Abstract
This article identifies how information technology (IT) consulting firms use their resources and capabilities in the quest for a competitive advantage pursuant to the approach of the resource-based view (RBV). The research was exploratory and descriptive in nature, and adopted the qualitative method with in-depth interviews using a script-driven standard with open-ended questions. Seven executives from the senior management of IT consulting companies ranked among the Top 10 in this segment in Brazil were interviewed. For the analysis and interpretation of data, content analysis was applied with the support of a spreadsheet to generate the categories of analysis. Results showed that the participating companies use their knowledge on human resources and their relationship with customers as crucial components of their business strategies. These resources and capabilities are strategically used, taking advantage of the links established with clients in search for new business opportunities so as to create barriers to new incoming threats.
Keywords:
IT consulting; Strategy; Resource-based View; Competitive advantage