This volume presents an epistemological argument for the essential function of mid-range theory in advancing management concepts that can be usefully applied by managers. Authors analyse two examples - modularity and dynamic capabilities.

Changing business environments challenge established management ideas and practices. This volume draws on competence-based theory to identify and elaborate some important ways in which organizational competences are evolving - or should evolve - to respond to some fundamental forms of change in business environments. Part I of the volume examines some key elements of emerging business models and strategies, including the impacts of cloud computing on international business models. Part II examines the kinds of new capabilities firms will need to develop to become competent in their new business models and strategies. Part III suggests how the challenges of rapidly evolving environments call for further development of competence-based management theory.

The papers in volume 6 of Research in Competence-Based Management identify, elaborate theoretically, and investigate empirically a number of new kinds of dynamics in industries and product markets. In so doing, the papers develop some important new competence perspectives on both traditional and contemporary industry dynamics. Most approaches to developing competence theory have adopted an "inside-out" approach, i.e. micro-level analyses of sources of organizational competence lead to theory that predicts industry-level interactions and outcomes. The papers in this volume, however, largely adopt an "outside-in" approach to theory development that suggests how further understanding of firm-level competences may be enabled through macro-level analyses of the resources and capabilities organizations must develop to participate in new kinds of industry and product-market dynamics.

This volume explores ways in which an organization's existing competences can be enhanced as sources of competitive advantage - either enduring or intendedly transitional. Competence enhancing activities considered include political lobbying to extend the lifetime and value of a firm's competences, expanding services to enhance the value of manufacturing capabilities, initiating knowledge management projects, strategically adapting a firm's governance structures to take advantage of government policy initiatives, staging development of competences in internationalization processes, improving capabilities in managing alliances, understanding the factors conducive to entrepreneurial action-taking, and using individual competency development in self-managing processes for organizational competence building.

The papers in this volume explore key challenges in identifying, building, and linking competences within and between organizations. The first paper describes a facilitated process through which managers may identify an organization's current competences and assess which of its capabilities may constitute the 'core' of its distinctive competences. Subsequent papers elaborate basic issues in building organizational competence, including balancing the exploration of new competences and the exploitation of current competences, creating strategic options through competence building, linking the capabilities of alliance partners to target and build new competences, using product architectures in building and maintaining competences, the recursive nature of competence building processes, and the nature and role of management processes in competence building. A final paper analyzes the intellectual structure of and influences within the competence-based management perspective.

The competence-based perspective on strategy and management emerged in the 1990s as a new approach to developing strategy and management theory and practice. In the past decade, the focus on organizational competences -- and the resources, capabilities, and processes that create competences -- has provided a highly productive "broad church" for theory development, research, and practice in both strategic and general management.

Authored by a multidisciplinary group of scholars and practitioners working within the competence perspective, the papers in this volume contribute to developing a better theoretical and practical understanding of interfirm interactions that significantly affect an organization's competences. The papers present both theoretical developments and empirical research based on a variety of case studies and other research in diverse industrial and geographical contexts.

The papers in this volume develop three themes. Part I includes papers that address the key issues of managing activities in an organization's competence building and leveraging processes that span the boundaries of two organizations. The papers in Part II investigate the role of networks and strategic alliances in competence building and leveraging processes. Part III presents papers that investigate competitive interactions between firms in their competence leveraging activities.

Traditional notions of stand-alone, "atomistic" organizations are giving way to new concepts about organizations and new modes of organizational interaction. Systems thinking is now becoming an essential skill for managers and management researchers who want to understand new kinds of competitive and cooperative interrelationships between organizations. This volume brings together systems and strategy thinkers to develop a number of systems perspectives and approaches that are essential in managing today's organizations. A main feature of this volume is its careful integration of systems concepts with contemporary strategic management ideas about organizational resources, capabilities, and management processes. The work explains essential systems concepts and their central role in current ideas about organizational competence. Papers in the volume apply systems concepts to: modelling practical management problems; reconceptualizing the nature of organizations and their internal processes; improving managerial sensemaking capabilities in complex environments; devising "simple rules" for reducing and managing organizational complexity. Several case studies and examples are used to illustrate key systems concepts and their application to management practice. The book also provides a solid grounding in essential systems concepts for management researchers developing new management theory for today's complex environments, as well as practical insights for managers who must manage increasing complexity in their organizations today.

The competence-based perspective on strategy and management offers an integrative approach to strategy and management theory, research, and practice. Nearly two decades of research, theory development, and application have demonstrated the theoretical coherence, researchability, and practicability of a fundamental focus on organizational competences. The competence-based perspective is now providing a productive broad church for advancing theory development, research, and practice in both strategic and general management.
In the twenty-first century, network-based strategies and processes are becoming essential aspects of both firm strategies and operations. We are therefore pleased to present here a new volume focusing on inter-organizational processes for competence building and competence leveraging.
The papers in this volume begin with an in-depth literature review by Frdric Prevot of inter-organizational relations in alternative approaches to the creation and management of competences. The next three papers (by Joerg Freiling et al., Gabriel Gaullino and Frdric Prevot, and Heike Proff) elaborate several of these approaches to managing inter-organizational processes for competence building and competence reconstructionapplied in the contexts of the healthcare industry, educational programs, the utilities market, and processes of mergers and acquisitions.
New ventures are also important forums for competence building in and among firms, and two papers (by Henri Burgers et al. and by Bhaskar Prasad and Rudy Martens) analyze the impact of corporate venturing on the competence modes that a firm adopts and the role of inter-organizational communication networks ontechnological innovation processes as an important form of competence building.
The role of leadership in effective competence management is examined by Janice Black and Richard Oliver in a paper that identifies the differing leadership skills required in three different competence-building contexts: within a single organization, in a multi-foci organization, and within an industry.
Finally, recognizing the difficulty that many firms have in identifying their competences, Graham Hubbard describes a practical approach to determining a firms current capabilities. Case-based analysis using Hubbards framework suggests that business units may actually have a rather small number (fewer than five) of identifiable and strategically significant capabilities that should play in central role in a firms competence-building processes.
*Volume produced annually
*Offers an integrative approach to strategy and management theory, research, and practice.

This second volume of "Research in Competence-Based Management (RCBM)" continues the launch of a long-awaited outlet for peer-reviewed research papers contributing to advancement of competence-based management theory. Each volume in "RCBM" will be focused on a key aspect of competence theory. The focus in this volume on "Managing Knowledge Assets and Organizational Learning" reflects the central importance of knowledge and learning in organizational competence building, leveraging, and maintenance. Papers in this volume explore the nature of learning dynamics in organizations, systematic approaches to sustaining organizational learning processes, and organizational challenges in managing knowledge flows internally and across the boundaries of an organization. A set of papers also explores the management of existing knowledge and the creation of new knowledge in a key learning arena - new product development processes.

This third volume of Research in Competence-Based Management (RCBM) continues the launch of a long-awaited outlet for peer-reviewed research papers contributing to advancement of competence-based management theory.

Each volume in RCBM will be focused on a key aspect of competence theory. The focus in this volume on "Understanding Growth: Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Diversification" addresses key processes essential to successful organization competence building, leveraging, and maintenance. The first set of papers in this volume explores the importance of entrepreneurial motivation in changing markets, as well as strategies for internal versus external funding and organization of entrepreneurial ventures. A second set of papers addresses some key issues in innovation in small and large firms, as well as the competence building process during technological innovation. Papers on diversification and alliances investigate the role of competence leveraging as a driver of diversification, as well as decision-making in innovation that can lead to diversification, cultivating institutions for improving innovation performance, and improving alliance management capability.

The competence-based perspective on strategy and management emerged in the 1990s as a new approach to developing strategy and management theory and practice. In the past decade, the focus on organizational competences - and the resources, capabilities, and processes that create competences - has provided a highly productive "broad church" for theory development, research, and practice in both strategic and general management.

Authored by a multidisciplinary group of scholars and practitioners working within the competence perspective, the papers in this volume contribute to developing a better theoretical and practical understanding of the role of resources, stakeholders, and organizational renewal in an organization's competences. The papers present both theoretical developments and empirical research based on a variety of case studies and other research in diverse industrial and geographical contexts.

The papers in this volume are grouped under the three themes stated in the title of the volume. Part I includes papers that address a range of conceptual and practical questions about the role of both firm-specific and firm-addressable resources in an organization's competence building and leveraging, as well as issues in effectively managing a dynamic resource base. The papers in Part II investigate the management of stakeholders who provide the critical resources and capabilities a competent organization requires. Part III includes papers that focus on processes of organizational renewal, with an emphasis on the roles of key resources and stakeholders in contributing to renewal.

The competence-based perspective on strategy and management emerged in the 1990s as a new approach to developing strategy and management theory and practice. In the past decade, the focus on organizational competences -- and the resources, capabilities, and processes that create competences -- has provided a highly productive "broad church" for theory development, research, and practice in both strategic and general management.

Authored by a multidisciplinary group of scholars and practitioners working within the competence perspective, the papers in this volume contribute to developing a better theoretical and practical understanding of internal processes that significantly affect an organization's competences by exploring the dynamic, systemic, cognitive, and holistic aspects of internal processes. The papers present both theoretical developments and empirical research based on a variety of case studies and other research in diverse industrial and geographical contexts.

The papers in this volume develop four themes. Part I includes papers that address the key issues of defining and communicating the strategic logic that directs and guides an organization's competence building and leveraging. The papers in Part II investigate the need to develop strategic flexibilities that enable a firm to respond effectively to a range of future environmental uncertainties. Part III includes papers that focus on ways to identify and operationalize an organization's competences -- the ultimate source of an organization's ability to compete effectively in its environment. Part IV presents several papers that investigate the systemic interdependencies of an organization's competencebuilding and leveraging activities.

This is the sixth volume in a series presenting the latest research in the field of applied business strategy.

This volume of papers develops the competence perspective on learning and dynamic capabilities development. The first two papers explore how organizational competence and dynamic capabilities can support the competitive position of a firm. The next two papers are devoted to strategic, organizational, and behavioral perspectives on processes of competence development. The final four papers explore the intellectual challenges that managers face in striking a strategic balance between processes of competence building and competence leveraging. Taken together, the papers in this volume provide a bridge between many traditional management concepts, frameworks, and theoretical perspectives.

This is the sixth volume in a series presenting the latest research in the field of applied business strategy.