The use of the key success factor concept in the MIS and strategy literature is traced, and a
new view is presented, which defines key success factors as skills and resources with high
leverage on customer perceived value and relative costs of a business. Key success factors are
distinguished from core, slack, and auxiliary skills and resources. Perceived are distinguished
from actual key success factors, and it is argued that empirical research on key success factors
should address both. A research agenda is presented, and various methods for solving the
methodological problems in that agenda are discussed.