The Resource Based View (RBV) of the firm maintains that a firm’s sustained superior performance derives from its inimitable resources. Knowledge is presented as a particularly important resource in this regard. Tacitness, complexity, and specificity are offered as three key characteristics of knowledge that slow its imitation by competitors. But this assertion has received very little empirical attention. In this report we examine firms in the adhesives industry and measure characteristics of their technological knowledge. We find that complexity and tacitness of a firm’s technological knowledge are helpful in sustaining the competitive advantage that is has from the introduction of new products. However, the results for specificity are inconclusive. Implications of these findings for both research and practice are discussed.
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