Building Dynamic Capabilities in Adult Learning

In an era of rapid technological, economic, and social change, organisations must constantly adapt to remain relevant. This book examines the growing importance of dynamic capabilities in enabling training providers to respond to uncertainty, reconfigure resources, and create sustainable value in increasingly complex and volatile environments.

Focusing on the training and adult education (TAE) sector, the book examines how organisations integrate, build, and reconfigure internal and external resources to respond effectively to shifting demands. It conceptualises dynamic capabilities through a socio-cultural lens, emphasising the central role of people, leadership, and organisational culture in driving strategic change. Drawing on empirical research conducted with 18 training providers in Singapore, the book presents seven in-depth case studies that reveal how dynamic capabilities are enacted in practice. From these cases, seven key organisational resources are identified and analysed, showing how they are mobilised, combined, and transformed across different contexts, purposes, and time horizons. The book develops a practical framework that captures effective practices in capability development and includes a toolkit to support organisations in diagnosing their capability profiles, aligning resources with strategic goals, and fostering continuous innovation and learning.

The books in the series are for graduate and post-graduate students, academics and practitioners such as adult educators, human resource personnel, and consultants who are change agents.

Zan Chen is Associate Professor at the Institute for Adult Learning, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore.

Ilona Murphy is Associate Researcher at the Institute for Adult Learning, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore.

Helen Bound is now retired (from academia) but undertakes learning and development consultancies.

Manfred Max Bergman is Professor at the University of Basel, Switzerland.