In the context of swot analysis, a firm can develop a defensive strategic option primarily by

a temporary competitive advantage.

ex: If a firm is not effectively organized to exploit the competitive potential of a valuable, rare, and costly to imitate (VRI) resource, the best case scenario is a temporary competitive advantage. One of the four key criteria in the VRIO framework is being organized to capture value; the characteristic of having in place an effective organizational structure, processes, and systems to fully exploit the competitive potential of the firm's resources, capabilities, and competencies.