Abstract
The role played by higher institutions goes beyond education and research, but also procreation of new business ventures and solving current socio-economic problems. These social obligations of tertiary education serve as the underpinning for its actuality and existence. Strategy implementation, particularly in higher institutions, is one of the current areas of research and the importance of dynamic capabilities as a catalyst of growth imperatives is important. The aim of this research was to investigate the process of implementing growth strategies and how higher institutions can overcome inertia by enhancing transformation capacities. This research drew on dynamic capabilities theory, for clues as to how institutions become dynamic through bolstering transformation capacities. The study followed a qualitative approach, with a single case as the research strategy. Furthermore, it preserved the originality of interviewees’ interpretation regarding the catalytic role of dynamic capabilities on strategy implementation. Content analysis was utilised to analyse the rich textual data generated from the semi-structured interviews conducted. The findings of this research seem to resonate with the general problems associated with implementation of growth strategies and it may be prudent for the institution to consider approaches that refine dynamic capabilities; particularly the transformation capacity. The conclusion reached in the study was that dynamic capabilities are catalytic in nature and therefore the implementation of strategy should balance the three capacities namely, sensing, seizing and transforming.