© 1992 Oxford University Press
The Organizational Ecology of Strategic Groups in the American Brewing Industry from 1975 to 1990*
Haas School of Business, University of California at Berkeley Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
Attempting to resolve the impasse in research on performance differences among strategic groups of firms, we propose the use of ideas and models from organizational ecology. We demonstrate the potential of such and approach by applying ecological models to study the three organizational forms found in the modern American brewing industry—the mass producer, the microbrewery and the brewpub. The analysis covers the period from 1975 to 1990 and examines the life histories of 253 breweries. The findings support the use of an ecological model of resource-partitioning and of organization form-specific models of density. Specifically, we find that: (1) founding rates of microbreweries and brewpubs increase with density and then decline; (2) mortality rates of brewpubs decline with density; (3) mortality rates of microbreweries decline with industry concentration: and (4) mortality rates of mass production breweries are highest for intermediate size firms. In general, the analysis yields new insight into the dynamics of the rapidly changing American brewing industry and its strategic groups.
*An earlier version of this paper, containing analysis of data spanning 1975 to the end of 1988, was prepared for presentation at the Academy of Mangement Meetings, Washignont, DC, August 1989. The findings of that less extensive analysis are not exactly the same as those reported here.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  A. van Witteloostuijn and G. de Jong Ecology of National Rule Birth: A Longitudinal Study of Dutch Higher Education Law, 1960-2004 J. Public Adm. Res. Theory., May 27, 2009; (2009) mup004v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. Burr Building community, legitimating consumption: creating the U.S. bicycle market, 1876-1884 Socioecon. Rev., September 1, 2006; 4(3): 417 - 446. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. van Witteloostuijn, C. Boone, and A. van Lier Toward a Game Theory of Organizational Ecology: Production Adjustment Costs and Managerial Growth Preferences Strategic Organization, August 1, 2003; 1(3): 259 - 300. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. D. Dobrev Revisiting Organizational Legitimation: Cognitive Diffusion and Sociopolitical Factors in the Evolution of Bulgarian Newspaper Enterprises, 1846-1992 Organization Studies, May 1, 2001; 22(3): 419 - 444. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. M. Mezias and S. J. Mezias Resource Partitioning, the Founding of Specialist Firms, and Innovation: The American Feature Film Industry, 1912-1929 Organization Science, May 1, 2000; 11(3): 306 - 322. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. van Witteloostuijn Editorial Organization Studies, March 1, 2000; 21(2): v - xiv. [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Boone, V. Brdcheler, and G. R. Carroll Custom Service: Application and Tests of Resource-Partitioning Theory among Dutch Auditing Firms from 1896 to 1992 Organization Studies, March 1, 2000; 21(2): 355 - 381. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. D. Dobrev Decreasing Concentration and Reversibility of the Resource Partitioning Process: Supply Shortages and Deregulation in the Bulgarian Newspaper Industry, 1987-1992 Organization Studies, March 1, 2000; 21(2): 383 - 404. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. Dowell and A. Swaminathan Racing and Back-Pedalling into the Future: New Product Introduction and Organizational Mortality in the US Bicycle Industry, 1880-1918 Organization Studies, March 1, 2000; 21(2): 405 - 431. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Lomi Density Dependence and Spatial Duality in Organizational Founding Rates: Danish Commercial Banks, 1846-1989 Organization Studies, March 1, 2000; 21(2): 433 - 461. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. T. Hannan Inertia, Density and the Structure of Organizational Populations: Entries in European Automobile Industries, 1886-1981 Organization Studies, January 1, 1997; 18(2): 193 - 228. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. R. Carroll, P. Preisendoerfer, A. Swaminathan, and G. Wiedenmayer Brewery and Brauerei: The Organizational Ecology of Brewing Organization Studies, January 1, 1993; 14(2): 155 - 188. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|