Can dynamic capabilities be influenced from outside? A multiple case study

This study explores how dynamic capabilities of a firm can be accessed from outside. In particular it shows how, through a process of deliberate learning, organizations can overcome core rigidities and develop new dynamic capabilities thanks to the external intervention of consultants. Previous literature does not explore how external knowledge contributes to dynamic capabilities evolution. This research highlights the role of consultants as enablers of a new dynamic capabilities development cycle. A multiple retrospective case study design is adopted to compare different processes of change and observe different patterns. This study contributes to the understanding of how dynamic capabilities lifecycle is articulated and how external actors can impact on firms’ change processes in which their knowledge is internalized following a process of deliberate learning.