Resource orchestration: managers role in developing and deploying resources to create distinctive advantage

Resource Orchestration (RO) theory emerged from the resource-based view (RBV), one of the most commonly used theories to explain, ‘Why do some companies succeed and others fail?' Vitally, the RBV is one of the two most cited theories, along with transaction cost theory, in purchasing and supply chain research. Thus, RO is likely to be a relevant and timely addition to the supply chain researcher's theoretical toolkit. RO integrates Resource Management and Asset Orchestration theories to explicitly consider managers' role in finding complementary resources and fitting them together to develop distinctive capabilities that deliver superior firm performance. RO posits three general categories of managerial activity as central to capability development: structuring, bundling, and leveraging. To date, however, very little literature explores the specific managerial skills and organizational routines required to perform these high-level managerial activities. Many opportunities therefore exist to explore the why, when, and how questions related to the application of RO to critical supply chain domains including collaboration, risk, and sustainability. Supply chain choreography has been identified as the next stage for exploring how resources can be developed and deployed to achieve distinctive advantage.