Abstract
An ideal-types organizational typology is a classification system developed from a specific theory in which the types identified are mutually exclusive, identify rich classes within the typology, and predict a specific dependent measure. In this study, four university management professors developed three ideal-types configurations based on the Treacy and Wiersema (1997) strategies of operational excellence, customer intimacy, and product leader, across four second-order constructs: organization culture, employee competencies, workforce (HR) practices, and organization processes. The results showed that the deviation of 544 empirical organizations from each of the ideal-types across 23 first-order constructs (includes Treacy and Wiersema' s three strategies) predicted market performance for each type. Implications for managers designing future organization configurations are discussed.