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Towards a capability theory of (innovating) firms: implications for management and policy

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  • David J. Teece

Abstract

Business enterprises lie at the core of ecosystems that drive economic development and growth in market economies; yet, until recently, mainstream economics has mostly treated firms like homogeneous black boxes run by opportunistic managers. The field of strategic management has developed a more nuanced approach to the understanding of how firms are created, organized and grow, how they innovate and compete and how managers manage. One of the leading paradigms in the field is the dynamic capabilities framework. In this paper, contrasts and complementarities are drawn between dynamic capabilities and economic theories of the firm, including transaction cost economics and agency theory. Connections to the Cambridge school are highlighted, including the duality between Keynes’s ‘animal spirits’ and the dynamic capabilities entrepreneurial owner/manager. Leibenstein’s x-inefficiency is juxtaposed here with d-ineffectiveness. Knowledge-based theories of the firm consistent with Cambridge conventions emerge. Intellectual exchange between strategic management and economics is encouraged to help improve the intuition behind models of firms and the economy.

Suggested Citation

  • David J. Teece, 2017. "Towards a capability theory of (innovating) firms: implications for management and policy," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 41(3), pages 693-720.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:cambje:v:41:y:2017:i:3:p:693-720.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/cje/bew063
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    Cited by:

    1. Agarwal, Renu & Mittal, Neeraj & Patterson, Eric & Giorcelli, Michela, 2021. "Evolution of the Indian LPG industry: Exploring conditions for public sector business model innovation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(4).
    2. D'Souza, Derrick E. & Fan, Gang, 2022. "A capability-anchored articulation of the EO-organizational performance relationship in emergent and post-emergent organizations," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 107-117.
    3. Nguyen, Tam & Verreynne, Martie-Louise & Steen, John & Torres de Oliveira, Rui, 2023. "Government support versus international knowledge: Investigating innovations from emerging-market small and medium enterprises," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    4. Schriber, Svante & Löwstedt, Jan, 2018. "Managing asset orchestration: A processual approach to adapting to dynamic environments," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 307-317.
    5. Chatterjee, Sheshadri & Chaudhuri, Ranjan & Kumar, Ajay & Aránega, Alba Yela & Biswas, Baidyanath, 2023. "Development of an integrative model for electronic vendor relationship management for improving technological innovation, social change and sustainability performance," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 186(PB).
    6. Hausmann, Ricardo & Pietrobelli, Carlo & Santos, Miguel Angel, 2021. "Place-specific determinants of income gaps: New sub-national evidence from Mexico," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 782-792.
    7. Ovuakporie, Oghogho Destina & Pillai, Kishore Gopalakrishna & Wang, Chengang & Wei, Yingqi, 2021. "Differential moderating effects of strategic and operational reconfiguration on the relationship between open innovation practices and innovation performance," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(1).
    8. Gloria Pokuaa -Duah & Devika Nadarajah, 2021. "Improving of Organizational Performance Using Lean Supply Chain Management Practices: The Mediating Role of Supply Chain Collaboration," Business Management and Strategy, Macrothink Institute, vol. 12(2), pages 35-49, December.
    9. Heider, Anne & Gerken, Maike & van Dinther, Nicolas & Hülsbeck, Marcel, 2021. "Business model innovation through dynamic capabilities in small and medium enterprises – Evidence from the German Mittelstand," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 635-645.
    10. Chen, Tao & Park, Hyeyoun & Rajwani, Tazeeb, 2024. "Diverse human resource slack and firm innovation: Evidence from politically connected firms," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(2).
    11. Schriber, Svante & Löwstedt, Jan, 2020. "Reconsidering ordinary and dynamic capabilities in strategic change," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 377-387.
    12. Shafique, Muhammad & Hagedoorn, John, 2022. "Look at U: Technological scope of the acquirer, technological complementarity with the target, and post-acquisition R&D output," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    13. Guerrero, Maribel & Heaton, Sohvi & Urbano, David, 2021. "Building universities’ intrapreneurial capabilities in the digital era: The role and impacts of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    14. Torres de Oliveira, Rui & Verreynne, Martie-Louise & Steen, John & Indulska, Marta, 2021. "Creating value by giving away: A typology of different innovation revealing strategies," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 137-150.
    15. Torres de Oliveira, Rui & Indulska, Marta & Steen, John & Verreynne, Martie-Louise, 2020. "Towards a framework for innovation in retailing through social media," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    16. Ahmad Husairi, Mariyani & Morgan, Robert E. & De Luca, Luigi M., 2021. "Market entry timing: The impact of complementary capabilities on strategic outcomes," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 45-55.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Dynamic capabilities; Transaction cost theory; Agency theory; Corporate governance; Economic development; x-inefficiency;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B52 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Current Heterodox Approaches - - - Historical; Institutional; Evolutionary; Modern Monetary Theory;
    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory
    • L23 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Organization of Production

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