TRENDS IN DYNAMIC CAPABILITIES THEMES: MAPPING THE FIELD THROUGH A CO-CITATION ST

Abstract

Many strategic management researchers have recently been studying dynamic capabilities, but the massive growth of studies and publications about it does not happen homogeneously and/or in consensual way. As a result, there are still a  number of papers being published about dynamic capacities’ nature and theoretical concept. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to map evolution of the area through author co-citation analysis. In the research process, we identified 467 articles, with more than 20 citations in the ISI Web of Knowledge, between 1992 and 2012, clustered into three different seven-year periods. The co-citation matrices for the three periods were the basis for the factor analysis, which allowed the extraction of conceptual key issues, such as specialties, theoretical currents or subfields. The factor analysis enabled us to identify nine factors, representing nine subfields on the main dynamic capabilities theme: 1) studies on the nature of dynamic capabilities; 2) RBV as a basis for the dynamic capabilities; 3) Dynamic capabilities as drivers of organizational networks; 4) Dynamic capabilities and knowledge-based view (KBV); 5) Dynamic capabilities and intra-organizational learning; 6) Statistical models for dynamic capabilities; 7) Innovation, competence development and dynamic capabilities; 8) Dynamics capabilities and organizational learning; 9) Dynamic capabilities and core competencies. Given the identified subfields and their evolution over time, the two main contributions of this article were to conceptually map the area and identify the changes that occurred in its intellectual structure.  Thus, enabling future research to be developed based on the present framework.