Understanding Sustainable Competitive Advantage: The Role of Positioning, Resources and Organisational Capabilities

Posted: 25 Aug 1998

See all articles by David J. Collis

David J. Collis

Harvard University - Business School (HBS)

Abstract

This paper applies the value-based framework (Brandenburger and Stuart 1994) to the strategic management concepts of positioning, resources and organisational capabilities. It observes that each is a discrete level in the analysis of sustainable competitive advantage which can rigorously be interpreted as the determinants of location and speed of movement in value space. It concludes that strategic management will never find the ultimate explanation of competitive advantage because all orders of derivatives of location in value space must be considered when predicting future strategic asymmetries. Pragmatic solutions to this dilemma for strategy formulation purposes are suggested.

JEL Classification: D29

Suggested Citation

Collis, David J., Understanding Sustainable Competitive Advantage: The Role of Positioning, Resources and Organisational Capabilities. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=6664

David J. Collis (Contact Author)

Harvard University - Business School (HBS) ( email )

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