The Dynamic Capability View in Strategic Management: A Bibliometric Review

Abstract

The dynamic capability view (DCV) is one of the most vibrant approaches to strategic management. In this study, the extant literature published between 1994 and 2011 is analysed, using bibliometric methods in order to explore the scope of this approach and detect current research priorities. For this purpose, the method of bibliographic coupling is introduced in management research, which shifts the focus of analysis from past traditions to current trends. Several clusters of thematically related research are extracted from bibliographic networks, which represent interconnected yet distinct subfields of inquiry within the DCV. The core cluster of the current DCV, which visualizes this research field's nascent but fragile identity, focuses on learning and change capabilities and relates them to firm performance, thus merging aspects of organization theory and strategic management. In addition, several peripheral clusters of research are identified, which reflect a parallel process of differentiation in the overall field. Both trends, i.e. of integration and differentiation, attest to the emancipation of the DCV as a distinct approach to strategic management. However, the DCV still lacks consensual concepts that allow comparisons of empirical studies and advance the theoretical understanding of dynamic capabilities. In the light of the above, some implications of this analysis for further research are discussed.

The Influence of Industry Characteristics and Dynamic Capabilities on Firms’ Profitability

“…However, the concept is characterised by its fragmentation. This is true for both definitions and conceptualisations of dynamic capabilities, which has an impact on empirical research (Arend and Bromiley 2009;Vogel and Güttel 2013;Burisch and Wohlgemuth 2016).…”

“…Vogel and Güttel (2013) state that "the dynamic capability view still lacks consensual concepts that allow comparisons of empirical studies". Some studies find empirical support of the dynamic capabilities approach (e.g., Zott 2003;Fang and Zou 2009;Drnevich and Kriauciunas 2011), while some papers confirm that the effect of dynamic capabilities on a firm's competitive advantage/performance is contingent on specific factors, such as the firm's organisational structure and the intensity of competition the firm faces (Wilden et al 2013), or the degree of dynamism of the firm's external environment, showing a weaker effect in the context of high and low environmental dynamism in comparison to in the context of a moderate one (Schilke 2014).…”

Human Computer Interaction Research Through the Lens of a Bibliometric Analysis

“…Recently, bibliometric methods have gained an increased appreciation as a prolific technique to understand the knowledge base of a research field, especially if the research field is vast and complex to analyse (Acedo, Barroso, & Galan, 2006;Di Stefano, Peteraf, & Verona, 2010;Vogel & Güttel, 2013). One may legitimately argue that the recent interest in the bibliometric analysis is realised due to the increasing accessibility of publication databases containing bibliometrics, such as the number of publications, citations, co-citations, bibliographic couplings etc.…”

Núcleos y ámbitos de investigación sobre adicciones en España a través del análisis de los enlaces bibliográficos en la Web of Science (2000-2013)

“…Existen diferentes metodologías y procedimientos para identificar los clústeres y agrupar los documentos en las redes, habiéndose optado en el presente trabajo por su identificación mediante los resultados del análisis factorial, tal y como se ha realizado en otros estudios previos (Vogel et al, 2013). Los conceptos de factor y de clúster o núcleo de investigación se utilizarán, por tanto, indistintamente en el presente estudio.…”

“…Aunque existen pocos estudios que hayan analizado los ámbitos de investigación de una disciplina o área de conocimiento mediante el análisis de los enlaces bibliográficos en relación con otras metodologías como el análisis de co-citas, esta aproximación metodológica está despertando un interés cada vez mayor, como lo prueba la reciente publicación de numerosas contribuciones que tratan de sentar las bases conceptuales y teóricas de esta metodología (Boyack et al, 2010) así como de diferentes trabajos descriptivos que identifican los ámbitos de investigación existentes en áreas como la Cardiología (Jarneving, 2001), la estrategia empresarial (Vogel y Güttel, 2013), en relación con la literatura generada sobre los diodos orgánicos de emisión de luz (Huang y Chang, 2014) o la investigación sobre turismo (Yuan, Gretzel y Tseng, 2014). También esta metodología se ha utilizado para anticipar avances tecnológicos en el área de la nanotecnología (Kuusi y Meyer, 2007) o para identificar el surgimiento de nuevos ámbitos de investigación (Meyer et al, 2014), entre otros aspectos.…”