IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/manint/v47y2007i2d10.1007_s11575-007-0010-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Dynamic capabilities and multinational enterprise: Penrosean insights and omissions

Author

Listed:
  • Mie Augier

    (Stanford University)

  • David J. Teece

    (University of California)

Abstract

and Key Results Penrose’s legacy is a curious one. Much cited, but little read, her work is recognized as one of the main intellectual foundations for modern resource based theories of business strategy and theories of organizational routines and capabilities. However, Penrose did not aim to contribute to the field of strategy; her goal was to advance understanding of the nature of the firm and its growth. Nevertheless, there are important insights in Penrose’s work that have implications for international business and for strategy. We discuss some of the implications of Penrose’s work as well as its limitations. We also briefly discuss the usefulness of adopting a “Penrosean” capability perspective in multinational enterprise (MNE) strategy analysis. The dynamic capabilities framework puts entrepreneurial management into the theory of multinational enterprise, a task Penrose left untouched.

Suggested Citation

  • Mie Augier & David J. Teece, 2007. "Dynamic capabilities and multinational enterprise: Penrosean insights and omissions," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 175-192, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:manint:v:47:y:2007:i:2:d:10.1007_s11575-007-0010-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s11575-007-0010-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11575-007-0010-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11575-007-0010-8?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alan M. Rugman & Alain Verbeke, 2005. "A Final Word on Edith Penrose," Chapters, in: Analysis of Multinational Strategic Management, chapter 5, pages 61-74, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2. Alan M. Rugman & Alain Verbeke, 2005. "A Perspective on Regional and Global Strategies of Multinational Enterprises," Chapters, in: Analysis of Multinational Strategic Management, chapter 8, pages 104-119, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    3. Alan M. Rugman & Alain Verbeke, 2005. "Extending the Theory of the Multinational Enterprise: Internalization and Strategic Management Perspectives," Chapters, in: Analysis of Multinational Strategic Management, chapter 7, pages 91-103, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Teece, David J., 2006. "Reflections on the Hymer thesis and the multinational enterprise," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 15(2), pages 124-139, April.
    5. Brian J. Loasby, 1989. "The Mind and Method of the Economist," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 288.
    6. Alan M. Rugman & Alain Verbeke, 2005. "A Note on the Transnational Solution and the Transaction Cost Theory of Multinational Strategic Management," Chapters, in: Analysis of Multinational Strategic Management, chapter 2, pages 16-26, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    7. David J. Teece, 2003. "Towards an Economic Theory of the Multiproduct Firm," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Essays In Technology Management And Policy Selected Papers of David J Teece, chapter 15, pages 419-446, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    8. Uzawa, H, 1969. "Time Preference and the Penrose Effect in a Two-Class Model of Economic Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 77(4), pages 628-652, Part II, .
    9. Herbert A. Simon, 1991. "Organizations and Markets," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 5(2), pages 25-44, Spring.
    10. Pitelis, Christos (ed.), 2002. "The Growth of the Firm: The Legacy of Edith Penrose," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199248520.
    11. Sidney G. Winter, 2003. "Understanding dynamic capabilities," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(10), pages 991-995, October.
    12. Penrose, Perran & Pitelis, Christos, 1999. "Edith Elura Tilton Penrose: Life, Contribution and Influence," Contributions to Political Economy, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 18(0), pages 3-22.
    13. Armen A. Alchian, 1950. "Uncertainty, Evolution, and Economic Theory," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 58(3), pages 211-211.
    14. Herbert A. Simon, 1993. "Strategy and organizational evolution," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(S2), pages 131-142, December.
    15. Penrose, Edith T., 1960. "The Growth of the Firm—A Case Study: The Hercules Powder Company," Business History Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 34(1), pages 1-23, April.
    16. Pitelis, Christos N., 2004. "Edith Penrose and the resource-based view of (international) business strategy," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 13(4), pages 523-532, August.
    17. David J. Teece & Gary Pisano & Amy Shuen, 1997. "Dynamic capabilities and strategic management," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(7), pages 509-533, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Pitelis, Christos, 2009. "Edith Penrose’s ‘The Theory of the Growth of the Firm’ Fifty Years Later," MPRA Paper 23180, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Danchi Tan & Weichieh Su & Joseph T. Mahoney & Yasemin Kor, 2020. "A review of research on the growth of multinational enterprises: A Penrosean lens," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(4), pages 498-537, June.
    3. Pattit, Jason M. & Pattit, Katherina G. & Spender, J C, 2021. "Edith T. Penrose: Economist of "The Ordinary Business of Life"," MPRA Paper 106375, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Mie Augier & David J. Teece, 2009. "Dynamic Capabilities and the Role of Managers in Business Strategy and Economic Performance," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 20(2), pages 410-421, April.
    5. Lars Matysiak & Alan M. Rugman & Andreas Bausch, 2018. "Dynamic Capabilities of Multinational Enterprises: The Dominant Logics Behind Sensing, Seizing, and Transforming Matter!," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 58(2), pages 225-250, April.
    6. Ilgaz Arikan & Ipek Koparan & Asli M Arikan & Oded Shenkar, 2022. "Dynamic capabilities and internationalization of authentic firms: Role of heritage assets, administrative heritage, and signature processes," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(4), pages 601-635, June.
    7. Kim, Jongwook & Mahoney, Joseph T., 2008. "A Strategic Theory of the Firm as a Nexus of Incomplete Contracts: A Property Rights Approach," Working Papers 08-0108, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Business.
    8. Stewart Johnston & Angela Paladino, 2007. "Knowledge management and involvement in innovations in MNC subsidiaries," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 281-302, March.
    9. Christos Pitelis & Alain Verbeke, 2007. "Edith Penrose and the future of the multinational enterprise: New research directions," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 139-149, March.
    10. Michailova, Snejina & Zhan, Wu, 2015. "Dynamic capabilities and innovation in MNC subsidiaries," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 576-583.
    11. Christos Pitelis, 2007. "Edith Penrose and a learning-based perspective on the MNE and OLI," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 207-219, March.
    12. Pitelis, Christos & Teece, David, 2009. "The (new) nature and essence of the firm," MPRA Paper 24317, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Satish Nambisan & Shaker A. Zahra & Yadong Luo, 2019. "Global platforms and ecosystems: Implications for international business theories," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 50(9), pages 1464-1486, December.
    14. Christos N. Pitelis & David J. Teece, 2010. "Cross-border market co-creation, dynamic capabilities and the entrepreneurial theory of the multinational enterprise," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 19(4), pages 1247-1270, August.
    15. Chi, Tailan & Nystrom, Paul C. & Kircher, Philipp, 2004. "Knowledge-based resources as determinants of MNC structure: tests of an integrative model," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 219-238.
    16. Verbeke, Alain & Hutzschenreuter, Thomas & Pyasi, Nishant, 2021. "The dark side of B2B relationships in GVCs – Micro-foundational influences and strategic governance tools," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 816-828.
    17. Christos N. Pitelis, 2007. "A Behavioral Resource-Based View of the Firm: The Synergy of Cyert and March (1963) and Penrose (1959)," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 18(3), pages 478-490, June.
    18. Rajneesh Narula & Christian Geisler Asmussen & Tailan Chi & Sumit Kumar Kundu, 2019. "Applying and advancing internalization theory: The multinational enterprise in the twenty-first century," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 50(8), pages 1231-1252, October.
    19. Yi-Ju Lo & Tung Hung, 2015. "Structure offshoring and returns on offshoring," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 32(2), pages 443-479, June.
    20. Pettus, Michael L. & Kor, Yasemin Y. & Mahoney, Joseph T., 2007. "A Theory of Change in Turbulent Environments: The Sequencing of Dynamic Capabilities Following Industry Deregulation," Working Papers 07-0100, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Business.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:manint:v:47:y:2007:i:2:d:10.1007_s11575-007-0010-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.