Does Size Matter? An Empirical Investigation into the Competitive Strategies of the Small Firm

Authors

  • Armand Gilinsky, Jr. Sonoma State University
  • Elizabeth Stanny Sonoma State University
  • Richard L. McCline San Francisco State University
  • Robert Eyler Sonoma State University

Abstract

This paper examines whether different strategies are associated with different sized firms in a focal industry dominated by small family-owned businesses. In an effort to shed light on how strategic choice is determined, a well-defined and geographically concentrated industry, i.e., the Northern California wine industry, is selected to minimize environmental noise. Factor analysis is applied to fourteen strategic elements to extract a parsimonious set of five primary competitive strategies: new product/market development, consolidation, niche focus, proprietary processes, and flexibility. The factors, new product/market development and consolidation as well as the control variable, age, are found to be significantly  associated with firm  size.

 

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Published

2001-06-23

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 2 (2001)

Section

Articles

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How to Cite

Does Size Matter? An Empirical Investigation into the Competitive Strategies of the Small Firm. (2001). Journal of Small Business Strategy (archive Only), 12(2), 1-13. https://libjournals.mtsu.edu/index.php/jsbs/article/view/475