my ideas:
the complex nature of this issue requires us to consider it case by case. in my point of view, whether one advantages over the other depends on specific circumstance.
on the one hand, for some businesses, know-how is a key success factor. if you know sth about business that your competitiors do not know, you have already half way of winning in the competition. For example, patented technology...
on the other hand, in some industries, such as telecom industry, operators provide similar products/services, no one has secret that others do not know. In this situation, quality of service becomes a key success factor. |