This was accomplished by first examining the nature of competitive strategies within the lodging industry. Subsequently the relationships among competitive strategies, three dimensions of organization structure, company size, and five measures of firm performance were examined. Furthermore to more rigorously control for environmental effects this analysis was undertaken for the industry as a whole as well as within four distinct subsegments of the industry.

Six hypotheses were developed, that dealt with the nature of competitive strategy types; and the relationship among strategy types and 1) the degree of organization structure, 2) organizational performance, and 3) organization performance where a strategy/structure match had been achieved.

The findings of this study tend to indicate that the nature of the industry or environment in which organizations compete may be an important factor in determining the content of competitive strategies employed in that environment. Furthermore, not only do industry characteristics tend to affect the content and appearance of competitive strategy profiles, but different segments within an industry also impact the appearances of different competitive profiles.

However, the perspective that organizational variables are in a direct relationship with contextual variables is not supported by this study. The critical link appears to lie in the decision makers evaluation of the organization's environment and the choices they consequently make regarding the organization's competitive strategy and its internal structure.

The structure that is appropriate to a particular competitive strategy profile is not constant. Rather, the nature of the operating environment intervenes in the appropriate strategy/structure "match" relationship. Organizational performance is contingent upon a "match of the strategic choices of strategy and structure, but the "appropriate " choice appears to be modified by subenvironmental factors.