Dynamic Capabilities in times of change - A qualitative study exploring the role of Dynamic Capabilities and Business Model Innovation Process in a Smart Mobility sector context.

Sammanfattning: By utilizing the Dynamic Capabilities Framework (DCF) provided by Teece, this study explores how organizations leverage Dynamic Capabilities (DCs) to address rapid changes in times of change where uncertainty governs. By analyzing the activities that firms perform in relation to the sensing, seizing and transforming capabilities, this study enhances the understanding of how Business Models (BMs) are formed and refined. To elucidate this in a practical manner and hence facilitate the understanding, an expertise research method within the mobility sector particularly focusing in Mobility as a Service (MaaS) context was performed. The empirical results outlined the different challenges faced by mobility firms while trying to sense, seize and transform opportunities and threats in their environment. In addition, findings enabled an analysis which shed light on the alignment and discrepancies between theory and practicality. For instance, empirical data demonstrated that the DCF should be seen as a reciprocal model and not as a sequential and linear one as theory states. This means that activities and approaches within the framework can belong to more than one of the DCs at the same time since in the end these are flitting things. Moreover, the conducted interviews demonstrated that sensing is related to cognitive capabilities that enable the understanding of the environment. Transforming can be associated with technical and practical capabilities as it demands firms to act. This enabled to understand that seizing is somehow a midpoint between sensing and transforming as it requires a little bit of both understanding and preparing to act to eventually evolve. As a consequence, a modified version of the DCF framework has been developed and proposed as a guidance for businesses to not fall behind. With the support of the framework, firms can frequently assess their ability to sense, seize and transform according to changes happening in their surroundings. Hence, this research suggests that firms make use of the model and incorporate it into their day to day practices as change is not about a one-time transformation but a never ending one. By doing so, companies are expected to achieve and sustain market fit in order to stay competitive and ensure their long-term survival.