An empirical assessment of the dynamic capabilities–performance relationship

Abstract

Despite a plethora of empirical studies on dynamic capabilities (DCs) and convergence in the literature about core theoretical tenets, the contribution of DCs to competitive advantage and firm performance remains unclear. In this study, we take stock of the empirical DC literature by conducting a systematic, vote-count assessment of the level of empirical support for the DC view. Our analysis shows that the DC view received 60% support in empirical testing, which is higher than a previous, similar examination of the resource-based view. However, results also point to substantive and methodological variability in the level of empirical support. Importantly, support levels differ depending on the type and nature of the DC, the type of performance metric employed, whether DCs were examined independently or in interaction with contextual or organizational variables, and research design characteristics. We discuss the implications of this empirical assessment for future research on DCs.