Evolução de capacidades dinâmicas: uma abordagem de processo a partir da teoria da prática social de Bourdieu

Abstract

Based on different ontological perspectives, dynamic capabilities phenomenon has been defined as an ability that the organization possesses residing in the processes but also as the very processes that the organization performs. The purpose of this study is adopting a process approach, aided by Bourdieu's theory of social practice, to contribute to the understanding of how dynamic capacities evolve along the trajectory of the dialectical, continuous, multilevel and multitemporal relationship between the system of dispositions and the environmental structure. From an ontological and epistemological perspective of process, dynamic capabilities are proposed as a system of dispositions of individuals and groups to adapt, which continuously transforms or reproduces, and is transformed or reproduced by organizational and macro level environmental structure. Organizational and macro-level environmental structures, in turn, are proposed as the objective relations defined by the distribution of resources in the social space. On the one hand, dynamic capacities, built by preconditions of existence, circumscribe the perception, appreciation and action of agents in relation to subjective possibilities. The organizational and macro-level environments, on the other hand, whose regularities of functioning are defined by their social histories, circumscribe the objective possibilities. As for the methodological procedures, I adopted a research approach of qualitative process, exploratory nature, and research strategy of a single case study with longitudinal design and historical perspective. The analysis of the longitudinal data referring to the period between 2009 and 2017 collected through twenty-four interviews, non-participatory observation and documents, allowed to conclude that the origin of the system of dispositions of the company Alfa precedes the establishment and beginning of its operations. Initially reproduced by professionals with previous conditions of existence similar to those of the founding partners, the system of dispositions of the Alfa company undergoes transformations along the trajectory of its dialectic relation with the environmental structure. However, with the deliberate aim of transforming Alfa's predominantly adaptive system of dispositions, the Alfa's top management transforms the environmental structure at the organizational level.