Abstract
For an industry facing both internationalization and impending maturity, available strategic prescriptions suggest four options which are at variance with each other. To assess the validity of competing strategic prescriptions, the outcomes of these four options are examined empirically by means of a longitudinal study of the vehicle components industry. Rather than going for strategies based on market domination, large British vehicle component companies would generally have performed better had they concentrated on resource‐based priorities; market domination has generally only proved feasible in national markets, and the outcomes of such strategies have proved little short of disastrous. Explanations are explored through a case study of one British national market leader and through international comparisons from Germany, the U.S.A. and Japan, which highlight the importance of manufacturing policies as primary sources of sustainable competitive advantage.

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