Temporal Tensions of Dynamic Capabilities: The Integration of Large-scale External Resources and the Implications of Assetization for Non-profit Hybrid Organizations

The literature on dynamic capabilities has taken assets as givens and left the processes of integrating external resources as organizational assets under-explored. In this paper, we explore the temporal tensions of organizations’ dynamic integration of resources as assets. Based on an extensive qualitative study of large-scale grants awarded to researchers in universities, we first show that researchers frame their grants as assets that allow them to buy time, buy career, and buy recognition. We then demonstrate that researchers turn their grants into organizational assets by buying equipment that they share, developing groups and attracting people to their organizations, and developing interorganizational relationships. Finally, we unveil the temporal tensions of integrating resources as assets that relate to the temporariness of resources, conflicting temporal rhythms, and shifting time horizons. We end by discussing our theoretical contribution to dynamic capabilities theory and to studies of scalability and higher education.