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In this paper we have used structural equation modelling to examine the inter-relationships among specific intangible resources — product, operations, and marketing sources of ideas — as they relate to innovation and firm performance. Prior studies founded upon the Resource Based View (RBV) of the firm, have focused on the relationship between innovation and firm performance or resources and firm performance, but have not examined both simultaneously. Our study reveals how the sources of ideas, as valuable strategic firm resources, directly, and/or indirectly via innovation activities, contribute to firm performance. We find that marketing sources of ideas directly influences firm performance and that product and operations sources of ideas do not. Indirectly, however, all three sources of idea resources (marketing, operational, and product) contribute to firm performance via the innovation construct. Thus …