Capturing strategic competences: cloud security as a case study

Purpose – This paper intends to propose a concept for capturing the strategically important competences of a firm. Design/methodology/approach – A case study accompanies the development of the concept advanced in this paper. The case study relies on project findings within the context of cloud security in the health, banking and telecommunications industries. Findings – The strategic competences of a firm can be recognised effectively when managers follow the sequential steps “elicit‐solve‐categorise‐formulate‐map‐prioritise‐conduct” as an analysis instrument. Different patterns of action are required for treating the competences identified, according to their strategic significance. Research limitations/implications – Scholars are invited to improve the proposed concept and enrich it with more empirical cases or data. Practical implications – The concept suggested in this paper may serve as a basis for managers to pursue durable advantages by recognising and embarking on strategic competences. Originality/value – Competences are commonly acknowledged as sources to achieve sustained competitive advantage for firms. Many authors have commented on the properties that competences must possess in order to be strategic. Few, however, have discussed the potential of a more general concept for capturing and treating strategically important competences. A structured framework is therefore suggested in this study.