Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-4-2007
Abstract
Business strategists seek to create a sustainable competitive advantage so that their organizations thrive. Yet in industry after industry the corporate graveyards are lined with companies that once led an industry and were subsequently ousted by smaller, nimbler competitors or new entrants. The long list of failed organizations underscores the challenge to the notion of sustainability. Clearly competitive advantage is subject to constant erosion, and companies seeking a sustainable competitive advantage may be chasing an illusory goal. To thrive, companies must learn to adapt their skills, resources and experience and transform them into renewable competitive advantages that are commensurate with the demands of their changing market environment. Strategic renewal is an ongoing journey in which organizations break free from the constraints inherent in their current trajectory (Volberda, Baden-Fuller, and van den Bosch, 2001). The organizational transformations inherent in such a strategic renewal journey are best understood by examining theories in strategy, learning, and intentional change. Striving to connect these multi-disciplinary perspectives is one potential contribution from this research. Discerning if relentless addiction to learning can continually renew an organization's competitive advantage is a vital question for business leaders and inspires this research.
Keywords
learning, adapting, strategy, sustainable competitive advantage, renewable competitive advantage, erosion
Rights
© The Author(s). Kelvin Smith Library provides access for non-commercial, personal, or research use only. All other use, including but not limited to commercial or scholarly reproductions, redistribution, publication or transmission, whether by electronic means or otherwise, without prior written permission is strictly prohibited.
Department/Center
Design & Innovation
Recommended Citation
Giridharadas, Radhashyam, "From Learned to Learning: Why Addiction to Learning is Vital to Renewing Competitive Advantage" (2007). Student Scholarship. 224.
https://commons.case.edu/studentworks/224