Firm success, national status, and product line diversification: An empirical examination

This study investigates the motives for product line diversification by multiproduct firms in the U.S. brewing industry. Historical data are used to examine the evolution of pioneer products, and a Poisson regression model is estimated to analyze the effects of market and firm characteristics on the motives for product line diversification. The results indicate that unsuccessful firms and large national firms are generally more likely to expand their product lines.