Identification of strategic groups in the Spanish fruit and vegetable sector

Abstract

This article reports the results of an intra-industry study that seeks to identify empirical regularities between firm strategy, management style, organisational structure and performance in the Spanish fresh fruit and vegetable industry using strategic group analysis. Groups were formed from key dimensions reflecting firms’ strategic orientations. Performance levels did not differ systematically between strategic groups, but performance was found to be influenced by the alignment between entrepreneurial culture and organisational structure. A move towards greater flexibility and/or adopting an entrepreneurial style are both likely to contribute to an improvement in the overall performance of the firm.