Resource-Based View (RBV)

Overview

The Resource-Based View argues that firms achieve sustained competitive advantage through resources that are heterogeneous and immobile across firms. Barney (1991) formalized the VRIO framework as the diagnostic test.

When to Use

• Evaluating whether internal resources create durable competitive advantage
• Auditing a resource portfolio for strategic importance
• Justifying make-vs-acquire decisions for capabilities
• Comparing resource positions across competitors

Assumptions