This paper investigates the mechanisms through which organizations develop dynamic capabilities, defined as routinized activities directed to the development and adaptation of operating routines. It addresses the role of (1) experience accumulation, (2) knowledge articulation, and (3) knowledge codification processes in the evolution of dynamic, as well as operational, routines. The argument is made that dynamic capabilities are shaped by the co-evolution of these learning mechanisms. At any point in time, firms adopt a mix of learning behaviors constituted by a semi-automatic accumulation of experience and by deliberate investments in knowledge articulation and codification activities. The relative effectiveness of these capability-building mechanisms is analyzed here as contingent upon selected features of the task to be learned, such as its frequency, homogeneity, and degree of causal ambiguity. Testable hypotheses about these effects are derived. Somewhat counterintuitive implications of the analysis include the relatively superior effectiveness of highly deliberate learning processes such as knowledge codification at lower levels of frequency and homogeneity of the organizational task, in contrast with common managerial practice. The paper explores the evolution of organizational knowledge through a cycle of variation, selection, and retention. It emphasizes the importance of learning mechanisms in shaping dynamic capabilities and the interaction between these mechanisms and the characteristics of the tasks being learned. The analysis highlights the role of experience accumulation, knowledge articulation, and knowledge codification in the development of dynamic capabilities. It argues that the effectiveness of these mechanisms depends on the nature of the task, such as its frequency, homogeneity, and causal ambiguity. The paper also discusses the costs and benefits of knowledge codification, noting that while it can enhance the diffusion and implementation of knowledge, it may also introduce inertia and reduce adaptability. The study concludes that the optimal balance of learning mechanisms depends on the specific characteristics of the task and the organizational context.This paper investigates the mechanisms through which organizations develop dynamic capabilities, defined as routinized activities directed to the development and adaptation of operating routines. It addresses the role of (1) experience accumulation, (2) knowledge articulation, and (3) knowledge codification processes in the evolution of dynamic, as well as operational, routines. The argument is made that dynamic capabilities are shaped by the co-evolution of these learning mechanisms. At any point in time, firms adopt a mix of learning behaviors constituted by a semi-automatic accumulation of experience and by deliberate investments in knowledge articulation and codification activities. The relative effectiveness of these capability-building mechanisms is analyzed here as contingent upon selected features of the task to be learned, such as its frequency, homogeneity, and degree of causal ambiguity. Testable hypotheses about these effects are derived. Somewhat counterintuitive implications of the analysis include the relatively superior effectiveness of highly deliberate learning processes such as knowledge codification at lower levels of frequency and homogeneity of the organizational task, in contrast with common managerial practice. The paper explores the evolution of organizational knowledge through a cycle of variation, selection, and retention. It emphasizes the importance of learning mechanisms in shaping dynamic capabilities and the interaction between these mechanisms and the characteristics of the tasks being learned. The analysis highlights the role of experience accumulation, knowledge articulation, and knowledge codification in the development of dynamic capabilities. It argues that the effectiveness of these mechanisms depends on the nature of the task, such as its frequency, homogeneity, and causal ambiguity. The paper also discusses the costs and benefits of knowledge codification, noting that while it can enhance the diffusion and implementation of knowledge, it may also introduce inertia and reduce adaptability. The study concludes that the optimal balance of learning mechanisms depends on the specific characteristics of the task and the organizational context.