Valuable, Rare, Inimitable, Non-Substitutable of Resources in Building Innovation Capability for Sustainable Development: Evidence from Creative Social Enterprises

Abstract

This paper aims to discover the valuable, rare, inimitable, non-substitutable (VRIN) resources of CSEs that contribute to the building of IC in creative social enterprises. The process of building IC is complex and is influenced by many factors; hence knowing which to IC building in CSEs will be very important and beneficial for any firm. The research used a qualitative exploratory study design with multiple case studies on five creative social enterprises in Indonesia. Interviews and a literature review were used to collect data. The research subjects are five entrepreneurs and five R&D managers. These founders have over five years of sustainable business experience. The study points out eight VRIN resources that contribute to different stages of IC building: local arts and culture; waste; co-creation capability; creative people; local people's participation; reduce, reuse, recycle; micro manufacturing; environmentally friendly technology. The IC outcomes are new sustainable products and a new process, which is brand storytelling. The findings could help entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship educators by allowing them to plan ahead of time to develop VRIN resources.