Corporate acquisitions can provide an effective mechanism for maintaining growth in conditions of technological uncertainty, but typically suffer very high failure rates. This thesis presents a resource-based framework for analysing corporate acquisitions in times of rapid technological change. The thesis discusses how such acquisitions can be used to access resources that are of immediate use, but also enhance the acquirer's ability to access resources in the future.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-16T14:49:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ArquivoTotal.pdf: 2469347 bytes, checksum: 0f09cd68d7b187cb3b07a7239749c940 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-02-18 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / This research aims to analyze the characteristics of innovation strategies adopted by Embrapa, from the perspective of resource-based view. Therefore, as the methodological procedures, were adopted the interpretive paradigm, the qualitative approach, the descriptive study and the method used was the case study. The company studied was Embrapa and between their units were selected six. For the procedure of data collection were used primary and secondary data, direct observation and a set of interviews applied to twelve subjects. The analysis was based on the interpretation of interview transcripts and institutional documents and divided into categories. The categories were previously selected and based on the three specific objectives: to identify the innovation strategies adopted by Embrapa; investigate what resources and capabilities are exploited by Embrapa that enable the development of innovation strategies identified, and; evaluate resources and capabilities that have potential to generate sustainable competitive advantages. As a result, it was possible to identify thirteen different types of innovation strategy, but the offensive strategies of innovation and partnership were considered preponderant at Embrapa. The human, physical and technological resources were indicated as the most used to support the strategies identified. Finally, in the last specific goal, eight features could be considered strategic because they have gone through VRIO model, considered thus as valuable, rare, hard to imitate and explored by the organization: bank assets, genetic resources, the 47 units, geographical dispersion, qualification of employees, release technologies, reputation and positive image of Embrapa. It was concluded that it is possible to implement satisfactorily, into a single enterprise, different types of innovation strategies, even with conflicting characteristics. Furthermore, it became clear in the analysis the lack of knowledge and the difficulty of identifying the resources and capabilities of the company, by employees interviewed. / A Organização das Nações Unidas (UNU) afirma que a população mundial deve chegar a 9 bilhões em 38 anos, de forma que a necessidade de aumento da produção de alimentos será de aproximadamente 60%. O Brasil, devido ao seu desempenho no agronegócio, é apontado como um país capaz de oferecer 50% dessa nova demanda (BORTOLIN, 2012). O crescente sucesso e aumento do prestígio do agronegócio brasileiro se devem a algumas características conquistadas, como uma alta produtividade, alto grau de competitividade e o uso de tecnologia (STEFANO, 2001). Mas, por se inserir em um mercado cujo ambiente é incerto, devido à competitividade internacional, políticas econômicas de negócios e assimetria de informação (PADILHA, et al. 2010), a criação e adoção de estratégias de inovação assumem papéis de destaque na busca por vantagem competitiva. Ao estudar as estratégias de inovação e os recursos e capacidades que as sustentam, os resultados da pesquisa poderão trazer benefícios tanto para as empresas de agronegócio que já as utilizam quanto para aquelas que pretendem utilizar. Estes benefícios se justificam a partir do momento que os resultados buscarão explicitar quais são as estratégias de inovação encontradas, bem como quais são os recursos e capacidades que a empresa possui e que suportam as respectivas estratégias. Portanto, o objetivo de estudo é analisar as características das estratégias de inovação adotadas pela EMBRAPA, sob a perspectiva da RBV.

Tentar entender porque algumas empresas têm melhor desempenho que outras é uma questão que pode auxiliar na compreensão do potencial existente em determinado setor. Um importante arcabouço teórico da estratégia que subsidia condições para este tipo de análise é a Teoria Baseada em Recursos ou da Visão Baseada em Recursos - VBR. Ela propõe o entendimento dos fatores-chave de sucesso que levam as organizações a adquirir vantagens competitivas pelo conjunto de habilidades e rotinas essenciais e pela coerência entre habilidades e know-how de propriedade única. Nesse contexto o objetivo da pesquisa foi de levantar e analisar, a partir da teoria da Visão Baseada em Recursos, quais são os recursos estratégicos e a sua influência no desempenho das propriedades rurais no setor leiteiro. Para alcançar esse objetivo foi realizada uma etapa de entrevista com especialistas no setor leiteiro no Brasil e na França onde foram levantados os recursos considerados estratégicos pelos especialistas e discutidas informações importantes sobre medidas de desempenho em propriedades leiteiras. Posteriormente foram realizadas entrevistas com 199 produtores de leite na bacia leiteira do estado de Pernambuco. A partir desses dados foram realizadas as análises: Fatorial, de Cluster e Regressão Múltipla. Observou-se que no caso das propriedades produtoras de leite os recursos mais importantes foram os Recursos Organizacionais, Humanos e Físicos, respectivamente. Esse resultado difere das empresas urbano industriais ao invés do destaque nos recursos físicos é observado o recurso tecnológico. O destaque fica com os Recursos Organizacionais e Humanos que além de muito relacionados são destaque no sucesso dos empreendimentos agropecuários de produção leiteira. Os indicadores mais importantes foram os indicadores de gestão do rebanho, gestão de custos, produtividade dos animais, produtividade da terra, formação, abertura a novidades (via treinamentos e viagens), mostrando fazer a diferença entre os grupos com melhor rendimento e os com pior. Contudo, um elemento considerado essencial: a reserva alimentar se relacionou negativamente com a renda, provavelmente porque a reserva é mal planejada e insuficiente para dar conta dos períodos de estiagem, bem como pode gerar certa acomodação por parte dos produtores em não investir em outros aspectos alimentares que garantam os ganhos em todos os períodos, inclusive os de estiagem. Desta forma os resultados elucidam aspectos interessantes e emergem novas proposições de pesquisa com diferentes níveis de aprofundamento para o entendimento dessas questões mais qualitativas e possível investigação em diferentes cadeias produtivas. / In trying to understand why some companies have better performance than others is a question that can help understand the potential existing in a given sector. An important theoretical framework of the strategy subsidizing conditions for this kind of analysis is the Resource-Based Theory or Resource-Based View – RBV. It proposes the understanding of success key-factors that lead organizations to gain competitive advantages by the set of skills, essential routines and consistency between skills and individual know-how. The aim of this study was to search and analyze, from the Resource-Based View theory, the strategic resources and their influence on the performance of farms in the dairy sector. In order to reach this goal, were carried out interviews with experts of the dairy sector in Brazil and France in which the resources considered strategic by the experts were surveyed and important situations on performance evaluation in dairy properties were discussed. Then, interviews with 199 milk producers in the dairy region of Pernambuco state were conducted. From these data, the Factorial, Cluster and Multiple Regression Analyses were done. It was observed that, in the case of dairy properties, the organizational, human and physical resources, respectively, were the most important ones. This result differs from the urban industrial companies; instead of highlighting the physical resources, the technological are considered. The organizational and human resources are highlighted, which, besides being related, are important for the success of farming enterprises of milk production. The herd and cost management, animals and land productivity, training and opening to new aspects (via training and travel) were the most important indicators, showing that they make the difference between the groups with the best and the worst performance. However, an essential element, the food reserve, was negatively correlated with income, probably because the reserve is poorly planned and insufficient to account for the periods of droughts, as well as it can generate some accommodation of farmers in not investing in other food aspects which may ensure gains in all periods, including drought. Thus, the results elucidate interesting aspects, giving rise to new research proposals with different levels of depth for the understanding of those more qualitative questions and a possible investigation in different production chains.

Over the last few decades, microfinance industry has played an essential role in alleviating poverty level and helping the underprivileged, by enabling access to myriads of financial services. Statistics from the World Bank reveals that, currently, only 4% of the underprivileged were served out of the 3 billion potential clients. Such results were due to several claims, particularly the operational and financial challenges faced by the MFIs in the constant flux, inviting more attentions towards its performance. While explicit focuses were given by many researchers towards mobile banking and Information Communication Technology (ICT) and online services in improving the MFIs performance, the study on how Social Media, as a rapidly growing online phenomenon, could affect the MFIs performance remain scarce. Hence, this study was aimed at investigating and clarifying the impact of social media on MFIs, based on four dimensional performance indicators: efficiency, financial sustainability, portfolio quality, and outreach. A model was developed utilising Resource Based-View (RBV) Theory, to test the relationship between social media application and organisational performance. A quantitative approach has been adopted employing from web-based questionnaires, to collect data from MFIs employees in developing countries such as Kenya, India and Jordan. Structured Equation Modelling (SEM) technique (i.e. SPSS and AMOS 20 software) was used as a tool to analyse the responses. Results revealed a significant influence of the social media over the MFIs performance, offering valuable insights to both researchers and practitioners in the domain of micro-finance, as well as social media – conforming that the adoption of social media as marketing, advertising and communication tools could significantly improve the MFIs performance. Keywords: Microfinance, Microfinance Institution Performance, Social Media, Resource Based View Theory.

This research studies the impact of consultancy competency and consultation mode on the service quality of management consulting firms in the emerging market of Nigeria – the largest economy in Africa. It explains the consultant competency and the adopted consultation approach of the ‘Big Four’ (PwC, Akintola-Deloitte, Ernest and Young, and KPMG) management consultancy firms from the resource based-view (RBV) and institutional theory of the firm. The conceptual framework of management consulting directing this study is generated from earlier research (Canavan et al., 2013; Jang et al., 1997, 1998; Patterson, 2000; Parasuraman, 1988; Kisang et al., 2012; Pugh et al., 1968; Oliver, 1980). Previous research has examined factors that are important for management consulting success, however, one of the remaining challenges is to investigate the associations among these factors. Furthermore, there seems to be a relative disregard for the associations between these management consulting factors and service quality. This study aims to advance the RBV and make theoretical contributions in several ways. First, it identifies and proposes that the professional and managerial competencies of the consultants are the key assets of the management consultancy firms needed to sustain and further their competitiveness in emerging markets. Specifically, we argue that these competencies are particularly valuable and have direct impact on management consultancy firms’ service quality. Also, from an institutional perspective, this study proposes that multinational management consulting firms must have the capacity to deliver quality in a consultation mode suitable to their various clients in different countries for sustainability. Specifically, we argue that the particular consultation mode adopted by the consulting firm impacts the quality of consultation service rendered to its clients in the Nigerian market, determining its firms’ client satisfaction levels. This study utilized a mixed methods approach (Creswell, 2003), which entailed the use of both qualitative and quantitative methods in assessing this research’s questions. 13 senior management consultants were interviewed, and survey data was collected from 311 business clients of these management consultancy firms situated in the three most industrious states in Nigeria, which are Abuja (North), Lagos (South-West), and Port Harcourt (South-South). The results of this study show that the service quality of well-established western management consulting firms is significantly influenced by their consultation mode, as well as both their professional and managerial capabilities, irrespective of their client’s organizational structure. This study also finds that client experience levels in dealing with management consultants considerably moderates the relationship between these firms’ service quality and their client satisfaction in this strategic context. Our study advances the RBV and institutional theories, highlighting that the consultation modes, professional competencies, managerial competencies and client experience levels are the key competitive factors of western management consulting firms in Nigeria.

A inter-relação entre estratégias, recursos e performance das firmas é o foco central de investigação deste trabalho. Através da abordagem denominada como Visão da Firma Baseada em Recursos, estudou-se o caso do Cluster Vitivinícola da Região da Serra Gaúcha, visando à análise de sua competitividade. Como contribuição teórica à área de estratégia, foi proposto e detalhado um esquema de classificação de recursos em clusters, introduzindo-se os conceitos de Recursos Sistêmicos, Recursos de Acesso Restrito e Recursos Singulares. A investigação baseou-se em dados coletados através de entrevistas estruturadas realizadas com executivos e especialistas de 54 empresas produtoras de vinhos finos. O objetivo principal foi o estudo da influência exercida pelos recursos estratégicos sobre a performance das firmas. Complementarmente, foi investigado qual o papel das estratégias das firmas sobre o acesso a estes recursos. Os resultados evidenciaram uma influência positiva dos recursos e das estratégias sobre a performance, auxiliando na compreensão das assimetrias competitivas entre as firmas do cluster. / The interrelationships of strategy, resources and performance of the firms is the main subject of this work. Through the lens of the Resource Based View of the Firm, we studied the case of the South Brazilian Wine Cluster, analyzing its competitiveness. As a theoretical contribution to the strategy field, we proposed and detailed a classification scheme of resources in clusters, introducing the concepts of Systemic Resources, Singular Resources and Constrained Access Resources. The study was based on data collected trought in-depth and structured interviews with experts and executives of 54 fine wine produccing firms. The results were analysed by qualitative and quantitative techniques. The main goal was the identification of the influence of resources on the firms’ performance. In addition, we studied the role of firm’s operational strategies on access to these resources. The results evidenced a positive effect of resources and strategies on performance, improving the understanding of competitive assimetries between firms in the cluster.

Diversos empresários e órgãos de classe procuram identificar oportunidades no desenvolvimento potencial dos setores naval e offshore e no fornecimento de conteúdo local para essas indústrias. Também as instituições governamentais e privadas interessadas no fomento à indústria brasileira procuram formas de conferir competitividade à indústria alvo de suas políticas. Este trabalho desenvolve de forma preliminar uma ferramenta suportada pela teoria da Visão Baseada em Recursos (VBR), que visa identificar a similaridade entre os recursos necessários para produzir uma série de equipamentos e as competências detidas pela firma. Além da identificação da similaridade, que permite priorizar a escolha dos equipamentos que podem ser desenvolvidos pela firma interessada em atuar no mercado naval, a ferramenta permite a identificação de lacunas tecnológicas e traz à baila importantes discussões sobre a obtenção de competências externamente à firma. / Several entrepreneurs and unions seek to identify potential development opportunities in marine and offshore industries, aiming to provide local content for these industries. Also the government and private institutions interested in promoting the Brazilian industry endeavor ways to give competition to the shipbuilding industry. This study develops a preliminary tool supported by the theory of Resource-Based View (RBV), which aims to identify the similarity between the resources needed to produce a series of equipment and the capabilities held by the firm. Besides the identification of similarity, which helps on the choice of equipment to be developed by the firm, the tool allows the identification of technology gaps and brings up important discussions about getting capabilities outside the firm boundaries.

A inter-relação entre estratégias, recursos e performance das firmas é o foco central de investigação deste trabalho. Através da abordagem denominada como Visão da Firma Baseada em Recursos, estudou-se o caso do Cluster Vitivinícola da Região da Serra Gaúcha, visando à análise de sua competitividade. Como contribuição teórica à área de estratégia, foi proposto e detalhado um esquema de classificação de recursos em clusters, introduzindo-se os conceitos de Recursos Sistêmicos, Recursos de Acesso Restrito e Recursos Singulares. A investigação baseou-se em dados coletados através de entrevistas estruturadas realizadas com executivos e especialistas de 54 empresas produtoras de vinhos finos. O objetivo principal foi o estudo da influência exercida pelos recursos estratégicos sobre a performance das firmas. Complementarmente, foi investigado qual o papel das estratégias das firmas sobre o acesso a estes recursos. Os resultados evidenciaram uma influência positiva dos recursos e das estratégias sobre a performance, auxiliando na compreensão das assimetrias competitivas entre as firmas do cluster. / The interrelationships of strategy, resources and performance of the firms is the main subject of this work. Through the lens of the Resource Based View of the Firm, we studied the case of the South Brazilian Wine Cluster, analyzing its competitiveness. As a theoretical contribution to the strategy field, we proposed and detailed a classification scheme of resources in clusters, introducing the concepts of Systemic Resources, Singular Resources and Constrained Access Resources. The study was based on data collected trought in-depth and structured interviews with experts and executives of 54 fine wine produccing firms. The results were analysed by qualitative and quantitative techniques. The main goal was the identification of the influence of resources on the firms’ performance. In addition, we studied the role of firm’s operational strategies on access to these resources. The results evidenced a positive effect of resources and strategies on performance, improving the understanding of competitive assimetries between firms in the cluster.

A internacionalização das empresas as coloca em frente a desafios e situações de adaptação e de intensa competitividade. As estratégias e os recursos organizacionais são afetados pelo processo de internacionalização, trazendo um efeito deste movimento internacional sobre a organização e seus recursos, promovendo uma desacomodação no dia a dia das empresas, exigindo uma readequação e consequente busca por retorno à estabilidade produtiva. A presente pesquisa propõe um framework para identificar e analisar as modificações nos recursos estratégicos resultantes do processo de internacionalização de uma empresa, ao longo do tempo, objetivando contribuir para o entendimento destes fatores que fundamentam a internacionalização a luz da teoria da Visão Baseada em Recursos. A análise dos diferentes modelos e teorias contemporâneos, juntamente com os resultados obtidos na pesquisa empírica, permite concluir que nas empresas estudadas, os recursos estratégicos sofreram modificações alterando suas características de valor, raridade, difícil imitação e difícil substituição durante o seu processo de internacionalização. Estas modificações foram promovidas por decisões históricas e pela entrada de novos conhecimentos, portanto, para que a empresa tenha êxito, seus recursos estratégicos devem ser trabalhados, por um lado o aprendizado, instrumentalizado pela capacidade absortiva e, por outro lado, os eventos históricos, que podem reforçar ou retirar o caráter estratégico dos recursos. Embora não seja possível generalizar as análises e considerações a partir do estudo de casos, estas poderão fornecer subsídios para empresas que estão ou pretendem entrar num processo de internacionalização. / The process of globalization and the internationalization of companies place them ahead of new challenges and of situations of adaptation of intense competitiveness. Organizational strategies and resources are affected by the internationalization process, affecting the organization path and its resources; creating a discomfort on daily basis for these companies and forcing a re-arrangement and a constant search for productive stability. The present research proposes a framework which identifies and analyzes the modifications in the strategic resources resulting from the process of internationalization of a company that, throughout time, look to contribute for the understanding of these factors which are studied through the Resourcebased View theory. The analysis of the different contemporary models and theories, together with the results obtained in the empirical research, allows concluding that in the studied companies, the strategic resources have suffered modifications, altering their value characteristics, rarity, difficult imitation and difficult substitution during their process of internationalization. These modifications had been promoted by historical decisions and by the entrance of new knowledge but, to enhance any success of the companies, their strategic resources they must be worked out, on one hand, through learning, instrumented by an out-in absorptive capacity and, on the other hand, by historical events, that can strengthen or weaken the strategic character of the resources. Although it is not possible to generalize the analysis and the considerations from the cases, they will be able to furnish insights for companies who are or intend to enter in an internationalization process.

Tentar entender porque algumas empresas têm melhor desempenho que outras é uma questão que pode auxiliar na compreensão do potencial existente em determinado setor. Um importante arcabouço teórico da estratégia que subsidia condições para este tipo de análise é a Teoria Baseada em Recursos ou da Visão Baseada em Recursos - VBR. Ela propõe o entendimento dos fatores-chave de sucesso que levam as organizações a adquirir vantagens competitivas pelo conjunto de habilidades e rotinas essenciais e pela coerência entre habilidades e know-how de propriedade única. Nesse contexto o objetivo da pesquisa foi de levantar e analisar, a partir da teoria da Visão Baseada em Recursos, quais são os recursos estratégicos e a sua influência no desempenho das propriedades rurais no setor leiteiro. Para alcançar esse objetivo foi realizada uma etapa de entrevista com especialistas no setor leiteiro no Brasil e na França onde foram levantados os recursos considerados estratégicos pelos especialistas e discutidas informações importantes sobre medidas de desempenho em propriedades leiteiras. Posteriormente foram realizadas entrevistas com 199 produtores de leite na bacia leiteira do estado de Pernambuco. A partir desses dados foram realizadas as análises: Fatorial, de Cluster e Regressão Múltipla. Observou-se que no caso das propriedades produtoras de leite os recursos mais importantes foram os Recursos Organizacionais, Humanos e Físicos, respectivamente. Esse resultado difere das empresas urbano industriais ao invés do destaque nos recursos físicos é observado o recurso tecnológico. O destaque fica com os Recursos Organizacionais e Humanos que além de muito relacionados são destaque no sucesso dos empreendimentos agropecuários de produção leiteira. Os indicadores mais importantes foram os indicadores de gestão do rebanho, gestão de custos, produtividade dos animais, produtividade da terra, formação, abertura a novidades (via treinamentos e viagens), mostrando fazer a diferença entre os grupos com melhor rendimento e os com pior. Contudo, um elemento considerado essencial: a reserva alimentar se relacionou negativamente com a renda, provavelmente porque a reserva é mal planejada e insuficiente para dar conta dos períodos de estiagem, bem como pode gerar certa acomodação por parte dos produtores em não investir em outros aspectos alimentares que garantam os ganhos em todos os períodos, inclusive os de estiagem. Desta forma os resultados elucidam aspectos interessantes e emergem novas proposições de pesquisa com diferentes níveis de aprofundamento para o entendimento dessas questões mais qualitativas e possível investigação em diferentes cadeias produtivas. / In trying to understand why some companies have better performance than others is a question that can help understand the potential existing in a given sector. An important theoretical framework of the strategy subsidizing conditions for this kind of analysis is the Resource-Based Theory or Resource-Based View – RBV. It proposes the understanding of success key-factors that lead organizations to gain competitive advantages by the set of skills, essential routines and consistency between skills and individual know-how. The aim of this study was to search and analyze, from the Resource-Based View theory, the strategic resources and their influence on the performance of farms in the dairy sector. In order to reach this goal, were carried out interviews with experts of the dairy sector in Brazil and France in which the resources considered strategic by the experts were surveyed and important situations on performance evaluation in dairy properties were discussed. Then, interviews with 199 milk producers in the dairy region of Pernambuco state were conducted. From these data, the Factorial, Cluster and Multiple Regression Analyses were done. It was observed that, in the case of dairy properties, the organizational, human and physical resources, respectively, were the most important ones. This result differs from the urban industrial companies; instead of highlighting the physical resources, the technological are considered. The organizational and human resources are highlighted, which, besides being related, are important for the success of farming enterprises of milk production. The herd and cost management, animals and land productivity, training and opening to new aspects (via training and travel) were the most important indicators, showing that they make the difference between the groups with the best and the worst performance. However, an essential element, the food reserve, was negatively correlated with income, probably because the reserve is poorly planned and insufficient to account for the periods of droughts, as well as it can generate some accommodation of farmers in not investing in other food aspects which may ensure gains in all periods, including drought. Thus, the results elucidate interesting aspects, giving rise to new research proposals with different levels of depth for the understanding of those more qualitative questions and a possible investigation in different production chains.