A Contingency Approach to the Strategic Management of Intangible Resources

Abstract

Not with standing the increasing awareness of the importance of intangible resources for the success of organisations, there is a paucity of research investigating the impact of contingent factors on the strategic management of such resources. This research therefore aims to address this issue by investigating the contingencies which come into play in hospital organisations. It does so by using a case study approach to examine the impact of industry-specific and organisation-specific factors on management activities. It was found that factors such as task complexity and staff profile play a significant role in regulated management contexts making the adjustment of existing approaches an indispensable task for general managers who aim to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. The paper contributes to various disciplines. For example, it contributes to the literature on resource management, by proposing a framework for the effective management of intangible resources in the light of the impact of contingent factors.