Business coursework and the
resource-based view (RBV)
Nicholas C. Williamson and Joy Bhadury
Bryan School of Business and Economics, University of North Carolina,
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
Kay Dobie
North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
Victor Ofori-Boadu
Leonard C. Cooper International Trade Center,
North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
Samuel Parker Troy
Bryan School of Business and Economics, University of North Carolina,
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA, and
Osei Yeboah
Leonard C. Cooper International Trade Center,
North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine whether one can infer the identities of specific
business and management coursework topics that owner/managers of wineries want to have
addressed by a wine industry-specific educational institution by assessing upstream and downstream
vertical integration strategies of their respective wineries.
Design/methodology/approach – Exploratory empirical research involves the gathering
of relevant information by way of telephone interviews and using closed end questions. The theory
of the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm is the theoretical framework that was employed in
developing relevant hypotheses.
Findings – The results demonstrate that one can predict the types of business and management
courses that owner/managers of wineries want to have offered by assessing realized upstream and/or
downstream vertical integration strategies of their respective wineries.
Originality/value – The research creates a bridge between research involving the RBV and the
identification of needs of persons in various parts of the wine value chain. Such persons might either
become involved in conceiving and/or rendering wine industry-specific business and management
instruction, or benefit by taking business coursework that has been established as relevant for them by
this research.
Keywords United States of America, Wineries, Owner-managers, Resources, Resource-based view,
Vertical marketing, Vertical integration, Business education, Business studies
Paper type Research paper
I. Introduction
Sonoma State University, located approximately 50 miles north of San Francisco in the
state of California in the USA, has recently commenced offering an MBA degree in
Wine Business. While there are five similar degree programs that are offered in France,
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Business
coursework and
the RBV
19
Received 10 September 2010
Revised 10 January 2011
Accepted 20 April 2011
International Journal of Wine
Business Research
Vol. 24 No. 1, 2012
pp. 19-32
q Emerald Group Publishing Limited
1751-1062
DOI 10.1108/17511061211213756