Proposition and Exploration of a Complete Model of Strategic Resource Utility

Abstract

The focus of strategy research in recent years has moved beyond examining resources as the building blocks of competitive advantage and has instead proposed more complex, esoteric theories to explain firms’ performance. While each of these theories is valuable independently, none offer a ‘root-cause’ analysis of competitive advantage. To provide this, strategy scholars should consider revisiting the importance of individual firm-level resources. The purpose of this document is to more thoroughly map out the resource space using several prominent strategy perspectives as a guide and to test the competitive potential of multiple resource typologies. This document is organized into five Chapters. In Chapter I, a conceptual argument is developed that outlines a complete model of strategic resource utility. The complete model is designed to help managers and scholars identify which resources are most likely to generate competitive advantage for a firm, and to propose several ways to move forward empirically. Chapter II is an investigation of the relationships between resource in/tangibility and firm performance. Chapters III and IV test the utility of two sub-typologies of intangible resources. Together, the results from Chapters I-IV indicate that intangible resources—especially those that are easily communicable—are indicative of competitive advantage. Last, Chapter V outlines an agenda for future research based on these results.