Title: Distinctive dynamic capabilities for new business creation: sensing, seizing, scaling and separating

Authors: Axel Roseno; Ellen Enkel; Florian Mezger

Addresses: Copenhagen Business School, Solbjerg Plads 3, Solbjerg Plads 3 B3, DK-2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark ' Zeppelin Universität, Am Seemoser Horn 20, 88045 Friedrichshafen, Germany ' Zeppelin Universität, Am Seemoser Horn 20, 88045 Friedrichshafen, Germany

Abstract: This study examines the distinctive dynamic capabilities for new business creation in established companies. We argue that these are very different from those for managing incremental innovation within a company's core business. We also propose that such capabilities are needed in both slow and fast-paced industries, and that similarities exist across industries. Hence, the study contributes to dynamic capabilities literature by: 1) identifying the distinctive dynamic capabilities for new business creation; 2) shifting focus away from dynamic capabilities in environments characterised by high clock-speed and uncertainty towards considering dynamic capabilities for the purpose of developing new businesses, which also implies a high degree of uncertainty. Based on interviews with 33 companies, we identify distinctive dynamic capabilities for new business creation, find that dynamic capabilities for this are needed across industries regardless of their clock-speed, and ascertain that capabilities and practices are similar across industries although idiosyncratic differences at the company level do exist.

Keywords: new business creation; new business development; corporate venturing; technology ventures; new ventures; corporate entrepreneurship; radical innovation; breakthrough innovation; disruptive innovation; discontinuous innovation; innovation management; research and development; R&D; business model innovation; dynamic capabilities; business incubation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTMKT.2013.054072

International Journal of Technology Marketing, 2013 Vol.8 No.2, pp.197 - 234

Received: 08 Aug 2012
Accepted: 17 Jan 2013
Published online: 28 Feb 2014 *

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