The Realities and Illusions of Defending Competitive Advantage

This book delves into the enduring legacy and evolving relevance of the resource-based view (RBV) in strategic management and marketing. Since Professor Jay Barney's groundbreaking 1991 paper on RBV and sustained competitive advantage, this framework has dominated strategic management research and practice for over three decades, influencing adjacent fields such as marketing. However, in today’s rapidly shifting global business environment, where traditional strategies are increasingly replaced by innovative and adaptive approaches, the RBV’s continued relevance is under scrutiny. This book addresses the critical question of whether RBV theory remains a viable tool for achieving sustained competitive advantage or if it has reached the limits of its applicability. By examining resource-based dynamics from diverse marketing management perspectives, the book offers fresh theoretical and practical insights into the future potential of RBV to drive competitive advantage for firms and their products.

This book is an essential resource for students, academics, researchers, and practitioners in the fields of strategic management, marketing, and business strategy. It is particularly relevant for those interested in exploring how firms can leverage their resources to adapt and thrive in an ever-changing global marketplace.

The chapters in this book were originally published in Journal of Strategic Marketing.