University of Tasmania, Australia

Mrs Louise Grimmer

Graduate Research Candidate

Contact Details

Project title: Strategic Intent? An examination of the relationship between critical resources and strategic orientation in small, independent retail firms

Abstract
The choice of competitive strategy is one of the most important decisions to be made by small businesses, and retailers in particular. However, the majority of small, independent retailers are often limited in their choice of strategy due in part to their size, their position in the marketplace, their lack of capital and expertise, and the level of competition they face.

Traditionally, external adaptation or orientation has been the focus of strategy process research. Less is known about the relationship between the firms internal resources and the strategic orientation of the firm. The Resource-Based View of the Firm (RBV) contends that an organisations resources and capabilities may be utilised to create competitive advantage. The majority of research in this area has concentrated on high growth, high tech or manufacturing organisations. Less work has been carried out examining the resources and capabilities of small firms and small retailers. There is a gap in the literature regarding how small independent retailers can develop competitive strategies based on available resources. Using the RBV, this study will examine the critical resources utilised by small, independent retailers; examine the competitive strategies adopted by small retailers, and explore the relationship between resources and strategies (including the various resource and strategy configurations) employed by small retailers.

A mixed method approach will be used, consisting of an initial qualitative stage (semi-structured interviews) followed by a quantitative stage (survey). Participants will be small, independent retailers throughout Tasmania.

The study will contribute to the extant research on small retailers and provide an application of the RBV in a small retailer context, leading to a refinement of the understanding of the types of resources utilised by small retailing firms. It will also advance understanding of the nature of small retailer strategy. In a practical sense, the findings will assist small retail businesses identify and allocate suitable resources as well as select appropriate retail strategies.

Keywords
Retailing; small retailers; Resource-Based View of the Firm; retail strategy.