ABSTRACT
Technological prowess is widely perceived to be a fundamental source of corporate and national competitiveness (Patel and Pavitt 1994; Robins and Wiersema 1995). Adherents of the resource-based view of the firm have cited technological competence as a primary firm-specific resource or capability that can propel competitive advantage (Teece 1984; Teece et al. 1994). In spite of the prominent role played by technology in the resource-based theoretical framework, however, empirical evidence of technology’s role in contouring firms’ behavior and performance has remained elusive. This is largely due to difficulties in measuring technological strength, particularly in a manner that will allow the mapping of technological resources or competencies into specific products or industries in which they are likely to be particularly useful. This chapter proposes a method to effect such measurement and mapping.
