The Inside Track: On the Important (But Neglected) Role of Customers in the Resource‐Based View of Strategy and Firm Growth*

abstract This paper argues for the important role of customers as a source of competitive advantage and firm growth, an issue which has been largely neglected in the resource‐based view of the firm. It conceptualizes Penrose's (1959 ) notion of an ‘inside track’ and illustrates how in‐depth knowledge about established customers combines with joint problem‐solving activities and the rapid assimilation of new and previously unexploited skills and resources. It is suggested that the inside track represents a distinct and perhaps underestimated way of generating rents and securing long‐term growth. This also implies that the sources of sustainable competitive advantage in important respects can be sought in idiosyncratic interfirm relationships rather than within the firm itself.     

基于优势资源观的企业持续竞争优势研究

从优势资源观的角度来探讨企业的持续竞争优势。企业的竞争优势的源泉来自于企业拥有的优势资源,优势资源也是核心竞争力的来源;核心竞争力是形成竞争优势的关键,最后通过扩展竞争优势并获得持续的竞争优势。文中提出了基于优势资源观的企业持续竞争优势模型,并讨论了如何构建企业的持续竞争优势。     

Human resources and sustained competitive advantage: a resource-based perspective

This paper integrates the theories and findings of micro-level organizational behaviour/human resource management research with the macrolevel resource-based view of the firm, specifically presenting a firm's human resources as an important potential source of sustained competitive advantage. Unlike practice-oriented discussions that assume the role of human resources as a source of sustained competitive advantage, we use the theoretical concepts from the resource-based view of the firm (Wernerfelt, 1984; Barney, 1991) to discuss how human resources meet the criteria for sustained competitive advantage in that they are valuable, rare, inimitable and non-substitutable. The implications for developing human resources as a source of sustained competitive advantage are discussed, particularly examining the role of HR practices and managers in this process.     

Sustaining Competitive Advantage Through Corporate Environmental Performance

This research investigates the relationship between a firm's environmental efforts and the sustainability of its competitive advantage by analyzing the effects of change in firm environmental performance on the persistence of profitability growth. We find that environmental resources allow a firm with superior financial performance to sustain its competitive advantage, and also complement the efforts of a poorly performing firm to hasten recovery from inferior financial performance. Our findings further indicate that firms attain such positive effects through enhanced profit margins resulting from improved environmental performance. Additionally, we observe that a corporate strategy of improving environmental performance demonstrates management's responsibility to maximize the shareholder wealth of a well‐performing firm. The results provide valuable insights to align environmental activities towards developing unique resources for sustaining the competitive advantage. The study provides an empirical support for creating economic value by benefiting the environment. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment     

基于知识创造的企业持续成长

知识是企业成长的动力,知识的积累与增长决定了企业的竞争力。企业不仅交流、吸收知识,更重要的是在不断的知识转换中整合、重构知识,形成企业持续创新能力与竞争优势。因此企业应培养知识吸收、知识创造能力,进而保持动态核心竞争力,促进企业持续成长。     

企业成长理论与成长动力研究评述

企业成长的源泉始终是企业成长理论研究的主题,近年来研究更加深入。本文回顾与分析了企业成长理论关于成长动力的研究,认为资源、能力、及知识是企业成长的动力与源泉,提出了企业应不断吸收、转换、创造知识,促进企业成长。     

On becoming a strategic partner: The role of human resources in gaining competitive advantage

Although managers cite human resources as a firm's most important asset, many organizational decisions do not reflect this belief. This article uses the value, rareness, imitability, and organization (VRIO) framework to examine the role that the human resource (HR) function plays in developing a sustainable competitive advantage. Why some popularly cited sources of sustainable competitive advantage are not, and what aspects of a firm's human resources can provide a source of sustainable competitive advantage are discussed. The role of the HR executive as a strategic partner in developing and maintaining competitive advantage within the firm is also examined. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Green Product Innovation: Where we are and Where we are Going

Green product innovation (GPI) is becoming more and more relevant for policy makers, companies and society as a whole. As a result, over the last few years the number of studies on GPI development has increased substantially, thus prompting the need to analyse and synthesize the results of these studies. With this aim, this study reviews the body of knowledge on the topic. In particular, a systematic review of the literature is conducted, guided by three main research questions. Specifically, this paper identifies the antecedents, the outcomes and the success factors for GPI development. 63 studies are included in the review. Results show that many factors drive the development of GPI, both internal and external to the firm. Among internal factors, the most important are the prospect of competitive advantage, cost reduction, market benefits, improved reputation and opportunities for innovation. Among external factors, the most important are environmental regulations – current and/or expected – and market demand. In terms of outcomes, this study provides evidence that the most relevant ones are cost savings, achievement of competitive advantage, increased market share, increased sales, increased turnover, higher profits, better reputation, increased exports and higher productivity. Finally, this study highlights that many factors can influence the successful development of GPI, such as top management commitment, building networks of collaborations as well as enhancing knowledge flows, both within and outside the firm, cross‐functional integration and development of resources and capabilities. This study provides important implications for companies, policy makers and scholars. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment     

Resource Configuration in Family Firms: Linking Resources, Strategic Planning and Technological Opportunities to Performance

abstract    We apply the resource-based view of the firm to the study of family firms by investigating how a family specific resource (reciprocal altruism) and a firm specific resource (innovative capacity) contribute to family firm performance. We then examine how the impact of these resources is moderated by strategic planning and technological opportunities. Our findings suggest that family firms can benefit from emphasizing the positive aspects of kinship and from developing innovative capacities. As such, we demonstrate that not only do firm specific resources contribute to family firm performance, but also that family relationships can be a source of competitive advantage for a family firm. In addition, we found a heightened importance of reciprocal altruism in environments rich in technological opportunities, and that strategic planning is more important for those family firms that lack innovative capacities.     

Structure and Governance in Industrial Districts: Implications for Competitive Advantage

The existing research on industrial districts is fragmented, and yields conflicting advice for managers about the benefits and costs of locating in an industrial district. We resolve much of this ambiguity by synthesizing and integrating the existing research, and developing a typology of districts based on the continuous dimensions of need for coordination and centralization of control. In so doing, we elucidate why different types of industrial districts have different structures, and different competitive implications. We introduce four archetypes of industrial districts (based on extreme values of our two dimensions), and for each we discuss the benefits and costs of locating in the district, the sources of competitive advantage for members of the district vis‐à‐vis non‐members, and the sources of competitive advantage a district firm may gain over other members of the same district.     

High‐commitment HR practices,employee effort,and firm performance: Investigating the effects of HR practices across employee groups within professional services firms

In this study, the authors examine the relationship between high‐commitment HR practices and firm performance in professional services firms through the mediator of employee effort. In addition, they contribute to the debate in the field of strategic HRM on whether high‐commitment HR practices should be used across all employee groups within a firm. Their study's results show that high‐commitment HR practices positively relate to firm performance through employee effort for two employee groups within professional services firms. Further, they found that the relationship between effort and performance is contingent on the value of the employee group to firm competitive advantage, suggesting that companies may only want to expend the effort and resources on building a high‐commitment HR system for employee groups that are clearly tied to creating firm competitive advantage. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Optimal Strategy and Business Models: A Control Theory Approach

This study picks up on earlier suggestions that control theory may further the study of strategy. Strategy can be formally interpreted as an idealized path optimizing heterogeneous resource deployment to produce maximum financial gain. Using standard matrix methods to describe the firm Hamiltonian, it is possible to formalize useful notions of a business model, resources, and competitive advantage. The business model that underpins strategy may be seen as a set of constraints on resources that can be interpreted as controls in optimal control theory. Strategy then might be considered to be the control variable of firm path, suggesting in turn that the firm's business model is the codification of the application of investment resources used to control the strategic path of value realization. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于因果模糊的持续竞争优势研究

从一个崭新的视角,阐明独特性资源、缄默知识和核心能力具有因果模糊,进一步解释持续竞争优势的内在机理。通过说明因果模糊与企业持续竞争优势的四个隐含关系,对基于因果模糊的持续竞争优势在企业管理实践中的应用提出理论支持。     

Limits to global sourcing?: Strategic consequences of dependency on international suppliers: Cluster theory,resource-based view and case studies

This paper argues for the inclusion of an analysis of industry clusters when making decisions about global or local sourcing. Suppliers are viewed as valuable resources that can contribute to a firm's competitive advantage. Two contrasting case studies illustrate that, contrary to common expectations, a high global sourcing quota does not necessarily improve a firm's competitiveness. Rather, there may be limits to global sourcing, if a firm is unable to become a preferred customer of its strategic suppliers. Achieving preferred customer status is easier for firms located in the same regional or national cluster than it is for foreign firms attempting to access a remote supplier. This paper contributes a new and more differentiated approach to global sourcing decisions by integrating the cluster concept. Furthermore, our findings enrich the discourse of strategic management by supporting the view that resources which enable a firm to achieve sustainable competitive advantages can be located beyond its legal boundaries.     

From original equipment manufacturing to branding: entrepreneurship,strategic leadership,and Taiwan’s firm transformation

This paper investigates firm transformation from original equipment manufacturing (OEM) to original brand manufacturing (OBM) based on variant experiences of Taiwan’s top global brands. Taking the competitive advantage of practicing OEM for multinational corporations (MNCs), latecomer firms can generate capital and accumulate capabilities by engaging with the global production network. Rarely does every firm transform into a global enterprise. We propose that only entrepreneurs with strategic leadership competence, which serves to manage a delicate balance between stability and change in a firm, are capable to facilitate firm transformation from OEM to a global enterprise practicing OBM. We provide an analytical framework that combines the research fields of entrepreneurship, strategic management, and leadership to analyze firm growth and firm transformation of Taiwanese firms. In light of possible branding dilemma when straddling dual-track businesses, successful transforming firms can alleviate this problem either by separating their OBM units from their OEM units or by creating a symbiotic relationship with their MNC customers. How Taiwanese firms first took advantage of initiating OEM to create capital and capabilities and later transformed into OBM provide useful experiences for other latecomer firms.     

Corporate Entrepreneurship Activities through Strategic Alliances: A Resource‐Based Approach toward Competitive Advantage*

abstract Corporate entrepreneurship (CE) activities may significantly benefit from interfirm strategic alliances, although such benefits have not been sufficiently examined in the literature. In this paper, a resource‐based framework is presented to examine how strategic alliances offer entrepreneurial firms needed resources that may not otherwise be available. We argue that CE activities are likely to lead to resource gaps. We compare various options to fill resource gaps, and identify the pros and cons of the alliance approach. We then discuss the resource conditions that provide competitive advantage for a firm, if alliances are properly used to help implement CE. Finally, we examine how different types of alliance (e.g. joint ventures, R&D alliances, and learning alliances) facilitate various CE activities, including innovation, corporate venturing, and strategic renewal.     

How does knowledge depth moderate the performance of internal and external knowledge sourcing strategies?

Management literature has consistently shown that knowledge is the most important source of competitive advantage for a firm. However, it is still not clear how knowledge can lead to competitive advantage, and how firms can find strategies to leverage their knowledge bases. This study considers the strategic implications of knowledge depth and three knowledge-sourcing strategies: R&D, strategic alliances and acquisitions. The main and interaction effects of these factors were tested in the context of the US technology firms. The results confirmed the strategic role of knowledge and external leveraging strategies. We also found that technology firms with weak knowledge depth should focus on internal R&D to accumulate knowledge in core technology areas, while those with strong knowledge depth should lower internal R&D intensity and shift their strategic resources to inter-firm alliances and acquisitions.     

In search of sustained competitive advantage: the impact of organizational culture,competitive strategy and human resource management practices on firm performance

We develop and test a dynamic model of co-specialized resources for competitive advantage. Using matched data from senior executives and human resource managers, we test the direct and interactive effects of high-performance human resource (HPHR) practices and organizational culture on firm performance. Although the HPHR practices were not an important influence on performance, our findings indicate that organizational culture can be a valuable resource for companies.     

外部资源利用与企业成长:以中青旅为例

外部资源作为企业提高创新能力和实现企业成长的重要来源,目前正引起越来越多国内外研究者的关注。外部资源利用模式的适时调整对于中青旅长时间保持良好的企业成长性起到了重要作用。旅游企业在成长过程中需要结合自身的特点和优势,充分利用外部资源在经营业务方面实现快速创新和突破。