Environment, strategy, organization structure and performance: Patterns in one industry

Abstract

This paper reports the findings of an empirical field study of savings and loan associations. The investigation centres upon whether combinations of environment, strategy, and organization structure of “high”‐performance firms differ from combinations associated with “low”‐performance firms. Results show that such combinations differ, both statistically and with respect to their basic character. There is also evidence that norms held by managers of competing institutions and the nature of relationships between organizations and populations served to influence the vigour and form of interfirm rivalries and, in turn, organizational performance. Copyright © 1980 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.