Exploring Resources and Performance Relationships in Commercial Enterprises: An Empirical Perspective

Abstract

Despite a growing body of literature on firm performance, explaining why firms in the same industry and markets differ in their performance remains a fundamental question within strategic management field. Researchers have attributed differences in firm performance to resources owned by a firm but the results remain fragmented and no consensus has yet emerged. Therefore, the debate is still open and this study sought to contribute to the debate and address extant gaps. This study investigated the influence of organizational resources on performance of insurance companies in Kenya. The study was based on a survey of 46 insurance companies in Kenya. The study reports that both tangible and intangible resources have a statistically significant influence on non-financial performance of insurance companies in Kenya. However, there were mixed findings as regards the individual influence of resources on various firm performance indicators. Intangible resources evidenced statistically not significant results individually but when combined, they had a statistically significant influence on non-financial performance. The reverse was true for tangible resources. Based on the findings, implications of the study and suggestions for further study are presented.