy-Making, Structure, and Environment , 1982 .

[31]  H. J. Arnold.  Moderator variables: A clarification of conceptual, analytic, and psychometric issues , 1982 .

[32]  Paul F. Salipante,et al.  A Matrix Approach to Literature Reviews , 1982 .

[33]  P. H. Friesen,et al.  Innovation in Conservative and Entrepreneurial Firms: Two Models of Strategic Momentum , 1982 .

[34]  David B. Jemison.  The Contributions of Administrative Behavior To Strategic Management , 1981 .

[35]  David B. Jemison.  The Importance of an Integrative Approach To Strategic Management Research , 1981 .

[36]  E. Biggadike,et al.  The Contributions of Marketing To Strategic Management , 1981 .

[37]  M. Porter.  The Contributions of Industrial Organization To Strategic Management , 1981 .

[38]  Peter H. Grinyer,et al.  Strategy, Structure, Size and Bureaucracy , 1981 .

[39]  C. B. Schoonhoven.  Problems with contingency theory: testing assumptions hidden within the language of contingency "theory.". , 1981, Administrative science quarterly.

[40]  C. R. Anderson,et al.  An Empirical Reexamination of Selected PIMS Findings. , 1981 .

[41]  Carolyn Y. Woo.  Market Share Leadership--Does It Always Pay Off? , 1981 .

[42]  D. A. Kenny,et al.  Correlation and Causation , 1937, Wilmott.

[43]  Roderick E. White,et al.  Toward a Model of Business Unit Performance: An Integrative Approach , 1981 .

[44]  Hans B. Thorelli,et al.  The Nature of Product Life Cycles for Industrial Goods Businesses , 1981 .

[45]  Danny Miller,et al.  TOWARD A NEW CONTINGENCY APPROACH: THE SEARCH FOR ORGANIZATIONAL GESTALTS , 1981 .

[46]  J. McCann.  Strategies for Change: Logical Incrementalism , 1980 .

[47]  Donald C. Hambrick,et al.  Operationalizing the Concept of Business-Level Strategy in Research , 1980 .

[48]  C. C. Snow,et al.  Measuring Organizational Strategies: Some Theoretical and Methodological Problems , 1980 .

[49]  Charles W. Hofer,et al.  Strategic management : a new view of business policy and planning , 1980 .

[50]  R. T. Lenz.  Environment, Strategy, Organization Structure and Performance: Patterns in One Industry , 1980 .

[51]  Danny Miller,et al.  Archetypes of Organizational Transition. , 1980 .

[52]  Brian S. O'Leary,et al.  Sample sizes for specified statistical power in testing for differential validity. , 1980 .

[53]  Lawrence R. Jauch,et al.  Short term financial success in large business organizations: The environment‐strategy connection , 1980 .

[54]  Kathryn Rudie Harrigan,et al.  Strategies for Declining Businesses , 1980 .

[55]  D. Otley.  The contingency theory of management accounting: Achievement and prognosis , 1980 .

[56]  W. E. Snizek,et al.  The Nature and Types of Organizational Taxonomies: An Overview , 1980 .

[57]  S. A. Cohen,et al.  How Come So Many Hypotheses in Educational Research are Supported? (A Modest Proposal) , 1979 .

[58]  STRATEGY, STRUCTURE AND ENVIRONMENT: CONTEXT INFLUENCES UPON SOME BIVARIATE ASSOCIATIONS , 1979 .

[59]  James Weir.  Toward the Theoretical Foundations of a Contingency of Policy Making Behavior. , 1979 .

[60]  B. Henderson.  Henderson on Corporate Strategy , 1979 .

[61]  C. Pinder,et al.  The Resurrection of Taxonomy to Aid the Development of Middle Range Theories of Organizational Behavior. , 1979 .

[62]  Igor H.Ansoff.  Strategic Management , 1979 .

[63]  G. Susman,et al.  An Assessment of the Scientific Merits of Action Research. , 1978 .

[64]  P. H. Friesen,et al.  Archetypes of Strategy Formulation , 1978 .

[65]  Charles W. Hofer,et al.  Strategy formulation : analytical concepts , 1978 .

[66]  L. L. Cummings.  Toward Organizational Behavior , 1978 .

[67]  D. Schendel,et al.  Heterogeneity within an Industry: Firm Conduct in the U.S. Brewing Industry, 1952-71 , 1977 .

[68]  J. Ford,et al.  Size, Technology, Environment and the Structure of Organizations , 1977 .

[69]  J. Toulouse,et al.  Toward a Multilevel Congruence Theory of Organization. , 1977 .

[70]  Carl R. Anderson,et al.  CONTINGENCIES AFFECTING STRATEGY FORMULATION AND EFFECTIVENESS: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY , 1977 .

[71]  Barry Hedley,et al.  Strategy and the “Business Portfolio” , 1977 .

[72]  Richard F. Vancil,et al.  Strategic planning systems , 1977 .

[73]  M. Porter.  Please Note Location of Nearest Exit , 1976 .

[74]  J. Kimberly.  Organizational size and the structuralist perspective: a review, critique, and proposal , 1976 .

[75]  Charles W. Hofer.  Toward a Contingency Theory of Business Strategy , 1975 .

[76]  B. McKelvey.  Guidelines for the Empirical Classification of Organizations. , 1975 .

[77]  R. Rumelt.  Strategy, structure, and economic performance , 1974 .

[78]  Jay R. Galbraith.  Designing Complex Organizations , 1973 .

[79]  K. Andrews.  The Concept of Corporate Strategy , 1971 .