Configurations of market environments, competitive strategies, manufacturing technologies and human resource management policies : a two-industry and two-country analysis of fit

Abstract

In this paper an attempt is made to gain further insight into the environment-strategy-structure- performance linkages. A framework is developed to relate managers’ perceptions of their market environment and competitive strategies to the (advanced) production technologies and human resource management (HRM) policies their firms have adopted. Data from twelve Dutch and eight British companies in the food & drink and chemical industries reveal that firms with coherent environment-strategy-technology-HRM ''gestalts'' outperform rivals with incoherent profiles. Additionally, refined typologies of manufacturing technologies and HRM policies are proposed.management and organization theory ;