Abstract

There is a dearth of empirical studies that examine the link between competitive strategy and organizational performance in developing nations. This paper addresses this gap by assessing the strategy-performance nexus in two disparate emerging economies, Egypt and Peru. Findings support the cost leadership, differentiation, and focus conceptualizations of business strategy in both nations, but no single "best strategy" can be generalized. Focus businesses in Peru appeared to grow at a faster pace than businesses without a niche orientation, but a similar relationship was not found in Egypt. Avenues for future research are discussed, including the need for replications in other African and Latin American nations.

Key words: Peru, Egypt, strategy, competitive strategy, emerging nations.