.png){kind=icon}
Return
Multinational dynamic capabilities: How multinational, how dynamic, how capable?
.png){kind=icon}
OA
AI
DOI：10.1016/j.ibusrev.2026.102663.png)
.png){kind=icon}
Original request for help.png){kind=icon}
Share.png){kind=icon}
Save
Abstract
En 中文
The dynamic capabilities perspective is a central framework used to explain how firms adapt, sustain competitive advantages, and/or create new competitive advantages in changing environments. Despite more than three decades of research, important questions remain about the nature, development, deployment, modification, and effectiveness of dynamic capabilities, particularly in multinational contexts. These questions are increasingly salient as multinational enterprises confront technological disruption, geopolitical fragmentation, institutional volatility, and other manifestations of an expanding global polycrisis. Drawing on our review of the evolution of the dynamic capabilities perspective and its extension into international business research, we argue that future research can advance our understanding of the dynamic capabilities construct by addressing three fundamental questions: How multinational are multinational dynamic capabilities? How dynamic are dynamic capabilities? And how capable are dynamic capabilities? Answering these questions requires greater attention to capability configurations and hierarchies, managerial and organizational microfoundations, heterogeneous multinational contexts, capability evolution, and capability measurement. The articles in this special issue advance our understanding of capability development, deployment, orchestration, and reconfiguration across a variety of international settings. They also highlight the importance of context-dependent capability systems and multilevel adaptation. Integrating these insights, we develop a framework for understanding multinational dynamic capabilities and identify directions for future research. We conclude that future progress will depend on developing more precise theories of multinationality, richer explanations of capability evolution, and more rigorous approaches to measure and evaluate multinational dynamic capabilities across contexts.
Keywords:
Dynamic capabilities
Multinational enterprises
Multinational DCs
Meta DCs
Strategic DCs
Journal
IF:
6.1
Papers:
362
Citations:
9.1K
Organization
View more organizations
Cited Papers
No cited papers available