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The continuing validity of the strategy‐structure nexus: new findings, 1993–2003
Author(s) -
Galan Jose I.,
SanchezBueno Maria J.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
strategic management journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 11.035
H-Index - 286
eISSN - 1097-0266
pISSN - 0143-2095
DOI - 10.1002/smj.782
Subject(s) - diversification (marketing strategy) , nexus (standard) , generalizability theory , strategic management , criticism , economics , management , positive economics , political science , marketing , business , psychology , computer science , law , developmental psychology , embedded system
This study analyzes whether a diversification strategy facilitates subsequent divisionalization (and hence that ‘structure follows strategy’), and/or whether the multidivisional structure leads to a diversification strategy (and hence that ‘strategy follows structure’). In theoretical terms, this study is original in that it institutes a debate between the Chandler thesis and other perspectives that challenge the generalizability of the strategy‐structure nexus. Interestingly, this new study with contemporaneous data for the period 1993–2003 sheds light on this contested issue and postulates that despite the criticism of Chandler's contribution, it still works. Our results show that strategic diversification affects structural divisionalization, and in turn, structural divisionalization affects strategic diversification. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.