The effect of market orientation, entrepreneurial orientation and human capital on positional advantage: Evidence from the restaurant industry

•We adopt resource based theory and examine the conceptual gap that addresses ‘how’ organizational resources affect performance.•Market orientation, entrepreneurial orientation and human capital help determine positional advantage and subsequent firm performance.•The ability to effectively exploit intangible resources is likely to generate sustainable competitive advantage and enhance firm performance.•Restaurant managers should understand the value of intangible organizational resources and their link to performance.