DYNAMIC CAPABILITIES: AN ANLYSIS OF THE INTERNAL CONSISTENCY OF APPARENTLY CONTRADICTORY THEORETICAL APPROACHES
Published date: 11/05/2016
This theoretical essay analyzes the internal consistency of the main approaches of Dynamic Capabilities, recognizing the contradictions and similarities. It begins with a discussion of the pillars of the Resources Based View, before introducing the main definitions of Dynamic Capabilities, highlighting the role of organizational routines, organizational processes, and strategic processes, while keeping the focus on the reorganization of the resource base with the aim of achieving organizational efficiency. All these aspects seem to be common among the most referenced authors in the field. Performing a more in-depth analysis of the internal consistency of approaches, it is perceived that there are differences and contradictions that could lead to the misunderstanding that these are mutually exclusive, especially in the approaches of Teece, Pisano and Shuen (1997) and Eisenhardt and Martin (2000). The differences, which are not easily reconcilable, focus on the essence of the framework, and the potential of dynamic capabilities to explain how companies are able to sustain their competitive advantage and how to track these goals under conditions of rapid environmental changes. It concludes with the understanding that studies in the area should pay attention to the internal consistency of the dynamic capability approach used, also suggesting the possibility of using an integrative approach.