Strategic resources: Traits, configurations and paths to sustainable competitive advantage

Janice A. Black and Kimberly B. Boal

Strategic Management Journal, 1994, vol. 15, issue S2, 131-148

Abstract: The resource‐based view (RBV) of the firm holds that certain assets with certain characteristics will lead to sustainable competitive advantage. All the traits are required to be present to result in sustainable competitive advantage. Such a trait approach overlooks the dynamics of the creation of firm resources especially the strategically important factors as identified by the resource based view theory. We propose that the resources are made up of factor networks which have specific interfactor and inter‐resource relationships that result in the characteristic traits being evidenced. These strategic resource factor relationships include network type, available substitutes and cogency relationships (compensatory, enhancing and suppressing.) Specific configurations that lead to high or very high support of sustainable competitive advantage are proposed. Twenty‐two specific paths to sustainable competitive advantage for a factor, contingent on resource factor traits and relationship configurations, are proposed. The implications, upon confirmation of these configurations, are discussed.

Date: 1994
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