Title: Measuring performance in competitive strategy research

Authors: John A. Parnell, Nicholas O'Regan, Abby Ghobadian

Addresses: School of Business, University of North Carolina at Pembroke, PO Box 1510, Pembroke, NC 28372, USA. ' Center for Interdisciplinary Strategic Management Research (CISMR), Middlesex University Business School, The Burroughs, London, NW4 4BT, UK. ' Brunel Business School, Brunel University, Elliott Jaques Building, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 3PH, UK

Abstract: When testing for strategy-performance linkages, attention is often given more to the measurement of strategy than to the measurement of performance. However, the selection of performance measures can dramatically influence the findings and conclusions of such studies. This research note provides evidence to support this assertion. Specifically, it is demonstrated that empirical findings can be directly linked to performance measures utilised. Because different strategies may have different performance objectives, selecting appropriate measures is a critical, but difficult task.

Keywords: competitive strategy; differentiation; low cost; performance measurement; strategy performance; measurement error.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMDM.2006.010246

International Journal of Management and Decision Making, 2006 Vol.7 No.4, pp.408 - 417

Published online: 11 Jul 2006 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article