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Paper info: Bringing Together The Emerging Theories On Trust And Dynamic Capabilities - Collaboration And Trust As Focal Concepts

Title


Bringing Together The Emerging Theories On Trust And Dynamic Capabilities - Collaboration And Trust As Focal Concepts

Authors


Kirsimarja Blomqvist and Risto Seppanen

Place of Publication


The paper was published at the 19th IMP-conference in Lugano, Switzerland in 2003.

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Abstract


It is proposed that the firm's ability to create and manage trust in its internal and external networks may become a critical factor in search for sustainable competitive advantage. As knowledge and capabilities have emerged as the key determinants of competitive advantage, new, modern strategic management theories are needed to explain why firms differ. Especially in the global competition midst in the dynamic and uncertain environment there seems to be very little left to ?draw the line between competitors? and therefore, new sources for competitive advantage are keenly sought. In this article the dynamic capability view of the firm and the emerging theory on trust are brought together. These emerging theories are not yet properly synthesized in theory nor in empirical research. This paper serves as a preliminary study introducing an integrating conceptual modeland propositions for future research. The role of trust in the dynamic capability view of the firm is elaborated more explicitly. Trust is identified as multi-dimensional and multi-temporal phenomenon typology and the components of trust and their impact on the various dynamic capabilities are proposed. Collaboration is seen as a meta-capability and it is proposed as a critical concept unifying the emerging theories of trust and dynamic capability view of the firm. Keywords: Dynamic-capability view of the firm, trust, dynamic capabilities, knowledge, capability to collaborate, sustainable competitive advantage