MAL 19/17 (MARKETING AFRICA) | Page 43

effectiveness and efficiency), rarity (rare and in high demand), inimitability (difficult to imitate) and substitutability (not readily substituted). Likewise the competency- based view identifies an organization’s competencies as the foundation for strategy development. Intangible Resources include brand names, company reputation, organizational morale, technical knowledge, patents and trademarks and accumulated experience within the organization. Such are very critical in creating a competitive edge. The resource based perspectives distinguishes firms in terms of their strategic and resource endowments and stresses the uniqueness of every firm. This approach assumes that a firm can use superior resources and capabilities to modify the industry structure and or change the rules of the competitive game (Wernerfelt, 1984; Peteraf, 1993). Day (1994) defines Organizational capabilities as a complex bundle of skills and collective learning, exercised through organizational processes that ensure superior coordination of functional activities. Capabilities are about the firm’s ability to integrate different tangible and intangible resources in order to provide product or services to customers that are valued. According to Stalk, Evans and Shulman (1992) the key to success is no longer where a company chooses to compete but how the firm’s unique resources and capabilities dictate strategy and lead to success. Practical application of the RBV model in internal environment analysis involves the following: RBV starts with delineation of three basic types of resources; Tangible Resources, Intangible Resour5ces, and Organizational capabilities. Tangible Resources are often found in the firm’s balance sheet and they include production facilities, raw materials, financial resources, real estate, and computers. These are the physical and financial assets that a firm uses to provide value to its customers. Disaggregate resources: Define the various resources that a firm possesses and break them down into specific broad categorizations. For example marketing skills can be divided into advertising which in turn can be subdivided into national advertising, local promotions and coupons and this allows for a more measurable assessment. Utilize a functional perspective: Looking at different functional areas of a firm disintegrating tangible and intangible resource as well as the organizational capabilities that are present to uncover important value building resources and activities