This thesis describes the results of research analysing the utilisation of oeverall strategic performance measures for manufacturing business organisations in industrialially developing nations. It proposes a methodology for the selection of overall strategic performance measures appropriate to a manufacturing organisation's position in the business life-cycle. The process of deciding which overall strategic performance measures are the most likely to ahve the greatest impact in relation to the state of evalution of a manuacturing business organisation can be highly complex. Business managers often have to use their experience and intuitive judgement as guiding factors. The author of this research has made a study of the various factors which may influence the decision to adopt certain performance measures in a given stage of the growth of a manufacturing business organisation. Five main theoreticalmodels namely, the life-cycle model, the competitive model, the organisational adaptation model, the phase requirement model and the business type mdoel are used to develop the theoretical fraemework of the research. These mdoels, although adopted by many major business fremework of the research. These models, although adopted by many major business organisations in the industrially developed world, are litte understood or utilised in many small to medium scale industries in particular in thenewly industrialised nations. Also, the models only indicate the characteristics exhibited by a business during its evolution and do not suggest the corresponding appropriate performance measures. This research has identified the performance measures congruent with each model during a business life cycle. Questionnaire surveys have also been carried out to complement and validate the theoretical models. The results of the survey generally confirm the expected measuers derived from the theoretical models. The learning process for these newer industrial business organisations can be greatly reduced if the expertise and experience of the established manufacturing business organisations is made readibly available. This is the motivation for this reseasrch and the methodology which has been developed. The research alspproposes use of a knowledge based sexpert decision support system to encapsulate the methodology, and the wealth of expert knowledge in the domain of performance measures. A prototype knowledge based expert decision support ystem has been developed to test the concept. It is hoped that this research has achieved it aim to provide a new contribution in the manufacturing business organisation strategy domain and to the improvement of managerial productivity and effectiveness through better use of performance measures.