| The purpose of this study was to examine the ability of the interaction of resources, strategy, and environment to predict company performance. To examine this issue, three hypotheses were developed that addressed specific relationships of information systems, strategic alliances, and human resources with cost leadership, differentiation, and focus strategies, and their contribution to competitive advantage. Additionally, two hypotheses addressed how environmental turbulence moderated specific aspects of these relationships. Data on the independent variables were obtained through a survey of executives of the motor carrier industry, while financially based dependent variables were obtained from an industry database. No support was found for the hypotheses that predicted specific resources and strategies would interact to increase performance, or that environmental turbulence moderated the resource type and performance link. Some non-hypothesized interactions were found. Information systems did interact with cost leadership to provide a positive effect on performance, and focus strategies interacted with information systems to provide a negative effect on performance. Perceptions of environmental turbulence also interacted with information systems to increase performance. These non-hypothesized findings provide some insight to how resources contribute to competitive advantage. |
