This paper, authored by N. Venkatraman and published in May 1986, aims to develop and validate a construct called "Strategic Orientation of Business Enterprises" (STROBE). The study addresses four key questions to define the domain of STROBE, focusing on the means and ends of strategy, the level of organizational hierarchy, the scope of strategy, and the distinction between intended and realized strategies. The construct is defined as the general pattern of means used to achieve business goals at the business unit level. The paper outlines six dimensions of STROBE: aggressiveness, analysis, defensiveness, futurity, proactiveness, and riskiness. These dimensions are derived from a critical review of the literature and are empirically validated using a structured questionnaire administered to executives. The validity of the measures is assessed through unidimensionality, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and predictive validity. The results show that the operational measures satisfy the criteria for unidimensionality and various types of validity. The relationships among the dimensions are discussed, with some dimensions showing significant correlations. For example, the analytical orientation is strongly correlated with defensiveness, futurity, and proactiveness, but not with aggressiveness. The study also examines the relationship between STROBE dimensions and business performance, finding that aggressive pursuit of market share negatively affects current profitability, while analytical orientation positively impacts both growth and profitability. The paper concludes by discussing potential extensions, including replication, multiple informants, and the use of different methods to validate the measures. It suggests that the validated measures can serve as useful tools for researchers to test theoretical relationships in strategic management.This paper, authored by N. Venkatraman and published in May 1986, aims to develop and validate a construct called "Strategic Orientation of Business Enterprises" (STROBE). The study addresses four key questions to define the domain of STROBE, focusing on the means and ends of strategy, the level of organizational hierarchy, the scope of strategy, and the distinction between intended and realized strategies. The construct is defined as the general pattern of means used to achieve business goals at the business unit level. The paper outlines six dimensions of STROBE: aggressiveness, analysis, defensiveness, futurity, proactiveness, and riskiness. These dimensions are derived from a critical review of the literature and are empirically validated using a structured questionnaire administered to executives. The validity of the measures is assessed through unidimensionality, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and predictive validity. The results show that the operational measures satisfy the criteria for unidimensionality and various types of validity. The relationships among the dimensions are discussed, with some dimensions showing significant correlations. For example, the analytical orientation is strongly correlated with defensiveness, futurity, and proactiveness, but not with aggressiveness. The study also examines the relationship between STROBE dimensions and business performance, finding that aggressive pursuit of market share negatively affects current profitability, while analytical orientation positively impacts both growth and profitability. The paper concludes by discussing potential extensions, including replication, multiple informants, and the use of different methods to validate the measures. It suggests that the validated measures can serve as useful tools for researchers to test theoretical relationships in strategic management.