This paper investigates linkages between information technology (IT) and firm performance.Although showing recent signs of advance, the existing IT literature still relies heavily on case studies, anecdotes, and consultants' frameworks, with little solid empirical work or synthesis of findings. This paper examines the IT literature, develops an integrative, resource-based theoretical framework, and presents results from a new empirical study in the retail industry. The findings show that ITs alone have not produced sustainable performance advantages in the retail industry, but that some firms have gained advantages by using ITs to leverage intangible, complementary human and business resources such as flexible culture, strategic planning-IT integration, and supplier relationships. The results support the resource-based approach, and help to explain why some firms outperform others using the same ITs, and why successful IT users often fail to sustain IT-based competitive advantages.

This paper investigates linkages between information technology (IT) and firm performance. Although showing recent signs of advance, the existing IT literature still relies heavily on case studies, anecdotes, and consultants’ frameworks, with little solid empirical work or synthesis of findings. This paper examines the IT literature, develops an integrative, resource‐based theoretical framework, and presents results from a new empirical study in the retail industry. The findings show that ITs alone have not produced sustainable performance advantages in the retail industry, but that some firms have gained advantages by using ITs to leverage intangible, complementary human and business resources such as flexible culture, strategic planning–IT integration, and supplier relationships. The results support the resource‐based approach, and help to explain why some firms outperform others using the same ITs, and why successful IT users often fail to sustain IT‐based competitive advantages. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

le secteur de la I Rkssurne'Cette Ctude explore les conditions dans lesquelles l'utilisation des technologies de l'information (TI) dans le secteur de la distribution aux Etats-Unis engendre un avantage concurrentiel. Sa contribution rtside dans la synthbse, B partir de la thtorie des ressources, de nombreux travaux de recherche sur les TI et dans le soutien empirique qu'elle apporte B une litttrature peu vtrifite sur le plan expkrimental. L'Ctude met en Cvidence l'absence de corrtlation entre TI et performance et montre que les TI n'engendrent un avantage que lorsqu'elles sont utilisCes en conjonction avec certaines ressources complCmentaires, immatCrielles et difficilement imitables, telles que l'inttgration TI-stratkgie et une cooptration particulibre avec les fournisseurs. Les rCsultats sont conformes B la thtorie des ressources et expliquent pourquoi certaines entreprises bCnCficient mieux que d'autres des TI, pourquoi les avantages fondts sur les TI disparaissent rapidement, et comment gagner un avantage par l'inttgration des TI aux ressources compltmentaires appropriCes. AbstractThis paper investigates the conditions under which the use of information technology (IT) can produce performance advantages. Its contribution lies in the resource theory-based conceptual synthesis and empirical evidence that it provides to a still fragmented and insufficiently tested IT literature. The empirical study takes place in the retail industry and the findings show no correlation between ITS, in and of themselves, and performance. They show, however, that some retail firms have gained advantages by combining IT with intangible, difficult to imitate complementary resources, such as flexible culture, strategic planning-IT integration and supplier relationships. The findings support the resource-based approach, and help to explain why some firms struggle while others flourish with the same ITS, why IT-based advantages tend to dissipate rapidly, and how firms can gain advantages by integrating IT with the appropriate complementary resources.