Strategic flexibility is deemed to be an important organizational capability for enhancing innovation and improving organizational performance (OP) in uncertain, turbulent, and ever-changing business environments. Many studies have investigated the impact of strategic flexibility on innovation and OP in various contexts and found that strategic flexibility enhances innovation and improves OP. Other studies have found negative association or no association between strategic flexibility and OP. Therefore, it is not much clear whether strategic flexibility improves OP directly or through innovation. Especially, the mediating role of innovation in the association between strategic flexibility and OP in engineering project-based organizations has not been fully grabbed in prior literature and Pakistan remained unexplored. This study has strived to examine the mediating role of innovation in the association between strategic flexibility and OP in this context. Drawing upon resource based and dynamic capability views, an explanatory model was developed and tested by applying PLS-SEM higher order component modeling approach using sample data from 184 organizations in Pakistan. The results revealed that strategic flexibility is positively associated with innovation and OP. Innovation is positively associated with OP. The association between strategic flexibility and OP is partially mediated by innovation. The study promotes academic rigor and provides a new theoretical model. Mangers, decision-makers, and policy-makers can utilize the results to update their plans to achieve sustainable OP. The other organizations in various countries operating under similar conditions can also take the advantage of this study.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/21582440231181432

Strategic Flexibility and Organizational Performance: Mediating Role of Innovation

PurposeThis study examines the relationship between multi-layer supply chain flexibility (MSCF) and Supply chain resilience (SCR). Further, it looks at the moderating effect of environmental dynamism (ED) and supply chain risks (SCRI) on the relationship between MSCF and SCR.Design/methodology/approachExecutives from the pharmaceutical, agri-food, electronics, automobile and textile industries were invited to complete a self-administered questionnaire. We received feedback from a total of 302 participants. Prior to conducting the primary analysis, we addressed the potential for nonresponse bias and verified the assumptions of homoscedasticity and normal distribution of the data. The reliability and validity of the constructs were established through confirmatory factor analysis. Structural equation modelling is employed for the purpose of conducting hypothesis testing.FindingsThe results demonstrate a notable influence of MSCF on SCR, particularly in settings characterized by high levels of ED and SCRI. The study highlights the importance of flexibility in multiple aspects of the supply chain to build resilience against a range of disruptions and uncertainties.Originality/valueThe study presents the fundamental role of Multi-Layer Flexibility in building up SCR. The results of this study reinforce the existing literature and offers empirical evidence for how ED, SCRI moderates the influence between MSCF to SCR. These results offer valuable information to both supply chain specialists and researchers for building comprehensive strategy to bring resilience in supply chains.

Strengthening resilience in supply chains: the role of multi-layer flexibility, supply chain risks and environmental dynamism

Purpose Strategic flexibility (SF) has become increasingly important for firms because of the fast changes in the external environment. In line with the practical importance of SF, an emerging research field has developed around it that has attempted to understand the nature of SF and the key relationships. The aim of this study is to unveil the semantic structure of the recent literature on SF and to suggest new promising areas for future research. Design/methodology/approach The authors conduct a systematic literature review with a bibliographic analysis technique, which allows authors to identify the main recent streams in the literature, as well as offer reflections and suggestions for future research. Findings The authors uncover three main emerging areas in the research on SF, namely SF as a dynamic capability, the role of knowledge management for SF and the relationship between a firm SF and the external environment. The authors put forward three avenues for future research on SF: Avenue 1. SF, business model innovation (BMI) and other dynamic capabilities (DC), Avenue 2. Digital technologies and SF/organizational agility and Avenue 3. SF and sustainability. Articles included in the special issue entitled “A strategic perspective on flexibility, agility and adaptability in the digital era” contribute to Avenue 2, thus paving the way for filling some of the identified gaps regarding the relationship between SF and digitalization. Originality/value To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first literature review on SF that uses a bibliometric approach to draw conclusions on the findings in the literature. The review contributes to the theoretical understanding of SF by illustrating and explicating core topics that have persisted over time, as well as by presenting three main avenues for further developing authors’ knowledge around SF. 

Emerging trends around strategic flexibility: a systematic review supported by bibliometric techniques

The purpose of this paper is to develop a comprehensive structural model to understand the outcomes of organizational ambidexterity (OA) within the manufacturing and service sector. It focuses on evaluating the effects of OA on business performance and strategic flexibility while also exploring the under-researched relationship between strategic flexibility and business performance. To accomplish this objective, an empirical survey was carried out among a sample of 370 Greek manufacturing and service firms. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were utilized to extract and validate the latent constructs examined. Finally, the structural relationships among these latent constructs were determined using structural equation modeling (SEM). The study’s findings reveal the significant contributions of OA to both firm performance and strategic flexibility. Additionally, the results demonstrate the positive influence of strategic flexibility on business performance. This research sheds light on the multifaceted impacts of ambidexterity, offering valuable implications for managers, decision-makers, and practitioners. The outcomes underscore the importance of ambidexterity in various dimensions of business performance and highlight its role in fostering strategic flexibility. This study stands out by offering a holistic model that explicates the outcomes of OA within the manufacturing and service sector. It places particular emphasis on the interplay between business performance and strategic flexibility, an area that has received limited attention in prior research. By empirically examining these relationships and providing practical guidelines, the proposed model enriches our understanding of ambidexterity’s significance and supports further research in this domain within organizations. 

Promoting Strategic Flexibility and Business Performance through Organizational Ambidexterity

This study examined the effect of strategic flexibility on performance of quoted pharmaceutical firms in Nigeria, as moderated by marketing competence. The study adopted survey research design, and collected data from 642 management and senior staff employees of the six quoted pharmaceutical firms in Nigeria. Findings from PLS-SEM analysis of the data revealed that strategic flexibility and marketing competence have positive effect on organizational performance, while marketing competence exerted a negative moderating effect on the relationship between strategic flexibility and organizational performance. The study concluded that strategic flexibility and marketing competence can boost organizational performance, and recommended that management of quoted pharma companies in Nigeria should pay more attention to issues of flexible strategies within their firms, and develop marketing competencies to enhance performance, but exercise restraint when attempting to synergize strategic flexibility and marketing competence in a bid to improve organizational performance in turbulent and dynamic business environment. 

/pdf/the-moderating-effect-of-marketing-competence-on-the-1j2zexo9.pdf

The moderating effect of marketing competence on the relationship between strategic flexibility organizational performances of quoted pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria

\nPurpose\nStrategic flexibility is a widely discussed concept. Yet discussions remained of qualitative nature or addressed only specific aspects quantitatively underlying the concept. The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model identifying key factors determining strategic flexibility. Once quantified, the model provides firms a profile of each strategic option towards the company vision.\n\n\nDesign/methodology/approach\nThe paper reviews existing and synthesises prior contributions into a conceptual model of strategic flexibility. Based on semi-structured interviews and value mapping, the model is applied using three case studies from the automotive industry.\n\n\nFindings\nA total of three main findings were made. First, the concept of strategic flexibility has a simple logic that aligns itself to a variety of automotive companies and visions. However, underlying this remit is an interplay of variables. Previous studies remain fragmented and have only addressed a subset of variables. Second, these variables can be grouped into three dimensions of strategic flexibility – product, process and customer – to convey a holistic understanding of strategic flexibility and its key determinants. Third, due to the uncertainty and complexity involved, depending on the firm and industry characteristics, there cannot be a one-fits-all configuration of the strategic flexibility conceptualisation.\n\n\nResearch limitations/implications\nA variety of variables requires consideration to offer a balanced view of all three dimensions of strategic flexibility. Hence, the case studies remain at a necessarily high level.\n\n\nPractical implications\nThe paper offers guidance for management on how to align their firm strategy to product and process contingency factors to satisfy customer needs in line with their company vision.\n\n\nOriginality/value\nThe paper aims to elevate a discussion that previously remained fragmented and mainly descriptive.\n

The three dimensions of strategic flexibility

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The three dimensions of strategic flexibility