Abstract
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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the significance and dynamics of alternativeoperations strategy (OS) processes towards developing a more complete picture of the strategy
process-context-performance nexus. The findings are based on the statistical analysis of empirical
evidence drawn from the contract apparel manufacturing industry in a developing country.
Design/methodology/approach – Using a structured questionnaire and the key-informant
approach data were collected from 109 contract apparel manufacturing firms in Sri Lanka. Cluster
analysis was used to identify alternative configurations of strategy process modes.
Findings – The analyses confirmed that the existence of alternative forms of OS development is
statistically significant and that the alternative configurations of strategy process modes tested can all
lead to superior performance, under certain circumstances.
Research limitations/implications – The generalizability of these findings to other industry
sectors within developing countries should be treated with caution, mainly due to the fact that the
vast majority organizations selected for this study were subsidiaries of large international companies
or comparable local counterparts. In order to better understand the linkages between OS and
performance, data should be collected from multiple countries preferably using mixed-methods
approaches.
Originality/value – The findings are expected to contribute to operations management theory as
they corroborate, with statistical evidence, the findings of recent qualitative studies. The results also
confirm the existence of OS processes in developing countries that are consistent with the conceptual
understanding developed in the context of developed countries.