Author Abstract
This working paper aims to deepen the scholarly dialogue between strategy and business history. It does so by examining how historical models of change can contribute to theory and research on the competitive advantage of firms during periods of rapid innovation. Focusing on the dynamic capabilities framework, it shows how three models of historical change—evolutionary, dialectical, and constitutive—can be used to extend theory and deepen research about the origins, context, and micro-foundations of dynamic capabilities. The paper shows how each model of historical change shaped the intellectual development of the dynamic capabilities framework, point to historical research that illustrates these processes, and discusses the methodological and conceptual implications for future research. We conclude by suggesting that recognizing and building on these historical models of change can provide a common conceptual language for a deeper dialogue between business historians and strategy researchers.
Paper Information
- Full Working Paper Text
- Working Paper Publication Date: December 2016
- HBS Working Paper Number: HBS Working Paper #17-052
- Faculty Unit(s): General Management