Abstract:
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the moderating effect of religiosity of farm owners on
the resource-capability-competitive advantage interaction.
Design/methodology/approach – A self-administered structured questionnaire was developed to collect
data from farm owners who possess the experience in commercial cultivation of three main minor export
crops in Sri Lanka.
Findings – The results of linear regression analysis on 456 responses received suggest that the religiosity of
farm owners significantly moderates the relationships between resources, capabilities and competitive
advantage of the minor export crop farms, confirming the study hypotheses.
Research limitations/implications – Future studies should consider the specific impact of different religious
affiliations, traits and/or precepts of the farm owners. In addition, educational level, income level and mental
capacity of the farm owners should be considered too since they may form part of the observed relationships.
Originality/value – The study has addressed the gap in literature by highlighting the potential of religiosity
in the interaction between resources, capabilities and competitive advantage. From the practical standpoint,
besides providing some directions to the farm owners, the results also benefit different stakeholders such as
policy makers, government and local communities in suggesting and implementing appropriate measures
with regard to selecting suitable resources and integrating them with proper capabilities for greater
competitive advantage of the agribusiness sector.
