The Accounting Review Vol. 46 No. 1 1971
A Cluster Analysis Study of Financial Performance of Selected Business Firms.
Abstract
The article presents a cluster analysis study of financial performance of selected business firms. Methods of grouping or classifying similar entities based upon measured characteristics possessed by each entity appear in the literature under various synonyms like, cluster analysis, grouping methods, classification theory, numerical taxonomy and clump theory. In clustering research, the objective is to discover natural clusters of the items based upon some internal criterion. The internal criterion is based upon some measure of resemblance or a measure of proximity. Clustering problems cut across various disciplines and seem to be receiving greater attention. Entities to be grouped together may be traits, objects, persons, plants, groups, institutions, structures, fields, stars, cities, companies, variables, etc. Considerable attention is given to this matter in the behavioral and life sciences. A discussion of various approaches for cluster analysis is given in two separate working papers. The method which is used in the preliminary research outcomes has been reported in this paper.
- DOI
- 10.2308/tar-4482440
- Volume
- 46
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 36-56
- Language
- en
- Sources
- openalex crossref