The Nature and Dynamics of Organizational Capabilities

How do organizations develop, maintain, and advance their organizational capabilities and knowledge? What happens between intention and outcome? What are the processes, information flows, coordination, control, and communication systems involved? What is the influence of the institutional context upon the evolution of corporate competences? The purpose of this book is to offer both theoretical analysis and detailed evidence from a number of studies at the levels of individual firms, sectors, and broader international patterns. These enable a richer understanding of the processes involved and highlight their contributions to business performance. The book includes chapters from leading international researchers with detailed analyses of the auto, pharmaceutical, electronics, and financial services sectors. It presents novel theoretical insights into the relationships between organizational structures and organizational capabilities, the patterns of accumulation of technological knowledge, and the management of competence-building in changing markets.

Author Biography

Giovanni Dosi is Professor at the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy. In addition to writing numerous publications, he is co-editor of the journal Industrial and Corporate Change published by Oxford University Press. Richard R. Nelson is Professor at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, New York, USA. Sidney G. Winter is Professor at the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.