In this study, we describe the dynamic capabilities implemented at tactical and operational levels to win a losing battle: in 1781, the French fleet defeated the British at the Battle of the Chesapeake and opened the way to United States independency. Based on the historical analysis of logbooks of the French and British fleets, centered on the French perspective, we illustrate the power of dynamic capabilities in achieving competitive advantage. By sensing opportunities (e.g., weather changes), seizing them through tactical adaptations (e.g., new orders of battle), and transforming routines (e.g., decentralizing command), the French navy outmaneuvered a theoretically superior British fleet. Our findings enrich dynamic capabilities framework by expanding its applicability to extreme settings of wartime. They also show that the interweaving of different types and levels of dynamic capabilities, combined with ordinary capabilities, is a source of competitive advantage, even with theoretically inferior resources qualities.
This study examines the necessary personality traits for Innovative Behavior at Work, using the Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) methodology. Four studies were conducted, with a total of 1157 self-assessments based on the Big Five Inventory and of Innovative Work Behavior scales – encompassing narrow and exact replications. Our findings consistently highlight Openness and Extraversion as unanimous necessary personality traits for innovative behavior. Conscientiousness emerged as a necessary condition in 3 studies. Thanks to replicability approach, the research proposes thresholds for these traits, offering a nuanced understanding of their role in fostering corporate innovation. The study advances theory by shifting focus from correlation to necessity. It offers practical implications for HR and psychology practices in the assessment of future innovators. It also contributes methodologically by demonstrating replicability in NCA studies, paving the way for further exploration of personality and other innovation dynamics.
