Extending the resource and knowledge based view: Insights from new contexts of analysis

The resource based view (RBV) comprises of a comprehensive body of management literature, principally concerned with the source, and nature of an organization's strategic resources and capabilities, and is one of the most debated and successful theories in management studies. This special issue aimed to explore how and whether the RBV, knowledge-based view (KBV) and related theories (e.g. relational view, dynamic capabilities, etc.) can be reconceptualised, developed, advanced and revisited in new contexts of analysis and in the light of recent global developments. Thus, this special issue intended to further our knowledge on these key theories in management, by looking at new directions, addressing new phenomena, with both old and new methodologies. To take stock of the current situation we contribute in this opening piece by conducting a bibliometric analysis of the papers, published in the Journal of Business Research, over the years (including 31 papers published in this special issue). In doing so, we identified the themes that led to the reconceptualization and further development of the aforementioned theories in varied contexts and fields, and further mapped the existing papers in this special issue, thereby portraying future trends.

Automated summary

The resource based view (RBV) is a comprehensive theory in management studies that focuses on the source and nature of an organization's strategic resources and capabilities. This special issue aimed to explore how the RBV and related theories can be further developed and applied in new contexts and in light of recent global developments. Through a bibliometric analysis of papers published in the Journal of Business Research, including 31 papers in this special issue, this opening piece identified themes and mapped future trends in the reconceptualization and development of these theories.