Boundary spanning activities and resource orchestration as microfoundations of dynamic capability: a systematic literature review

Abstract

Purpose

The interest of scholars to study microfoundations of dynamic capability has increased. Literatures associated with them are rapidly and diversely developing. This study aims to investigate whether both boundary spanning activities and resource orchestration are the microfoundations of dynamic capability.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review using preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guideline is applied to extract 263 studies from Scopus and 12 studies from other online sources. Some studies investigate some of the relationships but only one investigates all relationships examined.

Findings

Further discussion suggests that boundary spanning activities and resource orchestration are microfoundations of dynamic capability. The first and second groups of boundary spanning activities (scout and ambassador) and the first stage of resource orchestration (structuring/search/selection) are microfoundations of sensing/shaping. Third group, task coordinator, with some elements of the second stage, leveraging and all elements of third stage, bundling, are microfoundations of seizing. Meanwhile, some other elements of second stage, leveraging, are microfoundations of reconfiguring. Guard, the fourth group of boundary spanning activities, is excluded from microfoundations of dynamic capability because of its nature of internal activities to keep things from the environment.

Originality/value

This study is an original review of literatures about both boundary spanning activities and resource orchestration as microfoundations of dynamic capability. The paper starts with a systematic literature review on four relationships examined and ends up with deep further analysis on the elements of activities groups of boundary spanning, stages of resource orchestration and process groups of dynamic capability.