Building a case against strategic equifinality Hybrid ideal type service organizations in a developing country

    Authors

    M. Madanoglu; F. Okumus;U. Avci

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Manag. Decis.

    Keywords

    Developing countries; Ideal types; Strategic orientation; Organizational; performance; Configurational theories; Equifinality; FIRM PERFORMANCE; ENVIRONMENTAL UNCERTAINTY; HOTEL PERFORMANCE; ORIENTATION; CONTINGENCY; TURKEY; CAPABILITIES; MANAGEMENT; FRAMEWORK; CONTEXT; Business; Management

    Abstract

    Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to build a case against strategic equifinality. This is accomplished by employing hybrid ideal types approach and testing the effect of these strategic types on firm performance among service firms in the context of a developing country. Design/methodology/approach - Data were collected via a self-administered survey. The final sample of this study encompassed 169 ideal type hybrid companies operating in the tourism industry in Mugla, Turkey. Findings - The research findings indicate that prospectors and hybrid prospector-analyzer ( PA) orientations outperform defenders based on several financial and non-financial performance measures. However, all other strategic orientations show identical performance. Research limitations/implications - The research findings imply that adopting a hybrid strategy is a viable option. In addition, SMEs in developing countries should exercise some caution when deciding to adopt a defender strategy. Originality/value - This study uses hybrid ideal types for service firms in a dynamic business environment in a developing country.

    Journal Title

    Management Decision

    Volume

    52

    Issue/Number

    6

    Publication Date

    1-1-2014

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    1174

    Last Page

    1193

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000340765800008

    ISSN

    0025-1747

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