(In)tangible resources as antecedents of a company’s competitive advantage and performance

The paper’s purpose is to add to the body of knowledge on the antecedents of a company’s competitive advantage and performance by developing and testing a conceptual model. By using structural equation modelling the model is tested on a sample of 182 Slovenian companies. The results show that a cost advantage is positively affected by financial resources and customer capital, while a differentiation advantage is positively affected by financial resources and all three components of intellectual capital. In addition, both forms of competitive advantage positively influence a company’s performance. The results offer important theoretical implications in fields such as resource-based theory and customer relationship management as well as important practical implications for managers.