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CAPABILITIES AND ROUTINES IN NEW ORGANIZATIONS: Evidence from the field (2006)
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BibTeX
@MISC{Gong06capabilitiesand,
author = {Yan Gong and Ted Baker and Anne S. Miner},
title = {CAPABILITIES AND ROUTINES IN NEW ORGANIZATIONS: Evidence from the field},
year = {2006}
}
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Abstract
Emerging organizational research has proposed increasingly nuanced links between capabilities and routines, which in turn play vital roles in organizational survival and prosperity. We draw on prior work to define capabilities as involving some consistency in potential outcomes in a particular domain. This contrasts with routines, which involve consistency in processes. We report results of an inductive study of patterns linking capabilities and routines in 60 young firms, drawing on 1,725 transcript pages. Many capabilities arose through deliberate design or combinations of existing routines. In rare cases organizations repeatedly improvised in a particular area and thereby sustained capabilities that did not rely on consistent routines in the relevant action domain. We also found several ways in which organizational capabilities sometimes harmed overall organizational performance, although in some cases the organizations learned from harmful capabilities. Routines arose from multiple sources. We highlight three forms of “making do” with routines available from varied sources, all forms of bricolage. Finally, routines played several roles in organizational transformation in addition to their contribution to inertia. The paper suggests that we can theoretically distinguish capabilities from routines even as they are intertwined over time in organizations, and that improvisation and bricolage play roles in organizational entrepreneurial learning.
Keyphrases
capability routine new organization transcript page particular domain potential outcome organizational transformation multiple source bricolage play role nuanced link varied source organizational capability several way particular area turn play vital role young firm rare case organization relevant action domain overall organizational performance several role consistent routine organizational entrepreneurial learning prior work many capability deliberate design inductive study harmful capability organizational research organizational survival sustained capability
