Temporary organisations in the creation of dynamic capabilities: effects of temporariness on innovative capacity and strategic flexibility

Thomas Spanuth, Sven Heidenreich and Andreas Wald

Industry and Innovation, 2020, vol. 27, issue 10, 1186-1208

Abstract: The dynamic capabilities (DCs) of an organisation refer to its ability to integrate and renew existing competences as circumstances may change. Although research has considered various aspects of DCs and its effects, the antecedents of DCs are still not understood in its entirety. The study at hand seeks to analyse how the use of temporary forms of organising can generate two important DCs: innovative capacity and strategic flexibility. Temporary organisations (TOs), such as projects, are less bureaucratic and more flexible in comparison to permanent organisations and therefore can enhance DCs. Based on a sample of 500 German firms we show that temporariness has a direct and positive effect on both DCs. Furthermore, we find that TO efficiency positively moderates the relationship between temporariness and an organisation’s DCs. Our study contributes to research by providing first empirical evidence that temporary organisations are beneficial for the creation of DCs.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1080/13662716.2020.1842723

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