Improving competitive positioning through complementary organisational resources

Purpose - In this paper we draw upon resource-based theory to explore the role of existing, complementary organisational resources, in leveraging sustainable improvements in competitive positioning, resulting from information systems initiatives. Design/Methodology/Approach – A research model has been derived from the literature, which is then used to guide the conduct of a major, integrated quantitative and qualitative survey of managers. Findings – In this paper, it is shown that improvements in competitive positioning are likely to be more significant and sustainable when a new IS initiative makes an indirect contribution, through the leveraging of complementary organisational resources, rather than stemming directly from the functionality of the IT asset. Research limitations / implications – The main limitations of this study relate to its use of a ‘convenience’ sample and a ‘single-informant’. However, both these comprises were viewed as being worthwhile, as it gave us the opportunity to conduct a study that was both broad and deep, in terms of the data collected. Practical implications - We draw out the implications of our empirical study for the management of IT projects, to improve their ability to deliver sustainable improvements in competitive positioning. Originality / value - This research makes a significant departure from the aggregated, enterprise-level orientation of prior studies, by focusing upon the process-level impacts of individual IS initiatives.