Reactive and Proactive Dynamic Capabilities

This chapter investigates the dynamic capabilities of market creators and followers by studying the nature of the environments they face. The turbulent and rapidly changing business environment forces a firm seeking to sustain its competitiveness to choose whether to enter an emerging market or create a new market. Both directions can lead firms to success in a market but only when they cultivate appropriate dynamic capabilities. In the mobile industry, for instance, the different approaches for success of Apple, market creator of the smart phone, and Samsung, a successful follower in that emerging market, provide an example for considering and understanding such capabilities. In this study, the authors examine ways in which several theories attempt to explain the success of Apple and Samsung. They introduce the idea of classifying dynamic capabilities into reactive and proactive types, each of which can lead to success. The classification is enriched into a knowledge-based framework by applying the knowledge chain theory. The framework also accommodates concepts from other theories that are reviewed. This study makes contributions to understanding knowledge-based competitiveness: (1) the classification of dynamic capabilities into “proactive” and “reactive” gives a unified understanding of how both a pioneer and followers can succeed in a market; (2) the framework delves into mechanisms of how competitive advantage from the two kinds of dynamic capabilities is produced through the lens of the knowledge chain theory; (3) the framework can serve as an action guide in coping with turbulent business situations.

‘Umdah al-Muhtājīn: Rujukan Tarekat Syattariyah Nusantara

This article explores the specification of ‘Umdah al-Muhtājīn, a monumental work in Shattariah Sufi order taught which was developed by the prominent Nusantara ulama Shaykh Abdurrauf as-Singkili. This study reveals a close relationship between Shattariah Sufi order in Indonesia and Abdurrauf, as the teacher and leader of this Sufi order, and between the work and Shattariyah Sufi order. It is revealed that the content of ‘Umdah al-Muhtājīn and specification of Syattariyah Sufi order have very common basic knowledge foundations. Therefore, before joining any Sufi order, one must have sufficient Islamic knowledge about Sufi and should learn its specific practices. The information on knowledge chain (sanad ilmu) and teacher chain in the practice of this Sufi order discloses that ‘Umdah is the basic guideline for followers and practices of Syattariyah Sufi order.

Integration of Competing Values and Knowledge Organisational Activities in a New Model

In recent years, various models have been introduced in knowledge management; however, it seems that making a combination of these models can improve the performance of the models in knowledge based organisations. In this paper, two models are considered. The first one is competing values and the second one is organisational activities of knowledge management. Competing values is consisted of two exes: control and environmental interaction. The extent of control differs from high to low and the environmental interaction in the organisation varies from internal to external tendencies. These two axes form different values in the competing value model. Each organization, based on its dominated values, can trigger the organisational activities of knowledge management. This paper proposes a conceptual model that applies dominant ?competing values status and facilitates organisational activities of knowledge by integrating organisational activities of knowledge chain and competing value models. This model will enrich the knowledge management literature, especially on knowledge organisational activities, while being the basis for other researchers and authors to develop the process of organisational activities regarding organisational structure and environmental interaction.