Consultants as enablers of dynamic capabilities: a multiple case study

This study focuses on the process of change that firms undertake to overcome situations of organizational rigidity, thanks to the contribution of external actors, such as consultants. Previous literature about dynamic capabilities has become very rich in the last years; however, the models that explain how dynamic capabilities evolve are not particularly investigated. Literature about knowledge transfer claims that external actors can bring new elements that activate pathways of organizational change and the development of capabilities previously not present. This paper proposes relevant case studies in which external actors introduce new knowledge within organizations activating processes of change. Each case consists of an organizational consulting project. Consultants are interpreted as external actors who bring new knowledge that can be internalized by the client firm and can enable the development of new dynamic capabilities. Results show that consultants can play an active role in helping firms in overcoming conditions of organizational rigidity and in developing new dynamic capabilities.