High- and low-performance firms: do they have different profiles of perceived core intangible resources and business environment?

Drawing on the resource-based view of the firm, this study took as its major goal the detection of what makes the difference between high- and low-performance firms. To this end, the profiles of core intangible resources of high- and low-performance public firms were explored, Another goal was to discover the firms perceptions of their business environment, and how these differed between the two types of firm. The study used an improved ranking method as a good platform from which to examine empirically the profile of core resources. By doing that, it claims to move towards "attempts to quantify empirically the nature and effects of resource-based constructs offer a fruitful avenue for future research" J. Management 25 (1999) 456. The results support the insight of a resource differential between high- and low-performance firms. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.