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.

No contexto da resource-based view, que é uma das principais abordagens estratégicas associada com os fatores internos de uma organização, a tecnologia da informação aparece como um recurso que pode ter impactos positivos sobre a performance de uma organização. Diante de algumas tipologias identificadas na literatura, alguns autores dividem os recursos de tecnologia da informação em três grupos: recursos tangíveis de TI, recursos humanos de TI e recursos intangíveis habilitados pela TI. Nesse último grupo é destacado que o conhecimento pode ser viabilizado por meio da TI, e deve ser considerado um ativo que a empresa poderia usufruir por meio da TI para se diferenciar de seus concorrentes. Dessa forma pode-se afirmar que existe uma influência das capacidades de TI (infraestrutura de TI, operação de TI e recursos humanos de TI) sobre a de gestão do conhecimento, uma vez que elas podem viabilizar uma melhor eficiência sobre os processos de gestão do conhecimento. O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar a relação das capacidades de tecnologia da informação sobre a gestão do conhecimento, levando em consideração os seguintes fatores: o impacto estratégico da TI no presente e no futuro, e o estilo de gestão de conhecimento voltado pra o conhecimento explícito, com o intuito de verificar se esses fatores afetam a intensidade da relação principal foco do estudo. Para alcançar os objetivos propostos foi realizada uma pesquisa seguindo uma abordagem quantitativa, por meio de um levantamento survey. Foram identificadas evidências empíricas de que a capacidade de TI tem um impacto positivo sobre a gestão do conhecimento conforme já destacado na literatura, além desse resultado foi constatado que os fatores moderadores influenciam positivamente essa relação. As grandes contribuições para a teoria foram o incremento de mais três novos processos compondo as dimensões da gestão do conhecimento, e a inclusão dos efeitos moderadores (o estilo de gestão do conhecimento voltado para o conhecimento explícito, o impacto estratégico da TI no presente e no futuro) no modelo de pesquisa proposto. / In the context of resource-based view, which is one of the key strategic approaches associated with an organization\'s internal factors, information technology appears as a resource that can have positive impacts on an organization\'s performance. Faced with some typologies identified in the literature, some authors divide information technology resources into three groups: tangible IT resources, IT human resources, and IT-enabled intangible resources. In the latter group it is highlighted that knowledge can be made via IT and should be considered an asset that the company could use through IT to differentiate itself from its competitors. In this way, it can be said that there is an influence of IT capacities (IT infrastructure, IT operation and IT human resources) over knowledge management, since they can enable a better efficiency in the management processes of the knowledge. The objective of this work is to analyze the relationship of information technology capacities on knowledge management, taking into account the following factors: the strategic impact of IT in the present and in the future, and the style of knowledge management aimed at explicit knowledge , in order to verify if these factors affect the intensity of the relationship main focus of the study. In order to reach the proposed objectives, a research was carried out following a quantitative approach, through a survey survey. Empirical evidence has been found that IT capacity has a positive impact on knowledge management as already highlighted in the literature, besides this result it was found that the moderating factors positively influence this relationship. The major contributions to the theory were the increase of three new processes composing the dimensions of knowledge management, and the inclusion of the moderating effects (the style of knowledge management focused on explicit knowledge, the strategic impact of IT in the present and in the future) in the proposed research model.

Abstract Research on software business has, so far, mainly concentrated on the software industry. However, software business has recently also been practised outside the software industry, in so-called industrial companies. This research aims at increasing empirical and theoretical understanding of the development of software business in industrial companies, shedding light on why a company not belonging to the software industry starts to do business involving software, how the company goes about starting such business, and how this in turn affects the company. First, past research on the resource-based approach, capability approach, dynamic capability approach and the concept of strategy is reviewed. Based on this review, four processes that hold the potential to give a company (sustained) competitive advantage – picking resources, exploiting resources, applying capabilities and developing capabilities – and three important dimensions of strategy – the objective of strategy, the process of strategy formation, and the focus of strategy – are identified. A conceptual framework for studying the development of software business in industrial companies is developed which encompasses the processes holding the potential for (sustained) competitive advantage and the different dimensions of strategy, as well as the company’s resource, capability and dynamic capability base. Following that, empirical data collected in two internationally operating industrial companies is analyzed with the help of the conceptual framework. As a result of the empirical data analysis, 23 capabilities and several resources important for software business in industrial companies could be identified. Capabilities are categorized according to their use in and applicability to different types of software business. Factors influencing the application, development and improvement of capabilities, as well as different ways of how industrial companies start to do software business, are identified. The conceptual framework is revised by adding the process of developing capabilities further to the processes which hold the potential for competitive advantage, and clarifying the role of dynamic capabilities in the development of software business in industrial companies.

Abstract The present thesis analyses different software supplier types and the development of supplier firms in the context of the Finnish ICT cluster, which underwent rapid growth in the 1990s. The central brand-owner firms in the cluster have been accompanied by a high number of smaller industrial supplier firms that base their business on serving their large customer organisations. The research to date on the ICT cluster has largely focused on understanding the development and purchasing strategies of the large customer firms and thus does not provide a sufficient basis for understanding how supplier firms in the cluster operate and develop. It is this gap that the present study undertakes to address. The thesis begins by building a theoretical framework that identifies the main factors affecting the development of industrial supplier firms. The inner context of the framework is based on the resource-based view of the firm and the capability approach, while the outer context rests on principles drawn from theories of evolutionary economics. Supplier development is analysed as a change from one firm type to another. The empirical part of the thesis consists of a quantitative and a qualitative study. The former identifies five software supplier types and elaborates a typology capturing their main features, e.g., key resources, capabilities and operating logic. The latter then applies the theoretical framework in analysing the development of four software supplier firms within the ICT cluster. The empirical analysis generates a number of propositions on the development of software supplier firms that together constitute a description of the firms' typical development path and the most significant resources and capabilities enabling the development identified. The software suppliers' change from providing customised software services towards independent production of software products was found to be extremely difficult. The thesis concludes with a discussion of strategy-level choices that are relevant in managing this type of development.

The purpose of this study is to examine how the internationalization process in small firms impacts their resource base renewal. The relationships between organizational learning, dynamic capabilities, operational capabilities and resources are empirically examined to determine the impact of internationalization on changes to the firm’s resource base. The empirical analysis follows a multiple case study research methodology and is based on in depth case studies of four internationalized professional service firms in Ontario. Cases include born-global and born-again global firms, exemplifying both location-based and knowledge-based services. The study finds evidence supporting the relationships between internationalization, organizational learning and planned change via dynamic capabilities, as well as internationalization, organizational learning and ad hoc problem solving. Findings also suggest that the firms’ repetitive use of ad hoc problem solving when faced with similar situations leads to the creation of dynamic capabilities. This research adds to the existing body of literature on services, international entrepreneurship and strategy by responding to a call for empirical examination of organizational learning within the RBV and DC constructs. Furthermore, it also applies a novel theoretical framework with which to examine the impact of small firm internationalization and their strategic renewal. By doing so, this thesis extends the RBV and DC perspectives to small service firms. Findings demonstrate a need to further continue this research path to gain greater understanding of the change processes that occur during the evolution of the firm’s resource base, as pertains to small knowledge-intensive service firms.