Dynamic Capabilities & Path Dependence: Organizational Adaptability in Turbulent Environments

Abstract

Understanding how organizations adapt to turbulent environments is at the heart of contemporary management research. Scholars have identified various approaches to address this question. Two perspectives gained particular prominence: dynamic capabilities and path dependence. Both approaches share the objective to explain why organizations may or may not adapt to changing business environments. However, while dynamic capabilities emphasize the flexibility of firms, path dependence highlights the inherent stability or rigidity of organizations. In extant research, these two camps have rarely engaged in dialogue. By bringing together dynamic capabilities and path dependence, our presenter symposium seeks to change this. The presentations in the symposium discuss how these seemingly contrary perspectives relate to and what they can learn from each other. We aim to attract attention to this dual perspective in management research that helps to better understand organizational adaptability in turbulent environments. How to Become a Different Kind of Company: Dynamic Capabilities or Path Breaking Change? Presenter: Arne Keller; Freie U. Berlin Presenter: Wolfgang H. Guettel; Johannes Kepler U. A Practice Theory Approach to Dynamic Managerial Capabilities in Multi- business Organizations Presenter: Jeffrey A. Martin; U. of Alabama, Tuscaloosa Stakeholder Management and the Tension Between Dynamic Capabilities and Path Dependence Presenter: Veit Wohlgemuth; German Graduate School of Management & Law (GGS) Presenter: Katharina Hoehne; European U. Viadrina How do Dynamic Capabilities Evolve? The Impact of Imprints on Early Stage Formation Presenter: Georg Reischauer; Vienna U. of Technology Presenter: Monika Biedulska; European U. Viadrina Presenter: Jochen Koch; European U. Viadrina