The behavioral theory of the firm assumes that firms react on performance feedback by increasing their search for alternative courses of action. However, the empirical literature is full of contradictory findings. This paper puts forward the idea that at least part of these contradictions can be explained if we can identify groups of firms behaving differently from firms in other groups and theoretical propositions. The paper uses exploratory analysis of US and German industrial firms and changes in R&D expense as their response to financial performance feedback. The cluster analysis of behavioural patterns of these firms results in identifying several behaviourally distinctive groups. The findings support the idea that contradictions in previous studies may partially stem from having a different mix of heterogeneously behaving firms. Also, they point to the proposition that for further understanding of responses to performance feedback, these groups of firms should be analysed separately.

中文翻译：

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单一的回应，多重的责任：绩效反馈和企业的研发变化

企业的行为理论假设企业通过增加对替代行动过程的搜索来对绩效反馈做出反应。然而，经验文献充满了矛盾的发现。本文提出了这样的思想，即如果我们能够识别出行为不同于其他群体和理论命题的企业群体，那么至少可以解释这些矛盾。本文使用对美国和德国工业公司的探索性分析以及研发费用的变化作为其对财务绩效反馈的回应。这些公司的行为模式的聚类分析可以确定几个行为独特的群体。这些发现支持这样一种观点，即先前研究中的矛盾可能部分源于具有异质行为公司的不同组合。也，