Anatomy of competitive advantage: a SELECT framework

Competitive advantage is the basis for superior performance. Understanding the anatomy of competitive advantage is of paramount importance to general managers who bear the ultimate responsibility for a firm’s long term survival and success. Advances an integrative framework called SELECT to help general managers systematically examine the various facets of the anatomy of competitive advantage: its substance, expression, locale, effect, cause, and time‐span. Analyzing the causes of competitive advantage helps a firm create and gain advantage. Studying the substance, expression, locale, and effect of competitive advantage allows the firm to better utilize the advantage. Examining the time span of competitive advantage enables the firm to fully exploit the advantage according to its potential and sustainability.