An Inventory and Analysis of Practical and Conceptual Resource-based View Models

Abstract: The Resource-based View has become a dominant contemporary approach to strategy. However, it has been subject to criticism in part for its lack of strategic implications and usefulness to practitioners. This in combination with the absence of any existing comprehensive inventory of practical and conceptual RBV models reveals a research gap. Based on an inventory and literature review of practical and conceptual models within the resource-based view, this study analyzes models with regard to applicative implications defined as consistency and complementarity of analytical traits, assumptions and model concepts. The most important conclusions are that we identify 21 conceptual and practical models and determine to what extent these models are consistent in use and can be combined. Moreover, we are identifying a number of approaches to manage some of the weaknesses critical to the application of the identified RBV models.