Cognitive Scaffold

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MENTAL MODEL · M6196

Dynamic Capabilities

Dynamic Capabilities
BusinessHigh supportStrategic Management
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Updated 2026-08-05

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INTRODUCTION

English translation pending.

CORE DEFINITION

Developed by David Teece and colleagues, dynamic capabilities are the higher-order routines by which a firm senses opportunities and threats, seizes opportunities by reallocating resources, and transforms its asset base and organization to match a shifting environment. They are distinguished from ordinary, static capabilities, which keep the current business running. The claim is that in fast-moving markets resource stocks erode, so the capacity to reconfigure resources is the more durable source of advantage.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

- Sense the shift: maintain a routine for detecting changes that threaten your current assets. - Reallocate fast: move resources toward opportunities before the advantage closes. - Rebuild the base: treat your asset portfolio as something to reconfigure rather than to defend.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Static resources generate returns only while the environment rewards them, and imitation or substitution erodes that value over time. Firms that can redeploy resources faster than rivals convert each shift into a new position, so their advantage renews rather than decays. The capability operates on the resource base itself, which is why it is described as the ability to change abilities.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

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    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_capabilitiesZH · Explicit
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