The role of ostensive and performative routine aspects in dynamic capability deployment at different organizational levels

Abstract This study clarifies how dynamic capabilities work in modifying operational capabilities at different organizational levels. While there is good understanding that routines that make up operational capabilities possess ostensive and performative aspects, whether the same applies to dynamic capabilities is unclear. In addition, there is only a limited understanding of how dynamic capabilities link to operational capabilities in terms of these two routine aspects, in general, and at different organizational levels, in particular. Our findings suggest that ostensive and performative routine aspects explain the way in which dynamic capabilities work in modifying operational capabilities. They also reveal that the pattern of the ostensive or performative routine aspects in dynamic capability deployment at a selected organizational level correspond with that associated with operational capabilities at the same level.

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