Project management resources, resource development pathway typology, and the quest for competitive advantage.

Abstract

Increasingly, firms are turning to effective project management to help them achieve and retain a dominant position in the marketplace. Applying the Resource-Based View (RBV), this theoretical paper examines project management and its role in achieving competitive advantage. By classifying project resources under Brush et al.’s (2001) Resource Development Pathway typology and combining this with the project-based structures of control versus cooperation, we are able to develop a conceptual model that explains how projects achieve competitive advantage. We conclude by indicating directions for future research as well as some suggestions for management practice.