Assessing generic strategies: An empirical investigation of two competing typologies in discrete manufacturing industries

Abstract

In spite of the extensive empirical evidence supporting Porter's (1980) typology of generic strategies, many researchers have criticized it for its conceptual limitations. To address these criticisms, Mintzberg (1988) proposed an alternative typology of generic strategies. Our findings, based on a survey of executives in manufacturing firms, provide support for Mintzberg's typology and fail to support Porter's typology. Given the findings, we call for further empirical validation of competing typologies to revitalize research on generic strategies.