The session is dedicated to the well-established tradition within the K&I interest group to interview foundational scholars in the field of strategic management, whose influential work encompasses strategy, organizational knowledge and innovation. In 2018, we had the pleasure of presenting Prof. Constance Helfat. During the session, we heard about the evolution of her career in the field of Strategy and had the opportunity to listen to her experience in the advancement of the field. We learned about her perspective on the process of doing research and her view on the field of Strategy going forward. This interview was conducted at the 2018 SMS Annual Conference Paris as part of the Foundations Interviews by the Knowledge and Innovation Interest Group.

1. A Conversation with Constance Helfat:
Technological change, The Manager, and Scope of Firms
Sunday, 22 September 2018
SMS Paris
Session co-chairs:
Ekin Ilseven, INSEAD
Minh Vo, INSEAD
Knowledge & Innovation Interest Group
Foundations Session

2. Overview of Helfat’s work
1987 - 2002 - 2009 - 2015 2018

3. 1991, 1992
Managerial resources and
rents
2002
Birth of capabilities, importance of pre-
history
1997, 1998
Dynamic capability accumulation;
Specificity of CEO human capital
Tuck School of Business
1998 – 2002 Associate Professor (with tenure)
2002 - 2004 Professor of Strategy and Technology
2004 -- present J. Brian Quinn Professor in Technology and Strategy
1987-1991
Assistant
Professor
Kellogg
Northwestern
1991-1998
Assistant
Professor
Wharton
Pre-tenure
1979
B.A.
Economics
UC
Berkeley
1982
M.A
M.Phil.
Economics
Yale
Economics
1985
PhD
Economics
Yale
Economics
1985-1987
Assistant
Professor
UC Davis
Grad School
Business
Education Paris 2018
Co-Authors
• David Teece (1987), Richard Castanias (1991, 1992), Dawn Harris
(1997, 1998)
PhD Advising @ Tuck
• Paivi Maijanen-Kylaheiko (2015), Pursuit of change versus org inertia
• Aija Leiponen (2000), Economics of Knolwedge
Thesis Committee
• Richard Levin (chair)
• James Tobin
• Sharon Oster
Co-Authors
• 1998 – 2004
Ruth Raubitschek (2000, 2002), Edward Bowman (2001), Richard Castanias (2001), Marvin Lieberman (2002),
Elizabeth Bailey (2003), Ron Adner (2003), Magaret Peteraf (2003), Kathleen Einsenhardt (2004)
• 2004 – present
Elizabeth Bailey (2005), Dawn Harris and Paul Wolfson (2006), Dawn Harris (2007), Sydney Finkelstein, Will
Mitchell, Margaret Peteraf, Harbir Singh, David Teece, and Sidney Winter (Book co-authors, 2007), Rajshree
Agarwal (2009), Margaret Peteraf (2009), Alva Taylor (2009), Aija Leiponen (2010, 2011), Sidney Winter (2011),
Dawn Harris (2013), Andrea Hugill (2013), Tiona Zuzul (2013), Christian Stadler and Gianmario Verona (2013),
Samina Karim (2014), Richard Bettis, Alfonso Gambardella, Will Mitchell (2014a and b, 2015), Jeffrey Martin
(2015a and b), Margaret Peteraf (2015, 2016), Richard A. Bettis, Sendil Ethiraj, Alfonso Gambardella, and Will
Mitchell (2016), Miguel Campo-Rembado (2016), Timothy Folta and Samina Karim (2016), Sendil Ethiraj and
Alfonso Gambardella (2016), Richard A. Bettis and J. Myles Shaver (2016), Giovanni Gavetti and Luigi Marengo
(2017), Sendil Ethiraj and Alfonso Gambardella (2017), Oliver Schilke and Songcui Hu (2018), Ruth Raubitschek
(2018 forthcoming)
Early influences
• Sidney Winter
• David Teece
• Richard Nelson
• Cynthia Montgomery
Intellectual influences
1988, 1989
Oil industry R&D &
investment choices
1994
Firm-specificity of
R&D; Evolution of
R&D
2001
Managerial rents model;
Does corporate strategy
matter?
Selected publications…
1987
Vertical integraton
and risk reduction
Career and work
2003
Corporate effects and
dynamic capabilities;
Capability life-cycles
2004
Inter-temporal economies
of scope
2000
Product sequencing
2009
Strategic renewal
2011
Untangling dynamic and operational
capabilities
2010
Innovation objectives,
knowledge sources
2015
Managerial cognitive capabilities
2016
Integrative capabilities
over tech lifecycles
2017
Searching, shaping, and quest
for superior performance
*thesis topics have been abridged
PhD Advising @ Wharton, Kellogg, and UC Davis
• Gino Cattani (2004), Technological evolution
• Jennifer Myat (1995), CEO forced exit
• Ron Adner (1998), Dynamics of technological development
• Gary Moskowitz (1998), Role of CEO in governance of firm
• Atul Nerkar (1997) Development of tech competence in org
• Jeho Lee (1996) Change agents and evolution of industry
• Roberta Klemm (1995) IPO examined from TCE perspective
• Jaideep Anand (1994), Declining product market
• Maurizio Zollo (1997) Process routinization and knowedge
codification

4. #Cit: 167
J. Law, Econ. & Org.
Vertical Integration and
Risk Reduction,
D. Teece
#Cit: 8
J. Ind. Econ.
Investment in Offshore
Oil by Diversified
Petroleum Capabilities
#Cit: -
J. Econ. Beh. & Org.
Investment Choices in
the Petroleum Industry
#Cit: 40
Book
Investment Choices in
Industry
#Cit: 1315
J.o. Management
Managerial Resources
and Rents,
R. Castanias
#Cit: 193
J. Econ. Beh. & Org.
Managerial and Windfall
Rents in the Market for
Corporate Control,
R. Castanias
#Cit: 320
Org. Science
Firm Specificity in
Corporate Applied R&D
#Cit: 509
Management Sci.
Evolutionary
Trajectories in
Petroleum Firm R&D
#Cit: 448
SMJ
Specificity of CEO
Human Capital and
Compensation,
D. Harris
#Cit: 1460
SMJ
Know-how and Asset
Complementarity and
Dynamic Capability
Accumulation: The
Case of R&D
#Cit: 137
SMJ
CEO Duality, Succession,
Capabilities and Agency
Theory: Commentary and
Research Agenda,
D. Harris
#Cit: 20
ICC
Simple Indicators of
Adaptation vs Rigidity in
History Dependent Firm
Activities and Decision
Rules
#Cit: 1149
SMJ
Product Sequencing: Co-
evolution of Knowledge,
Capabilities and Products,
R. Raubitschek
#Cit: 436
SMJ
Guest Editor’s
Introduction to the
Special Issue: The
Evolution of Firm
Capabilities
#Cit: 582
SMJ
Does Corporate
Strategy Matter?
E.H. Bowman
#Cit: 690
J.o. Management
The Managerial Rents
Model: Theory and
Empirical Analysis,
R. Castanias
#Cit: -
Book
Epilogue: Product
Sequencing,
Knowledge, and E-
Commerce,
R. Raubitschek
#Cit: 1107
ICC
The Birth of
Capabilities: Market
Entry and the
Importance of Pre-
history,
M. Lieberman
1987 - 1992 - 1994 - 1998 - 2002
Focusing on first 15 years
Scope of the firm
Understanding R&D
The Manager Capability Evolution
Research Methods
Strategic Renewal

5. The Helfat journey with ‘capabilities’ until 2015
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Level
of
analysis
Know-how and asset complementarity (‘97)
“When firms seek to alter their stock of
knowledge in response to change in the
external environment, do such efforts depend
on the firms’ existing stocks of complementary
know-how and other assets, and if so, how?”
Firm-specificity of corporate applied
R&D (’94) “This article outlines the
primary characteristics of firm-
specificity in R&D, and discusses two
interrelated consequences of such
firm- specificity: (1) heterogeneity in
the R&D applications of firms within
an industry, and (2) increased ability
of firms to earn returns to R&D (often
termed "appropriability").”
Evolutionary trajectories in
Petroleum Firm R&D (’94)
“Based on an evolutionary
theory of business firm
development as formulated by
Nelson and Winter (1982), this
study tests propositions about
organizational learning and
know-how as they apply to the
research and development
(R&D) activities of business
firms”
Co-evolution of Knowledge, Capabilities, and Products (‘00)*
“But exactly how do firms build and deploy capabilities? We
provide a conceptual model that explains how organizations
can successfully build and utilitize knowledge and capabilities,
over long time spans, in single and multiple product markets”
Managerial rents model (’01)* “Research on
capabilities that takes an evolutionary approach,
as well as other research, has pointed to an
important aspect of managerial resources that
the managerial rents model does not explicitly
incorporate: managerial cognition or mindset.”
* Co-authored
Titles are abridged.
Market entry & Pre-history (‘02)*
“But before ways of doing things can persist, they
must be born. In this article, we analyze the birth
of capabilities and resources within organizations
and within industries, at the time of market entry.”
Capability lifecycles (‘03)* “The [capability lifecycle]
framework is sufficiently general to incorporate the
emergence, development, and progression of virtually any
type of capability in any type of organizational setting,
ranging from small start-ups to large diversified firms.”
Corporate effects & Dynamic
managerial capabilities (‘03)* “We
introduce the concept of dynamic
managerial capabilities to underpin the
finding of heterogeneity in managerial
decisions and firm performance in the
face of changing external conditions.”
Intertemporal economies of scope (‘04)*
“[…] deals with inter-temporal economies of
scope that firms achieve by redeploying resources
and capabilities between related businesses over
time, as firms exit some markets while entering
others.“
2015
Organizational linkages (‘09)* “an
industry incumbent attempting to
make a transition to a new
technology requires linkages
between org units responsible for
developing the new technology [...]”
Operational capabilities
(‘11)* “the line between
dynamic and operational (or
ordinary) capabilities are
unavoidably blurry”
Managerial cognitive capabilities
(‘15)* “capabilities involve the
capacity to perform not only physical
but also mental activities.”

6. Analysis with Numbers
Pre-tenure Tenure Pre-tenure Tenure
Pre-tenure Tenure
Pre-tenure Tenure

7. Works over geographies
Yale
UC Berkeley
UC Davis
Kellogg Wharton
Tuck
Harvard (2008)

9. #Cit: 3932
SMJ
The Dynamic Resource-
based View: Capability
Lifecycles,
M.A. Peteraf
#Cit: 829
SMJ
Innovation Objectives,
Knowledge Sources,
and the Benefits of
Breadth,
A. Leiponen
#Cit: 1311
SMJ
Corporate Effects and
Dynamic Managerial
Capabilities,
R. Adner
#Cit: 192
Mgt. & Dec. Econ.
External Management
Succession, Human
Capital, and Firm
Performance: An
Integrative Analysis,
E.E. Bailey
#Cit: 477
Org. Science
Strategic Renewal of
Organizations
R. Agarwal
#Cit: -
Book
The Blackwell/Strategic
Management Society
Handbook of
Organizational
Capabilities
#Cit: 64
Book
Stylized Facts Regarding
Evolution of
Organizational
Resources and
Capabilities
#Cit: 166
Org. Science
Location,
Decentralization, and
Knowledge Sources for
Innovation,
A. Leiponen
#Cit: 460
SMJ
Inter-temporal
Economies of Scope,
Organizational
Modularity, and the
Dynamics of
Diversification,
K. Eisenhardt
#Cit: 64
Strategic Org.
External Succession
and Disruptive Change:
Heirs Apparent, Forced
Turnover, and Firm
Performance,
E.E. Bailey
#Cit: 67
Org. Science
The Impact of Dynamic
Capabilities on Resource
Access and Development,
C. Stadler; G. Verona
#Cit: 248
AOM Perspective
The Pipeline to the Top:
Women and Men in the
Top Executive Ranks of
US Corps,
D. Harris; P. Wolfson
#Cit: 3245
Book
Dynamic Capabilities:
Understanding Strategic
Change in Organizations,
S. Finkelstein; W.
Mitchell; H. Singh; D.
Teece; S. Winter
#Cit: 45
J.o. Mgt. Inquiry
The Board of Directors
as a Social Network: A
New Perspective,
D. Harris
#Cit: 135
Strategic Org.
Stylized Facts, Empirical
Research, and Theory
Development in
Management
#Cit: 303
Org. Science
Organizational Linkages
for Surviving
Technological Change:
Complementary Assets,
Middle Mgt., and
Ambidexterity,
A. Taylor
#Cit: 592
Strategic Org.
Understanding
Dynamic Capabilities:
Progress Along a
Developmental Path,
M.A. Peteraf
#Cit: -
Palgrave
T. Zuzul; A. Hill; D.
Harris
…and 10 years…
#Cit: 656
SMJ
Untangling Dynamic
and Operational
Capabilities: Strategy
for the (n)ever
Changing World,
S. Winter
2003 - 2006 - 2007 - 2009 - 2010 - 2013
Scope of the firm
Understanding R&D
The Manager Capability Evolution
Research Methods
Strategic Renewal

10. Technological change Top Managers Scope of firms
Three major streams of research until Present
1990
Pre-1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
2015
Present
Oil industry R&D and investment
choices (1988, 1989)
Oil industry R&D and investment
choices (1998, 1989)
Managerial resources and rents
(1991, 1992; R. Castanias)
Firm-specificity of R&D (1994)
Evolution of R&D (1994)
Dynamic Capability Accummulation
(1997)
*Major journal publications. Some papers are omitted. Some titles are abridged
Specificity of CEO human capital
(1997), CEO duality (1998, D. Harris)
Managerial rents model (2001,
R. Castanias)
Common question… How do firms manage strategic change (?)
Oil industry R&D and investment
choices (1988, 1989)
Vertical integraton and risk
reduction (1987, D. Teece)
Product Sequencing (2000, R.
Raubitschek)
Product Sequencing (2000, R.
Raubitschek)
Does corporate strategy matter?
(2001, E. Bowman)
Birth of capabilities, importance of
pre-history(2002, M Lieberman)
Capability lifecycles (2003, M. Peteraf)
Corporate effects & Dynamic
Managerial capabilities(2003, R. Adner)
Inter-temporal economies of scope,
org modularity, diversification (2004,
K. Eisenhardt)
Strategic renewal (2009, R. Agarwal)
Innovation objectives, knowledge
sources (2010, A. Leiponen)
Untangling dynamic and operational
capabilities (2011, S. Winter)
Managerial Cognitive Capabilities, the
Microfoundations of Dynamic
Capabilities (2015, M. Peteraf)
Integrative capabilities over tech cycles
(2016, M. Campo-Rembado)
Searching, Shaping, and Quest for
Superior performance
(2017, G. Gavetti, L. Marengo) Dynamic and Integrative capabilities in
digital platform-based ecosystems
(forthcoming 2018, R. Raubitschek)
Dynamic Capabilities (2007, co-
authored book)

11. #Cit: 445
SMJ
Managerial Cognitive
Capabilities and the
Microfoundations of
Dynamic Capabilities,
M.A. Peteraf
#Cit: 9
AoM Annals
Quo Vadis, Dynamic
Capabilities? A
Content-Analytic
Review of the Current
State and
Recommendations for
Future Research,
O. Schilke; S. Hu
#Cit: 100
SMJ
Quantitative Empirical
Analysis in Strategic
Management,
R. Bettis;
A.Gambardella; W.
Mitchell
#Cit: 14
J.o. Org. Design
Fit between
Organization Design
and Organizational
Routines,
S. Karim
#Cit: 3
Research Policy
Dynamic and
Integrative Capabilities
for Profiting from
Innovation in Digital
Platform-Based
Ecosystems,
R. Raubitschek
#Cit: 16
ICC
Vertical Firm Structure
and Industry Evolution
#Cit: -
Handbook of D.C.
Heterogeneity in
Dynamic Organizational
Capabilities,
M.A. Peteraf
#Cit: 2
Strategy Science
Searching, Shaping,
and the Quest for
Superior Performance,
G. Gavetti; L. Marengo
#Cit: 164
J.o. Management
Dynamic Managerial
Capabilities: Review and
Assessment of
Managerial Impact on
Strategic Change,
J. Martin
#Cit: 18
Handbook of C.
Dynamic Managerial
Capabilities: A
Perspective on the
Relationship between
Managers, Creativity
and Innovation in Org.S,
J.Martin
#Cit: 1
SMJ
Improving Data
Availability: A New SMJ
Initiative,
S. Ethiraj; A. Gambardella
#Cit: 33
SMJ
Qualitative Empirical
Research in Str. Mgt.,
R. Bettis; A. Gambardella;
W. Mitchell
#Cit: -
SMJ
Theory in Strategic
Management,
R. Bettis; A. Gambardella;
W. Mitchell
#Cit: 78
SMJ
Creating Repeatable
Cumulative Knowledge in
Str. Mgt.,
R. Bettis; S. Ethiraj; A.
Gambardella; W. Mitchell
#Cit: 25
SMJ
The Necessity, Logic,
and Forms of
Replication,
R. Bettis; J.M. Shaver
#Cit: 3
Adv. Str. Mgt.
Resource
Redeployment and
Corporate Strategy,
T.B. Folta, S. Karim
#Cit: 35
Org. Science
Integrative Capabilities,
Vertical Integration,
and Innovation over
Successive Tech
Lifecycles,
M. Campo-Rembado
What about the last 5 years?
#Cit: 14
SMJ
Replication in Str. Mgt.,
S. Ethiraj; A.
Gambardella
#Cit: 1
Book: Mdrn Ev. Econ.
The Behavior and
Capabilities of Firms
2015 - 2016 - 2018
Scope of the firm
Understanding R&D
The Manager Capability Evolution
Research Methods
Strategic Renewal