The cultural relevance of the composition-based view

In this article I offer my comments on the “Cultural Roots of Compositional Capability in China: Balanced Moderation” (Zhou, Li, Zhou, & Prashantham, Asia Pacific Journal of Management, forthcoming, 2019) that extends the composition-based view (CBV) originally developed by Luo and Child (Management and Organization Review, 11(3): 379-411, 2015). Uniting congruity with novelty and integrating internal and external learning are important cultural conduits for compositional capability. I illustrate some further thoughts into the social and cultural context of the CBV in a bid to foster continued research on this theory that explains the unique growth pathway for ordinary firms that lack strategic assets. I also discuss how the social and cultural context influences the balance between utilizing and possessing resources, between ordinary and distinctive capabilities, and between temporary and sustainable competitive advantages.