Triadic capabilities of sales personnel in power generation enterprises under China’s electricity market reform: Generation and evolution mechanisms

China’s electricity market reform has prompted large numbers of frontline production workers in power generation enterprises to transition into sales roles. This transition gives rise to two interrelated questions that frame the present study: what capability structure transitioning personnel come to develop, and through what mechanisms this structure emerges and evolves. To address these questions, we adopt a dual-case research design—with CGN New Energy Guangxi as the focal case and CGN New Energy Shenzhen as the comparative case—and employ a qualitatively-driven mixed-methods approach that integrates grounded theory with a supportive questionnaire survey. Beyond the conventional “sales–service” ambidexterity framework, the study identifies digital capability as an independent core dimension and develops a “sales–service–digital” triadic capability model. Within each capability, a “foundation-layer / innovation-layer” progressive structure emerges, in which foundation-layer proficiency serves as a precondition for innovation-layer development. With respect to capability evolution, three differentiated pathways are observed—analytics-driven, relationship-driven, and market-driven—revealing patterns of multi-path convergence alongside path dependency. The findings further suggest that triadic capabilities are generated through a twofold mechanism of “endogenous development and contextual shaping”: individuals build their capabilities through proactive learning and cognitive transfer, while being concurrently shaped by market digitalization, organizational strategic positioning, and customer relationship complexity. Theoretically, this study extends sales–service ambidexterity theory in its compositional structure, advances dynamic capability theory at the individual level, and qualifies the linearity assumption underlying capability development. Practically, it provides a systematic basis for power enterprises to design differentiated developmental pathways for transitioning personnel.