Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 April 2015
Several definitions of diversification exist. Typically, the concept is dynamic and refers to the relationship among various activities or enterprises in which the firm is engaged. As new activities are acquired by a firm from some existing base of activities, complementarity of the newly acquired activity relative to the existing base is subjectively determined. Judgment is rendered on whether the result represents diversification or conglomeration.
Conventional wisdom has not succinctly differentiated between diversification and conglomeration. Some writers have considered conglomeration a special case of diversification [2, 7]. For purposes of this paper, this taxonomic argument need not be settled.
Technical Article No. 13077 of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. The authors gratefully acknowledge partial financial support from Farmer Cooperative Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. for this research