Development and Evolution of Organizational Dynamic Capabilities during Digital-Intelligence Transformation—A Case Study of AiScholar

Authors

  • He Wan Guangdong University of Finance & Economics, GuangZhou, China Author
  • Bin Xie Guangdong University of Finance & Economics, GuangZhou, China Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55578/jedip.2511.010

Keywords:

Digital-Intelligence Transformation, Dynamic Capability, Capability Building, Case Study, Scientific Research Service

Abstract

Amidst the boom of the digital economy across the globe, one question confronts both scholars and practitioners alike: how can organisations build dynamic capabilities to achieve a successful digital-intelligence transformation? In the present work, an interpretive longitudinal case study on AiScholar, a one-stop scientific research service (SRS) platform, is performed based on the dynamic capabilities theory to investigate its decade-long journey of digital-intelligence transformation. It is revealed that successful transformation relies on a phased evolution of organizational capabilities from “operational optimization”, “integration & reconfiguration”, to “ecosystem empowerment”, with strict path dependency between each phase. Moreover, this phased evolution is driven by a dynamic combination of four mechanisms—strategic consensus guidance, experimental learning, knowledge codification, and ecosystem synergy. The integrated “phase-capability-mechanism” model proposed here unveils the intrinsic drivers of digital-intelligence transformation from a micro-process perspective, extends the application of the dynamic capabilities theory to research on digital-intelligence transformation, and provides strategic insights into the capability-building of knowledge-intensive service providers.

References

1. Teece, D. J., Pisano, G., & Shuen, A. (1997). Dynamic capabilities and strategic management. Strategic Management Journal, 18(7), 509–533.

2. Zomer, T., Neely, A., & Martinez, V. (2020). Digital transforming capability and performance: A microfoundational perspective. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 40(9), 1295–1323.

3. Ghosh, S., Hughes, M., Hodgkinson, I., & Hughes, P. (2022). Digital transformation of industrial businesses: A dynamic capability approach. Technovation, 113, 102414.

4. Leso, B. H., Cortimiglia, M. N., Ghezzi, A., & Minatogawa, V. (2024). Exploring digital transformation capability via a blended perspective of dynamic capabilities and digital maturity: A pattern matching approach. Review of Managerial Science, 18(4), 1149–1187.

5. Nambisan, S., Wright, M., & Feldman, M. (2019). The digital transformation of innovation and entrepreneurship: Progress, challenges and key themes. Research Policy, 48(8), 103773.

6. Svahn, F., Mathiassen, L., & Lindgren, R. (2017). Embracing digital innovation in incumbent firms. MIS Quarterly, 41(1), 239–254.

7. Hanelt, A., Bohnsack, R., Marz, D., & Antunes Marante, C. (2021). A systematic review of the literature on digital transformation: Insights and implications for strategy and organizational change. Journal of Management Studies, 58(5), 1159–1197.

8. Vial, G. (2021). Understanding digital transformation: A review and a research agenda. Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 30(1), 101718.

9. Warner, K. S., & Wäger, M. (2019). Building dynamic capabilities for digital transformation: An ongoing process of strategic renewal. Long Range Planning, 52(3), 326–349.

10. Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research: Design and methods (5th ed., pp. 78–102). Sage Publications.

11. Wan, H., Wang, B., Song, X. Q., & Duan, D. (2025). Actors in digital-intelligent transition: Leadership choices of AiScholar. China Management Case Sharing Center (CMCC). http://www.cmcc-dlut.cn/Cases/Detail/9897

12. Ellström, D., Holtström, J., Berg, E., & Josefsson, C. (2021). Dynamic capabilities for digital transformation. Journal of Strategy and Management, 15(4), 525–547.

13. Huang, J., Henfridsson, O., Liu, M. J., & Newell, S. (2017). Growing on steroids. MIS Quarterly, 41(1), 301–314.

14. Li, Y., Cui, L., Wu, L., Lowry, P. B., Kumar, A., & Tan, K. H. (2024). Digitalization and network capability as enablers of business model innovation and sustainability performance: The moderating effect of environmental dynamism. Journal of Information Technology, 39(4), 687–715.

15. Xu, X., Hou, G., & Wang, J. (2022). Research on digital transformation based on complex systems: Visualization of knowledge maps and construction of a theoretical framework. Sustainability, 14(5), 2683.

16. You, B., & Zhang, L. (2022, December). Research on the relationship between digital transformation, dynamic capabilities and firm performance based on fuzzy mathematics. In 2022 2nd International Conference on Management Science and Software Engineering (ICMSSE 2022) (pp. 150–155). Atlantis Press.

Downloads

Published

2025-11-28

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Development and Evolution of Organizational Dynamic Capabilities during Digital-Intelligence Transformation—A Case Study of AiScholar. (2025). Journal of Economic Development, Innovation and Policy, 1(2), 138-146. https://doi.org/10.55578/jedip.2511.010