Quo Vadis, Dynamic Capabilities? A Content-Analytic Review of the Current State of Knowledge and Recommendations for Future Research

Abstract

Although the dynamic capabilities perspective has become one of the most frequently used theoretical lenses in management research, critics have repeatedly voiced their frustration with this literature, particularly bemoaning the lack of empirical knowledge and the underspecification of the construct of dynamic capabilities. But research on dynamic capabilities has advanced considerably since its early years, in which most contributions to this literature were purely conceptual. A plethora of empirical studies as well as further theoretical elaborations have shed substantial light on a variety of specific, measurable factors connected to dynamic capabilities. Our article starts out by analyzing these studies to develop a meta-framework that specifies antecedents, dimensions, mechanisms, moderators, and outcomes of dynamic capabilities identified in the literature to date. This framework provides a comprehensive and systematic synthesis of the dynamic capabilities perspective that reflects the richness of the research while at the same time unifying it into a cohesive, overarching model. Such an analysis has not yet been undertaken; no comprehensive framework with this level of detail has previously been presented for dynamic capabilities. Our analysis shows where research has made the most progress and where gaps and unresolved tensions remain. Based on this analysis, we propose a forward-looking research agenda that outlines directions for future research. 390

When do Dynamic Capabilities Lead to Competitive Advantage? The Importance of Strategic Fit

“…Prior research on dynamic capabilities has focused a great deal on the contingency of environmental dynamism (e.g., Schilke, ; Teece et al, ), though recent advancements recognize that dynamic capabilities can be equally effective in stable environments (Schilke et al, ). Extending this line of thinking, we show that munificence is an overlooked environmental aspect that affects the fit between dynamic capabilities and dynamic environments.…”

“… The concept of strategic fit is also associated with contingency theory and consistent with the focus of Helfat and colleagues (2007) on evolutionary fitness as a key potential outcome of dynamic capabilities. As Schilke et al, (p. 26) note: ‘Dynamic capabilities are proposed to confer a competitive advantage by adding unique value to the firm through systematic change, which enhances operational efficiency and enables increased alignment with the environment’. …”

Aligning the Mindset and Capabilities within a Business Network for Successful Adoption of Smart Services

“…Instead, a holistic consideration of integrated and distributed network change is needed. In line with this observation, Schilke, Hu, and Helfat (, p. 392) invite research “to pay greater attention to the role of dynamic capabilities in shaping markets and ecosystems.”…”

Role of Cognitive Style of a Manager in the Development of Tourism Companies’ Dynamic Capabilities

“…Dynamic capabilities are a fastly growing concept in strategic management research (Schilke et al 2017). The first definition of dynamic capabilities appeared in the work by Teece and Pisano (1994) but it became more popular after the scholars, together with Shuen, described dynamic capabilities in more detail in their paper of 1997.…”