External IT Use for Capturing Competitive Advantage in Marine Industry: RBV Approach

The marine industry has significant potential for development. Various strategies enhance this potential, including optimizing organizational capabilities, strengthening resources, and adopting external IT. This research explores the relationship between external IT and creating competitive advantage through a resource-based approach. This research employs a descriptive quantitative approach, utilizing online surveys with 300 respondents from the fisheries and marine tourism sectors. Data analysis was conducted using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with the help of SMART PLS software. This study's results indicate that external IT impacts a company's capabilities, that is, technology and operational capabilities, and influences competitive advantage. Technological and operational capabilities measure company capability in this research. However, a unique finding of this study is that operational and strategic capabilities did not contribute to creating a competitive advantage. This research explores the relationship between factors contributing to competitive advantage and the support for external IT within the marine industry sector. Since the external environment of the marine industry is predictable, leveraging external IT resources can enhance the sustainability of competitive advantages.