Kindling the book industry

: Amazon.com teaching case

Abstract

The increasing attention that the novel concept of Dynamic Capabilities has gained in the strategic management study field triggered a problem of definition. In this study the author shortly reviews the current and most important literature about the concept and identifies a possible definition, then, illustrates this theoretical concept with a real-life managerial example. The firm chosen to exemplify the successful application of the Dynamic Capabilities construct is Amazon.com the online bookstore that decided to invest on digital books with the launching of the Kindle concept. Through the analysis of this case, the author evidenced that in volatile environments doing the “same (old) right things” is not enough and it is necessary to revisit the way managers build competitive advantage.

Date of Award	Jun 2012
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Ilídio Barreto (Supervisor)