An Exploratory Analysis of the Relationship Between Organizational Culture, Regional Culture, Causal Ambiguity and Competitive Advantage in an International Setting‪.‬

ABSTRACT It is important for managers to understand the dynamics of competitive advantage in the global environment. Today, companies find more difficulties in distinguishing their core competencies and achieving a competitive advantage. The current global environment is changing and some competitive advantages may be losing their sustainability as new firms entering an industry imitate distinctive competencies of incumbent firms. This research is a preliminary exploratory analysis of the relationship between the social complexity of the firm, causal ambiguity and susceptibility to imitation as affected by regional/national and organizational culture. The research is important since it has been shown that causal ambiguity limits imitation and increases the sustainability of competitive advantage. Our results confirm the relationship between organizational culture, national/regional culture, imitation and causal ambiguity through a survey and factor analysis. Thus, firms should take advantage of the unique complexity of their corporate culture to limit imitation and increase competitive advantage.