Against the Grain: Capability Renewal through Contested Initiatives
Résumé
This work in progress paper aims to contribute to the literature on the cognitive foundations of capability development. Extant research acknowledges that capabilities are rooted in taken for granted conventions that are both a source of distinctiveness but may potentially also give rise to capability level rigidity. Yet, the processes through which the contestation of such conventions allows the renewal of organizational capability remain unclear. We draw on a longitudinal embedded case design of three initiatives as Immochan, a French property developer, that provide insights into the mechanisms that lead to changes in conventions and give rise to the renewal of organizational capabilities.