Dynamic capabilities: A morphological analysis framework and agenda for future research
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors synthesize the diverse scholarly literature about dynamic capabilities (DCs) and develop a more integrated understanding to minimize the reported apparent vagueness, and apply morphological analysis (MA) to develop a multi-dimensional conceptual framework comprising five dimensions and 26 variants that enable a structured representation of the conceptual foundations of DCs.
Abstract: The growth, diversity and applications of research into dynamic capabilities (DCs) have resulted in the whole literature on DCs becoming a complex and disconnected body of knowledge. This has led to criticisms of the subject of DCs as being vague, tautological and without practical value. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to synthesize the diverse scholarly literature about DCs and develop a more integrated understanding to minimize the reported apparent vagueness.,In this paper, the authors review various relevant themes on DCs using a selection of 133 articles published in 22 recognized, top-tier management journals during the period between 1990 and 2016, with an aim to build a structured and integrated theory. For this, morphological analysis (MA), a systems-thinking technique, is applied.,MA is applied to develop a multi-dimensional conceptual framework comprising five dimensions and 26 variants that enable a structured representation of the conceptual foundations of DCs. Further, the authors identify 81 individual DCs noted by various scholars; elucidate assumptions and antecedents relevant to the DCs approach; structure the key characteristics; and expound the input factors, impacting factors, desired outcomes and assessment yardsticks.,This would be a useful resource for researchers working in the area of DCs to explore opportunities for future research.,The MA framework helps managers to look at DCs more holistically, and hence would help them in developing, managing and retaining DCs in organizations.,This study is the original work contributed by the authors and has no specific organizational reference. This research implies new directions to look beyond individual DCs in firms toward a more integrated theory building.
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TL;DR: In this article, the relationship of the dimensions of learning organization with green supply chain practices and corporate performance is established, which reveals an indispensable link between the constructs of environmentalism and learning, emphasizing pertinent links between the learning capability and reflective responsiveness of an organization's environmental practices and sustainable performance.
17 citations
TL;DR: The author conducted a topic modeling of the dynamic capabilities corpus in the information systems field of research to quantitatively review, summarize and classify the prior literature, which covered 191 articles published on dynamic capabilities between 1998 and 2018 in pioneering information systems journals and conference proceedings.
Abstract: While the dynamic capabilities perspective is the most cited strategic theory in the information systems field of research, little effort has been made to review and integrate the associate literature of this perspective in the field. Accordingly, this paper aims to systematically analyze the information systems literature on dynamic capabilities and provide a holistic understanding of the topical composition and trend of dynamic capabilities studies in information systems research.,Using latent Dirichlet allocation as the text analysis algorithm, the author conducted a topic modeling of the dynamic capabilities corpus in the information systems field of research to quantitatively review, summarize and classify the prior literature. The review covered 191 articles published on dynamic capabilities between 1998 and 2018 in pioneering information systems journals and conference proceedings.,In accordance with the topic modeling results, the topical composition of the dynamic capabilities corpus in information systems research dominantly includes seven themes titled T1. Information systems value, T2. Information systems change, T3. Digitalization, T4. Information systems agility, T5. Big data, T6. Information systems innovation and T7. Information systems alignment. Also, the overall and topical trend of dynamic capabilities studies in the information systems field of research were revealed. The trends indicated that the investigated domain and its prominent sub-domains have generally had positive productivity over the past years.,The current study contributes to the domain by developing knowledge and improving literature on dynamic capabilities in information systems research, discovering the main topics of interest for information systems researchers to deploying the dynamic capabilities perspective in their studies, and prioritizing the future information systems research on dynamic capabilities based on the identified trends of topics.
16 citations
01 Jan 2019
TL;DR: In this article, an Environmental Management System Framework (EMS) is proposed for adoption by the eight publicly funded higher education institutions (HEIs) in Hong Kong, which are matched with the common sustainable practices under the dynamic capabilities and the required elements of the ISO 14001:2015.
Abstract: This research project aims to develop an Environmental Management System Framework, which is suitable for adoption by the eight publicly funded higher education institutions (HEIs) in Hong Kong. This paper presents the first stage of the research and the findings that examined the practices of the eight HEIs based on the published information and conducted semi-structured interviews with the officers responsible for environmental sustainability (altogether nine interviews from eight HEIs) to verify and confirm the practices of the HEIs, which are matched with the common sustainable practices under the Dynamic Capabilities and the required elements of the ISO 14001:2015. The features of the common sustainable practices under the Dynamic Capabilities are under those in three capabilities: scanning/monitoring capability, sensing/seizing capability, and reconfiguration capability. The required elements of the ISO 14001:2015 are leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation, and improvement process. The research findings show that the gap between the practices of the HEIs on environmental sustainability and those practices featured in the Dynamic Capabilities and ISO 14001 is not significant. The development of an EMS which includes the aforesaid features is feasible. The HEIs are not on the other hand prepared to spend resources to obtain external certification and elaborate documentation. Hence, it would not be included in the proposed EMS framework. However, the research results show that the participation of staff members and students in various processes in the EMS development should be included in the proposed framework. In the next stage of this research, the expectation of the staff members and students for those practices featured in the Dynamic Capabilities and ISO 14001 would be gauged through semi-structured interviews. After this process the research can conclude with a suggested EMS which is feasible and meets with the expectation of stakeholders of the HEIs.
12 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyze firms and employees' strategies in illegitimate institutional contexts in which non-governmental armed groups enforce illegitimate activities in firms and civil society and recognize employees as key and effective players in implementing ambidextrous organizational and human resource management strategies.
Abstract: Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze firms and employees’ strategies in illegitimate institutional contexts in which non-governmental armed groups enforce illegitimate activities in firms and civil society. The aim is to recognize employees as key and effective players in implementing ambidextrous organizational and human resource management (HRM) strategies. We know little regarding employee norms and behaviors in complying with global market standards while surviving in environments characterized by high levels of civil violence and crime.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents an explorative, qualitative study based on 65 semi-structured interviews and conversations with employees in Colombia and Mexico over four years.
Findings
The findings of this paper indicate that the presence of non-governmental armed groups forces firms, HR departments and front-line managers to strategically exploit security measures inspired by employees’ informal institutions to protect firm assets while implementing innovative exploration strategies to improve employee work conditions, survive in unsafe environments and remain internationally competitive.
Originality/value
The findings suggest that organization, HRM and employee ambidexterity are organizational advantages in illegitimate institutional contexts. This study contributes to the literature linking ambidexterity and institutional theory by emphasizing informal institutions when examining employment relationships in unsafe environments.
10 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the internal mechanisms that allow organisations to become high value manufacturing (HVM) are studied. But, the authors focus on three UK manufacturing companies that formed in-departure HVM companies.
Abstract: This paper studies the internal mechanisms that allow organisations to become high value manufacturing (HVM). Using a qualitative methodology, three UK manufacturing companies formed in-dep...
10 citations
Cites methods from "Dynamic capabilities: A morphologic..."
...They have used primarily both RBV and dynamic capabilities as theoretical lenses to frame their research (e.g. Ambrosini, Bowman, and Collier 2009, Ambrosini and Bowman 2009)....
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References
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the link between firm resources and sustained competitive advantage and analyzed the potential of several firm resources for generating sustained competitive advantages, including value, rareness, imitability, and substitutability.
46,648 citations
TL;DR: The dynamic capabilities framework as mentioned in this paper analyzes the sources and methods of wealth creation and capture by private enterprise firms operating in environments of rapid technological change, and suggests that private wealth creation in regimes of rapid technology change depends in large measure on honing intemal technological, organizational, and managerial processes inside the firm.
Abstract: The dynamic capabilities framework analyzes the sources and methods of wealth creation and capture by private enterprise firms operating in environments of rapid technological change. The competitive advantage of firms is seen as resting on distinctive processes (ways of coordinating and combining), shaped by the firm's (specific) asset positions (such as the firm's portfolio of difftcult-to- trade knowledge assets and complementary assets), and the evolution path(s) it has aflopted or inherited. The importance of path dependencies is amplified where conditions of increasing retums exist. Whether and how a firm's competitive advantage is eroded depends on the stability of market demand, and the ease of replicability (expanding intemally) and imitatability (replication by competitors). If correct, the framework suggests that private wealth creation in regimes of rapid technological change depends in large measure on honing intemal technological, organizational, and managerial processes inside the firm. In short, identifying new opportunities and organizing effectively and efficiently to embrace them are generally more fundamental to private wealth creation than is strategizing, if by strategizing one means engaging in business conduct that keeps competitors off balance, raises rival's costs, and excludes new entrants. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
27,902 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the usefulness of analyzing firms from the resource side rather than from the product side, in analogy to entry barriers and growth-share matrices, the concepts of resource position barrier and resource-product matrices are suggested.
Abstract: Summary The paper explores the usefulness of analysing firms from the resource side rather than from the product side. In analogy to entry barriers and growth-share matrices, the concepts of resource position barrier and resource-product matrices are suggested. These tools are then used to highlight the new strategic options which naturally emerge from the resource perspective.
18,677 citations
TL;DR: The most powerful way to prevail in global competition is still invisible to many companies as discussed by the authors, which is why the concept of the corporation itself has not yet been recognized as a powerful competitive advantage.
Abstract: The most powerful way to prevail in global competition is still invisible to many companies. During the 1980s, top executives were judged on their ability to restructure, declutter, and delayer their corporations. In the 1990s, they’ll be judged on their ability to identify, cultivate, and exploit the core competencies that make growth possible — indeed, they’ll have to rethink the concept of the corporation itself.
15,465 citations
TL;DR: Seeks to present a better understanding of dynamic capabilities and the resource-based view of the firm to help managers build using these dynamic capabilities.
Abstract: This paper focuses on dynamic capabilities and, more generally, the resource-based view of the firm. We argue that dynamic capabilities are a set of specific and identifiable processes such as product development, strategic decision making, and alliancing. They are neither vague nor tautological. Although dynamic capabilities are idiosyncratic in their details and path dependent in their emergence, they have significant commonalities across firms (popularly termed ‘best practice’). This suggests that they are more homogeneous, fungible, equifinal, and substitutable than is usually assumed. In moderately dynamic markets, dynamic capabilities resemble the traditional conception of routines. They are detailed, analytic, stable processes with predictable outcomes. In contrast, in high-velocity markets, they are simple, highly experiential and fragile processes with unpredictable outcomes. Finally, well-known learning mechanisms guide the evolution of dynamic capabilities. In moderately dynamic markets, the evolutionary emphasis is on variation. In high-velocity markets, it is on selection. At the level of RBV, we conclude that traditional RBV misidentifies the locus of long-term competitive advantage in dynamic markets, overemphasizes the strategic logic of leverage, and reaches a boundary condition in high-velocity markets. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
13,128 citations