The Influence of Growth Strategy on Profits in Credit Unions‪.‬

INTRODUCTION One of management's main concerns is with the outcomes of strategic decision making. In particular, how does a specific marketing strategy decision, such as the selection of a plan for competitive posturing, affect the performance of firms within specific industries? This and related issues have previously been addressed by many studies in the literature, oftentimes with conflicting results (McMahan 2001; Miles & Snow 1978; Porter 1980; Wilson & William 2000). One aspect of strategy is the selection of methods used to grow the firm, a priority of management, particularly due to growth's impact on the firm, including the size of a firm, performance, focus of the firm, market emphasis, and product mix to name a few (Stremersch & Tellis 2004; Wyner 2005). As growth intensifies, marketing decisions oftentimes will become less relevant because other operational specializations become more critical for success (Day 2003).